Vendor Management Counsel

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 163,000 - 221,000; Full time

Job summary

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati is seeking an experienced in-house Counsel to manage vendor and technology contracting for a sophisticated internal team. You will draft and negotiate diverse commercial agreements, including SaaS, cloud, and AI-related contracts, while assessing data rights, confidentiality, and IP ownership.

You'll collaborate with privacy, security, and technology attorneys, and align terms with internal policies across Finance, IT, and other business functions.

Qualifications

• J.D. from ABA-accredited law school; active bar in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• Minimum 3 years drafting and negotiating commercial contracts, including technology agreements.
• Strong drafting, negotiation, and business-partnering skills.
• Familiarity with generative AI contracting concepts, data rights, confidentiality, and IP ownership.
• Ability to manage a high volume of matters with competing deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary lawyer for vendor and supplier contracts across all functions.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements, including AI-related terms.
• Lead tech & AI-related contracting, including data rights and liability allocation.
• Coordinate with privacy, data security, and tech attorneys on escalation matters.
• Partner with Finance, IT, and Security to align terms with internal policies.
• Maintain standard contract templates, playbooks, and clause guidance.
• Monitor AI governance and data privacy developments affecting contracts.

Skills

Contract drafting

Contract negotiation

Vendor management

AI contracting

Legal risk assessment

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

J.D. degree

Tools

CLM systems

Data privacy/regulatory frameworks

Job description

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati is the premier legal advisor to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide. The firm’s Office of the General Counsel manages the full spectrum of legal matters arising from the firm’s own operations—from commercial and vendor relationships to regulatory compliance, employment, and risk management. This is an opportunity to join a sophisticated internal legal team that operates at the intersection of law, technology, and business. In this new role, you will be the fifth attorney in the OGC, working closely with other members of the OGC and supporting all business functions, including Information Security, IT, Innovation, Finance and Human Resources.

This role can be hybrid or 100% remote.

The Role:

Our Vendor Management Counsel will serve as the primary lawyer for the firm’s commercial contracting function, managing agreements with a wide range of vendors, suppliers, and service providers. The role involves significant volume and variety—from routine procurement agreements to complex technology agreements involving generative AI—and requires a lawyer who can work efficiently at scale while exercising sound judgment on risk and escalation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as primary lawyer for the firm’s vendor and supplier contracts across all business functions
• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements, including technology license agreements, SaaS and cloud services agreements, professional services agreements, statements of work, and general procurement contracts
• Lead contracting for technology and AI-related engagements, including agreements involving generative AI platforms, AI-assisted legal tools, data processing, and third-party model access—advising on data rights, acceptable use, confidentiality, output ownership, and liability allocation
• Coordinate with client-facing attorneys specializing in privacy, data security, and technology transactions on matters requiring specialized expertise or escalation
• Partner with Finance, IT, Information Security, and other business stakeholders to identify legal risks and align contract terms with internal policies
• Support and maintain standard contract templates, playbooks, and clause guidance tailored to the firm’s risk tolerance and operational needs
• Monitor relevant legal and regulatory developments—particularly in AI governance, data privacy, and technology contracting—and advise the General Counsel on implications for the firm’s contracts and vendor relationships
• Work closely with contract administrator to manage the firm’s contract portfolio and enhance the firm’s contract management processes

Required Qualifications:

• J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school; active bar admission in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction
• Minimum 3 years of experience drafting and negotiating a variety of commercial contracts, Including technology agreements
• Strong drafting, negotiation and business-partnering skills
• Familiarity with generative AI contracting concepts, including data rights and restrictions, acceptable use policies, confidentiality of inputs and outputs, indemnification for AI-generated content, and IP ownership
• Demonstrated ability to manage a high volume of matters with competing deadlines
• Business-oriented mindset—able to identify and communicate risk clearly, propose practical solutions, and know when to escalation

Preferred Qualification's:

• Prior experience in an in-house legal department, law firm technology transactions practice, or legal managed services organization
• Familiarity with enterprise procurement and vendor management processes
• Working knowledge of information security and data privacy frameworks (ISO, NIST, GDPR, CCPA/CPRA) and their intersection with vendor and technology agreements
• Experience with AI governance considerations, including the EU AI Act or emerging U.S. state AI legislation
• Familiarity with contract lifecycle management (CLM) systems and ability to leverage AI tools to work more efficiently

The primary location for this job posting is in Palo Alto, but other locations may be listed. The actual base pay offered will depend upon a variety of factors, including but not limited to the selected candidate’s qualifications, years of relevant experience, level of education, professional certifications and licenses, and work location. The anticipated pay range for this position is as follows:

Palo Alto, New York, San Francisco: $163,200 – $220,800 per year.

Austin, Boston, Boulder, Century City, Delaware, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, San Diego, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and all other locations: $147,050 – $198,950 per year.

The compensation for this position may include a discretionary year-end merit bonus based on performance. We offer a highly competitive salary and benefits package.

Benefits information can be found here. Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).