Senior Commercial Counsel

ABOUT xAI

xAI’s mission is to create AI systems that can accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. Our team is small, highly motivated, and focused on engineering excellence. This organization is for individuals who appreciate challenging themselves and thrive on curiosity. We operate with a flat organizational structure. All employees are expected to be hands‑on and to contribute directly to the company’s mission. Leadership is given to those who show initiative and consistently deliver excellence. Work ethic and strong prioritization skills are important. All employees are expected to have strong communication skills. They should be able to concisely and accurately share knowledge with their teammates.

About the Role

As a Senior Commercial Counsel at xAI, you'll drive our commercial contracting efforts by negotiating high-value enterprise agreements and commercial contracts — primarily enterprise customer agreements for AI products and services but also for strategic partnerships, hyperscaler agreements, other technology deals, vendor agreements, and anything else in the universe! Working closely with Sales, Business Development, and Product teams, you’ll tackle complex agreements, analyze and mitigate risks, ensure compliance, and streamline processes in a fast‑paced environment. Expect to dive into strategic negotiations, balance legal and business priorities, and support xAI’s mission to advance AI-driven human scientific discovery. This role is full‑time on‑site and based in Palo Alto, Los Angeles, Austin, or New York.

Responsibilities

• Expertly draft, review, and negotiate complex technology agreements.
• Collaborate closely with technical, product, sales, finance, and legal team members to establish commercial legal strategies that align with business objectives.
• Design legal structures and operations that make it seamless to sell xAI’s incredible products while appropriately mitigating risks.
• Be a Swiss Army knife: pitch in with precision for anything needed in the legal department, even if it is unfamiliar.

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of legal experience–ideally through a combination of experience at innovative technology companies and top‑tier law firms.
• In‑house experience as commercial counsel preferred.
• Intellectual property and technology transactions experience a strong plus.
• Hungry to learn about the products and use cases xAI customers need.
• Understand the revenue‑generation process and tackle legal issues with a practical, commercial-driven approach.
• Strong sense of ownership, genuine curiosity and enthusiasm for technology, a love for being continually challenged, problem solving, and consistent sound judgment when navigating complex and ambiguous situations.
• Strong drive to get things done.
• Lots of gas in the tank!
• JD and license or qualification to practice law in California or New York.
• Commitment to being in‑office 5 days/week.

Annual Salary Range

$240,000 - $285,000 USD

Base salary is just one part of our total rewards package at xAI, which also includes equity, comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short & long‑term disability insurance, life insurance, and various other discounts and perks.