Senior Director of Legal (Commercial Transactions)

Equinix; Texas; On-site; USD 220,000 - 340,000; Full time

Job summary

Equinix in Texas seeks a Senior Director, Americas to lead Global Contracts for the region, guiding the Americas team and supporting major, high-value deals with strategic impact.

The role requires a law degree, extensive post-qualification experience, and a proven track record in negotiating complex contracts across multinational accounts. This senior leadership position emphasizes cross-functional collaboration and driving legal ops transformation.

Qualifications

• Law degree and bar admission in a U.S. jurisdiction.
• 15+ years post-qualification experience in senior legal roles.
• Experience leading large multinational contracts teams.
• Strong negotiation and strategic advisory capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead Americas GC organization and Strategics team.
• Oversee high-value transactions and complex negotiations.
• Advise senior leaders on risk, policy, and governance.
• Coach and develop a dispersed team across time zones.
• Drive technology adoption and standardization in legal operations.

Skills

Leadership

Contract Negotiation

Strategic thinking

Executive communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Legal risk management

Team development

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Tools

Contract Lifecycle Management

Legal tech platforms

Data analytics

Job description

• This open role of Senior Director, Americas will be responsible for supporting the one of the 2 Strategic accounts teams and is the leader of the Global Contracts Americas region team


• Responsible for the team’s contracting support for named accounts and as lead representing the Americas Region, this role is instrumental in leading these teams and closing complex, strategic deals and keeping abreast of the legal developments in the region


• This role advises the business in alignment with corporate goals and objectives and risk thresholds in a manner that supports the objectives for the global business


• Adept at using and leveraging technology to better scale the organization, this role oversees deals which have significant impact to the business, specifically the Americas business and is charged with building relationships with our Americas stakeholders and in concert with others in the Global Contracts team, to take charge of specialized areas which are entrusted to them by the Vice President Global Contracts or the Chief Legal Officer as the case may be


• Reports to Vice President, Legal, Global Contracts


• This role is a senior people leader, commercial lawyer and trusted business adviser responsible for these mandates


• Americas leadership: Lead and coordinate Global Contracts’ presence and engagement across the Americas, representing GC with Americas business leadership and ensuring that regional priorities are understood, translated into clear legal support strategies and delivered effectively


• Global Strategic Accounts leadership: Lead the Strategics team and the legal support for its globally significant portfolio of named customers, currently comprising a defined group of AI, Neocloud, accounts and Channel partners


• Global Contracts leadership: Act as an active member of the Global Contracts leadership team, contributing to the function’s strategy, culture, talent, transformation, operating model and overall performance


• This is a highly visible role at the intersection of legal leadership, major deal execution, emerging technology and business strategy


• The role will lead complex, high-value and high-impact negotiations; guide and develop a geographically dispersed team; and provide clear, commercially grounded advice to senior leaders across Sales, Customer and Revenue, Finance, Operations, Product, Technology and other functions


• The Senior Director will bring a strong vision for the development of the Americas Global Contracts organisation and the Strategics team


• They will use technology, data, disciplined operating practices and effective people leadership to improve the speed, quality, consistency and scalability of legal support, working closely and collaboratively with the rest of the One Legal team globally


• Serve as the senior Global Contracts (GC) leader for the Americas (Canada, US, Latin America, South America), representing GC in senior business forums and building trusted relationships across Sales, Finance, Operations, Product and Technology


• Translate Americas priorities and risks into clear legal support plans, ensuring GC is engaged early and support is responsive, consistent and commercially pragmatic


• Provide senior escalation support on significant Americas and strategic matters (including complex customer negotiations, strategic opportunities, disputes, public-sector opportunities outside the US Federal business), coordinate Americas-based GC colleagues, and manage external counsel where required


• Lead the team, setting its vision, strategy and operating model, with overall accountability for legal support to its portfolio of named AI, Neocloud, SaaS and semiconductor accounts, Channel/OEM accounts


• Maintain close oversight of account strategy, pipeline, risk, resourcing and escalations, and ensure effective delivery across the full deal lifecycle


• Partner with the Channel Lead on Channel go-to-market support, collaborate with other GC and One Legal leaders where needed and/or portfolios intersect, and shape the team’s future structure as it maturing


• Personally lead or oversee the most complex, strategic and high-value transactions, operating as an experienced and credible negotiator across customers, partners, external counsel and senior stakeholders


• Balance commercial, legal and operational considerations, present clear recommendations to executives, and drive matters to closure


• Convert deal experience into scalable positions, templates and training, while mentoring the team to build negotiating capability and domain knowledge.


• Lead, coach and develop a team of lawyers and contracts professionals, setting a clear vision, objectives and a collaborative, high-performing “team first” culture


• Provide clear direction, candid feedback and meaningful development; manage performance fairly and recognise strong contribution


• Close capability gaps through mentoring and succession planning, and develop future leaders able to work across boundaries


• Act as a full member of the GC leadership team, contributing to strategy, operating model, talent, culture and resourcing


• Work with peer leaders to build consistency across teams while respecting portfolio and regional differences


• Support global initiatives (policy, process, technology, transformation) and model enterprise leadership across GC and One Legal


• Champion technology, including AI tools, to improve service delivery, reporting and decision-making, and drive standardisation to increase capacity


• Ensure the team adopts GC platforms, processes and knowledge resources, using data to monitor workload, risk and performance


• Lead transformation in a way that builds team capability and confidence, not just system adoption


• Work with the VP, Global Contracts to apply practical risk frameworks, policies and escalation paths, ensuring consistency with Company policy and governance


• Oversee work allocation, resourcing, budget and external counsel use, with clear reporting on significant matters and risks


• Promote collaboration with shared-services teams and drive operational excellence through accountability and continuous improvement

A clear leadership vision and experience evolving a team’s capabilities, structure, operating model or strategic directionExcellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex matters clearly, concisively and persuasivelyA leadership style and personal approach consistent with Equinix and One Legal culture and valuesExperience working with Channel arrangements, partnerships, indirect go-to-market models or comparable commercial ecosystemsExecutive presence and the confidence to advise, challenge and influence the most senior leaders in the organisationSubstantial post-qualification legal experience appropriate for a Senior Director role, preferably including at least 15 years of experience in a similar role (having at least five years of strong law-firm experience is a preference)Experience supporting senior business leaders in an international, fast-moving and commercially demanding environmentA strong understanding of how technology, data, process and knowledge management can scale a legal organisation and improve business outcomesDeep experience in negotiating and in commercial contracting and in leading complex, strategic, high-value and high-impact transactionsA strong interest in emerging technology markets, particularly data centre, AI, Neocloud infrastructure, SaaS, or related technology sectorsExperience operating successfully in a matrix organisation and working across functions, reporting lines, geographies and time zonesStrong emotional intelligence, interpersonal awareness and cultural sensitivity, with an ability to relate effectively to people at all levelsDemonstrated success as a people leader, with a genuine interest in managing, coaching and developing lawyers and contracts professionalsA law degree and admission to practise in a relevant jurisdiction (e.g. a state in the United States of America)Strong organisational skills, attention to detail and the ability to prioritise competing short-term pressures while progressing longer-term objectivesA pragmatic, adaptable, proactive and solution-oriented approach, including the confidence to make decisions quickly and drive action in ambiguous situationsWillingness and ability to work flexibly across global time zones when important transactions, customers or leadership responsibilities require itStrong commercial and legal judgement, with the ability to assess risk, balance legal and business considerations and recommend practical solutions