Remote SaaS Commercial Counsel — Contracts Lead

Canto; Phoenix (AZ); Remote; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Canto is hiring its first in-house commercial counsel to build and scale a modern legal function for a fast-growing SaaS company. You will own end-to-end contracting for customers and vendors, implement CLM systems, and partner with Sales, Finance, and leadership to drive growth while managing risk.

Applicants should have 5–8 years of SaaS or tech law experience, strong negotiation skills on MSAs and DPAs, and a track record of implementing process-driven legal operations.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years of legal experience in SaaS or technology, in-house or mix of law firm and in-house.
• Strong experience negotiating commercial SaaS agreements, including MSAs, DPAs, NDAs.
• Working knowledge of data privacy frameworks such as GDPR and CCPA.
• Ability to operate independently, build processes from scratch, and establish legal infrastructure in a scaling environment.
• Experience partnering with Sales and go-to-market teams in a high-velocity commercial environment.
• Interest in legal technology and AI-driven workflows for a modern, tech-enabled legal function.
• Hands-on experience with CLM systems and AI-enabled legal review/drafting tools.
• Prior experience as an early or first in-house legal hire.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; translate complex legal concepts for non-legal stakeholders.
• Commercial judgment to balance risk with business velocity and build scalable processes.
• Cross-functional collaboration with Sales, Finance, and executive leadership.
• Note: EST and CST time zones preferred for frequent international collaboration.
• Candidates must reside in or relocate to EST/CST states at time of employment.

Responsibilities

• Drive the end-to-end contracting function for customers and vendors, building a scalable operation.
• Lead the implementation of a CLM system with templates, playbooks, approvals, and delegation controls.
• Leverage AI tools for contract review, risk flagging, and workflow automation to reduce outside counsel reliance over time.
• Partner with Security, Product, and leadership on regulatory requirements related to AI, data governance, IP, and privacy.
• Serve as the primary legal advisor across commercial and operational matters and manage outside counsel relationships efficiently.

Skills

SaaS contracting

Data privacy (GDPR/CCPA)

Contract lifecycle management

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication (written and verbal)

AI-enabled workflows in legal

Independent work and building process

Tools

CLM systems

AI-enabled legal tools

Job description

Canto is hiring its first in-house commercial counsel to build and scale a modern legal function for a fast-growing SaaS company. You will own end-to-end contracting for customers and vendors, implement CLM systems, and partner with Sales, Finance, and leadership to drive growth while managing risk.

Applicants should have 5–8 years of SaaS or tech law experience, strong negotiation skills on MSAs and DPAs, and a track record of implementing process-driven legal operations.