Senior Commercial Counsel: Tech & AI, Hybrid (San Jose)

NetApp; San Jose (CA); Hybrid; USD 196,000 - 293,000; Full time

Job summary

NetApp seeks a Senior Commercial Counsel to support its North America Sales organization. You will provide strategic legal guidance, lead negotiations, and deliver practical solutions balancing commercial objectives, customer needs, and legal standards.

A strong background in complex technology transactions and AI-related matters is essential. The role is hybrid, with in-office expectations three days per week at the San Jose, CA location.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor degree and active state bar membership.
• At least 10 years of legal experience, including 5+ years in-house with a technology company.
• Experience drafting and negotiating complex technology agreements.
• Knowledge of AI, data privacy, information security, and regulatory considerations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a strategic legal business partner to the North America Sales organization, providing practical, business-oriented advice that supports revenue growth and strong customer and partner relationships.
• Draft, review, and negotiate complex commercial technology agreements with customers, distributors, resellers, and channel partners, including agreements involving hardware, software, SaaS, storage-as-a-service, professional services, data privacy, and information security.
• Apply a strong understanding of NetApp’s dual distribution model and the legal and commercial considerations associated with selling directly and through distributors, resellers, and other channel partners.
• Provide strategic legal advice and risk assessments that balance business objectives, customer needs, legal requirements, and corporate policies.
• Advise on contractual, regulatory, privacy, intellectual property, information security, AI, machine learning, data-use, and other emerging technology issues.
• Partner with Finance, Information Security, Privacy, Sales Operations, Product, and other stakeholders to resolve complex issues, drive transactions to execution, and develop practical, scalable solutions.
• Lead and support responsible adoption of AI-enabled technologies, automation, analytics, and knowledge resources to improve legal productivity, consistency, knowledge management, contract lifecycle management, and operational effectiveness.
• Serve as a change agent for innovation by encouraging thoughtful experimentation, sharing effective practices, and helping colleagues adopt new technologies and ways of working.
• Improve legal templates, playbooks, training, self-service resources, and processes to reduce friction, address recurring issues, and improve deal velocity.
• Manage complex legal matters independently, exercise sound judgment, prioritize competing demands, and deliver timely, practical, risk-informed solutions in a fast-paced environment.

Skills

Strategic legal guidance

Negotiation

Contract drafting

Cross-functional collaboration

Regulatory/compliance

Education

Juris Doctor degree

Active state bar membership

In-house tech experience

Job description

NetApp seeks a Senior Commercial Counsel to support its North America Sales organization. You will provide strategic legal guidance, lead negotiations, and deliver practical solutions balancing commercial objectives, customer needs, and legal standards.

A strong background in complex technology transactions and AI-related matters is essential. The role is hybrid, with in-office expectations three days per week at the San Jose, CA location.