Senior Counsel - San Francisco Bay Area

About The Role WEKA’s General Counsel joined in 2025 as the company’s first in-house lawyer, and we are now hiring our second. This is a true build role: much legal infrastructure (including templates, playbooks, policies, approval workflows, and training) is in active development and being formalized as the function matures. The right candidate will be energized by the opportunity to create these foundations alongside a hands‑on GC, not looking for a role where they execute within an established system. This individual will report directly to the General Counsel and own day‑to‑day commercial contracting across WEKA’s commercial models: enterprise term software licenses (deployed on‑prem or in customer‑managed cloud environments); neocloud arrangements that embed WEKA as the storage layer in partners’ AI cloud and infrastructure offerings; and WEKApod turnkey appliance transactions. Each model carries distinct license, IP, liability, and partner dynamics. Beyond contracts, you will contribute across a broad range of legal matters including NDA and procurement workflows, reseller and partner agreements, policy development, product support, HR operational matters, marketing review, and corporate governance, as well as driving implementation of our CLM system. The ideal candidate is a hands‑on, high‑volume lawyer who thrives in ambiguous environments, builds structure without bureaucracy, and is energized by owning outcomes through to completion. Key Responsibilities Commercial Contracting & GTM Execution Serve as the primary legal partner to Sales, Revenue Operations, and Finance on all commercial transactions, from initial deal structuring through close. Structure, draft, and negotiate agreements across WEKA’s commercial models: on‑prem term software licenses; neocloud and backend licensing; and WEKApod hardware appliance transactions. Also covers procurement contracts including SaaS, cloud infrastructure, professional services, and hardware vendors. Own the full inbound NDA workflow (including intake, review, redline, execution, and tracking) for all counterparty types (commercial, partner, vendor). Build self‑service resources in our CLM and using AI tools to reduce volume over time and enable faster execution with minimal legal touch on standard terms. Negotiate and manage reseller, distributor, and channel partner agreements across a large global partner network, including standard agreement rollouts, amendments, geographic scope issues, and ongoing partner relationship support. Manage deal‑level legal risk and coordinate with cross‑functional stakeholders to drive efficient deal cycles and consistent commercial terms. Legal Operations & Systems Design Mature and systematize WEKA’s legal operating model by formalizing templates, playbooks, and approval workflows that are currently in active development, and building the systems and standards that will serve the team for years to come. Lead the implementation and rollout of our CLM platform, currently completing POC, in partnership with Sales, Revenue Operations, and IT, establishing intake workflows, playbooks, approval chains, and self‑service resources that reduce legal bottlenecks over time. Build and refine legal templates, playbooks, and self‑service resources to empower GTM teams. Cross‑Functional Legal Support Provide practical, business‑oriented guidance across a broad range of legal areas including marketing review, IT/security/privacy issues, employment matters, and corporate governance. Support Product and Engineering on development and launch activities, including intellectual property considerations, open‑source licensing, AI‑related regulatory requirements, and feature‑level compliance review. Draft, update, and maintain internal policies (e.g., acceptable use, data handling, information security, employee‑facing policies) and collaborate with stakeholders to drive adoption. Develop and deliver practical legal training for Sales and Revenue Operations on signature authority, side letter risks, standard vs. non‑standard terms, and deal escalation criteria to build a more legally literate GTM organization. Risk & Compliance Governance Monitor and advise on evolving legal and regulatory landscapes, including data privacy (GDPR, CCPA/CPRA), intellectual property, AI governance, and industry‑specific compliance requirements. Support security and compliance workflows including customer security questionnaires, DPA negotiations, SOC 2/ISO audit support, and risk‑escalation processes. Qualifications 6–10 years of legal experience. The ideal background combines commercial contract experience with prior in‑house exposure at a lean startup or scale‑up (solo or 2–3 person legal team). Candidates who have been the first or second in‑house lawyer, or who moved from law firm practice into a growth‑stage company and built processes while executing, will be strongly preferred over those who have only executed within fully‑staffed legal departments. Education & License: D. from an accredited law school and active bar membership in good standing. Outside Counsel Management: Experience managing external counsel efficiently across specialized matters. What Will Set You Apart Executive Presence: Proven track record of distilling complex legal situations into clear recommendations for leaders and influencing cross‑functionally. Systems Thinker: An understanding of how the legal function operates across Sales Ops, RevOps, and Finance to drive repeatable operating mechanisms. Project Management: Demonstrated ability to manage multi‑quarter initiatives (such as CLM implementation or policy overhauls) to completion. Crisp Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication; comfortable articulating and defending legal assumptions with business‑aligned logic. Comfort with AI Tools: Demonstrated understanding of the risks and limitations of AI in legal practice, and actively seeks opportunities to leverage them in a risk‑appropriate way to improve speed, quality, and output. Preferred Qualifications Experience supporting international operations and cross‑border transactions, with familiarity across the compliance spectrum relevant to a global enterprise technology company including export controls, data privacy, and evolving regulatory frameworks. Breadth across compliance areas matters more than depth in any single one. Familiarity with open‑source licensing models and AI/ML‑specific legal considerations. Prior experience in AI infrastructure, data storage, or enterprise technology is a meaningful plus. Experience implementing or optimizing CLM platforms. Why This Role This is WEKA’s second legal hire, Senior Counsel. You will inherit a real, active set of transactions and projects from day one. The volume is meaningful, the matters are varied (spanning complex enterprise licensing, reseller and hardware channels, export compliance, HR, and IP). You will have real ownership of your workload with a collaborative GC who is hands‑on and engaged, directly involved in strategy and complex matters, not just a final approver. In your first 90 days, you will take ownership of the NDA and procurement contract queue, drive CLM playbook and workflow build‑out, and start first‑pass review on software license, reseller and partner agreements. This is an excellent role for someone who wants real ownership, commercial variety, and the chance to build the infrastructure that scales the legal team, at a Series E company with strong product‑market fit, over 140 patents, and significant growth ahead. WEKA offers competitive compensation including equity participation. How We Work: The WEKA Way We are Accountable: We take full ownership, lead with integrity, and hold ourselves to the highest standards—even when things don't go as planned. We are Brave: We question the status quo, push boundaries, and embrace debate as a fuel for innovation. We are Collaborative: We communicate with empathy and respect, lifting one another up to succeed collectively. We are Customer Centric: Every legal decision is driven by how we can better serve, support, and empower our customers to win. #J-18808-Ljbffr WekaIO