Senior Commercial Counsel - SaaS & AI-Driven Contracts

Canto; Salem (OR); Remote; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Canto is hiring its first in‑house legal leader to scale a modern contracting function focused on growth through commercial agreements. You will design AI‑enabled processes and CLM systems, partnering with Sales, Finance, and executive leadership to accelerate deal velocity.

Ideal candidates bring JD, bar admission, 5–8 years in SaaS, and hands‑on experience with GDPR/CCPA. This role supports US and Europe, reporting to the CFO in a remote, high‑velocity environment.

Qualifications

• JD and active bar membership in good standing.
• 5–8 years of legal experience in SaaS or technology, in‑house or a mix of law firm and in‑house.
• Strong experience negotiating commercial SaaS agreements, including MSAs, subscription agreements, DPAs, and NDAs.
• Working knowledge of data privacy frameworks, including GDPR, CCPA, and related regulations.
• Demonstrated 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.
• Clear interest in legal technology and AI‑driven workflows, with a commitment to building a modern, tech‑enabled legal function.

Responsibilities

• Drive Commercial Contracting & Sales Enablement.
• Negotiate and execute commercial SaaS agreements — including MSAs, subscription agreements, DPAs, and NDAs.
• Enforce company positions on non‑standard terms and manage escalation paths, improving time‑to‑signature without increasing risk.
• Train and enable Sales to handle routine negotiations independently, reducing legal bottlenecks at scale.
• Lead the end‑to‑end contracting function for all customer and vendor agreements, building a scalable operation.
• Implement and manage a Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) system, including templates and workflows.
• Leverage AI‑driven legal tools for contract review, risk flagging, and workflow automation.
• Own vendor contracting and procurement legal processes, maintaining a contract repository.
• Lead data privacy efforts including DPA negotiation and GDPR/CCPA alignment across geographies.
• Partner with Security, Product, and Exec Leadership on AI, data governance, IP, and responsible AI practices.

Skills

SaaS contracting

Privacy frameworks

Independent operator

Sales collaboration

AI tools for contract review

Education

JD and bar membership

Tools

CLM systems

AI-enabled review tools

Job description

Canto is hiring its first in‑house legal leader to scale a modern contracting function focused on growth through commercial agreements. You will design AI‑enabled processes and CLM systems, partnering with Sales, Finance, and executive leadership to accelerate deal velocity.

Ideal candidates bring JD, bar admission, 5–8 years in SaaS, and hands‑on experience with GDPR/CCPA. This role supports US and Europe, reporting to the CFO in a remote, high‑velocity environment.