Sr. Counsel, Channel & Partners

Databricks; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 198,000 - 302,000; Full time

Job summary

Databricks seeks an experienced attorney to lead international partner and channel programs from its go-to-market legal team. The role focuses on program development across multiple jurisdictions with a proactive in-house orientation.

You will report to the VP, International General Counsel and help shape routes to market for advanced technologies. With 7+ years in relevant legal roles and deep contract negotiation experience, you’ll work across compliance, data privacy, information security,

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school and admission to practice in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• 8+ years of combined relevant legal experience at a law firm and in a high-growth tech company.
• Proven ability to create and manage partner programs across multiple jurisdictions.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to convey complex legal concepts clearly.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and collaborative approach.
• Self-starter comfortable navigating ambiguity and providing sound legal judgment.
• Programmatic mindset with experience managing multi-faceted projects.
• Deep experience in channel/partner model development and contract drafting in tech.
• Experience advising senior leaders in fast-paced environments.

Responsibilities

• Draft and negotiate partner agreements and manage legal engagements with strategic partners.
• Assist in negotiations with partners while balancing growth with long-term risk.
• Contribute to development/evolution of new programs and offering partnerships.
• Support channel development models and technology partnerships to scale processes.
• Oversee compliance across jurisdictions and work with Legal Compliance.
• Create and deliver training on ethics and compliance for stakeholders.
• Collaborate with commercial, operations, and other teams to enable rapid revenue growth.

Skills

J.D. degree

Legal experience

Partner programs

Negotiation skills

Analytical skills

Interpersonal skills

Self-starter

Program management

Channel development

Contract drafting

Tech industry

ISV partnerships

Cloud marketplaces

Quote-to-cash

Cross-functional

Strategic advising

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Job description

GAQ128R2

Location: We\'re looking to hire for this role locally to our offices based in Seattle, Bellevue, San Francisco, Mountain View, or New York. This will be a hybrid role with in-office expectations.

Databricks seeks an experienced attorney with significant experience in international partner and channel programs to join our go-to-market legal team. This role will focus on program development across multiple jurisdictions. The ideal candidate is a proactive legal professional with substantial in-house experience in partner program development. This position offers a unique opportunity to influence the development of routes to market for groundbreaking technologies.

You will report to the VP, International General Counsel.

You have over 7 years of relevant legal experience, with a focus on partner and channel programs supporting complex technology transactions. You have meaningful experience negotiating commercial agreements and related knowledge of legal issues related to compliance, data privacy, information security, artificial intelligence, and intellectual property.

Impact You Will Have

• Transactions: Draft and negotiate partner agreements while managing legal engagements to align with regulatory and business needs; lead and/or assist in negotiations with strategic partners, balancing the expansive growth of our alliance network with long-term risk.
• Program Management: Participate in the development / launch / evolution of new programs (solution offerings, partnering) by teaming with cross-functional business partners, client groups, and internal legal leads in a hyper-growth environment.
• Channel & Technology: Support business development of channel distribution models and technology partnerships to build scalable processes to meet long-term growth objectives.
• Compliance: Oversee compliance related to channel development and contracting in multiple jurisdictions, engaging closely with the Legal Compliance team.
• Risk Assessment: Conduct compliance risk assessments in relevant jurisdictions and internal policy gap analyses; adjust Databricks’ channel programs as necessary.
• Training & Education: Create and deliver training on ethics and compliance for stakeholders interfacing with channel partners.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with commercial counsel, operations, and other business units to ensure successful channel development to address Company goals for transacting at scale and rapid revenue growth; you will become a subject matter expert to your internal business partners, client groups, and colleagues, helping resolve challenges and seizing opportunities for success.

What We Look For

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school and admission to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• 8+ years of combined relevant legal experience at a law firm and within a high-growth technology company.
• Proven ability to develop and implement effective partner programs across multiple jurisdictions.
• Strong analytical skills with a demonstrated ability to convey complex legal concepts clearly and concisely.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with a collaborative approach to working across teams.
• A self-starter who is comfortable navigating ambiguous situations and providing sound legal judgment.
• You have a programmatic mindset, experience managing multi-faceted projects, and an understanding of how to develop and simplify processes.
• Requires deep experience in channel and partner model development, plus strong experience in contract drafting and negotiation in a high-tech industry context. It would be beneficial but not a requirement if you are familiar with ISV partnering, cloud marketplaces, and quote- to- cash principles. Prior experience developing and evolving contract templates would be a plus.
• You are a critical thinker comfortable in speaking up and brainstorming productively, thinking of future needs/issues, while executing on current activities.
• You apply a highly collaborative and positive approach to working with legal colleagues and business partners. You have a hands-on approach in executing, a builder mindset able to work independently but seeking and welcoming supportive input as appropriate.
• You are experienced at making recommendations to senior leaders in a fast-paced environment and applying a practical, balanced mindset to legal problem-solving.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in multiple jurisdictions across EMEA, APJ, and LATAM.
• Knowledge of platform technology and related contract models, including experience in drafting and negotiating high-value agreements, is a bonus.

Pay Range Transparency

Databricks is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The pay range(s) for this role is listed below and represents the expected salary range for non-commissionable roles or on-target earnings for commissionable roles. Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to job-related skills, depth of experience, relevant certifications and training, and specific work location. Based on the factors above, Databricks anticipates utilizing the full width of the range. The total compensation package for this position may also include eligibility for annual performance bonus, equity, and the benefits listed above. For more information regarding which range your location is in visit our page here.

Zone 1 Pay Range

$219,800—$302,300 USD

Pay Range Transparency

Databricks is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The pay range(s) for this role is listed below and represents the expected salary range for non-commissionable roles or on-target earnings for commissionable roles. Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to job-related skills, depth of experience, relevant certifications and training, and specific work location. Based on the factors above, Databricks anticipates utilizing the full width of the range. The total compensation package for this position may also include eligibility for annual performance bonus, equity, and the benefits listed above. For more information regarding which range your location is in visit our page here.

Zone 2 Pay Range

$197,800—$272,050 USD

About Databricks

Databricks is the Data and AI company. More than 20,000 organizations worldwide — including adidas, AT&T, Bayer, Block, Mastercard, Rivian, Unilever, and 70% of the Fortune 500 — rely on the Databricks Data + AI Platform to build and scale data and AI apps, analytics and agents. Headquartered in San Francisco with 30+ offices around the globe, Databricks offers a unified platform that includes Genie, Lakebase, Agent Bricks, Lakeflow, Lakehouse, and Unity Catalog. To learn more, follow Databricks on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, and Instagram.

Benefits

At Databricks, we strive to provide comprehensive benefits and perks that meet the needs of all of our employees. For specific details on the benefits offered in your region click here.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

At Databricks, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone can excel. We take great care to ensure that our hiring practices are inclusive and meet equal employment opportunity standards. Individuals looking for employment at Databricks are considered without regard to age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other protected characteristics.

Compliance

If access to export-controlled technology or source code is required for performance of job duties, it is within Employer's discretion whether to apply for a U.S. government license for such positions, and Employer may decline to proceed with an applicant on this basis alone.