Legal Operations Lead

ABOUT THE ROLE Build and own the legal operating system at an early-stage AI infrastructure company. This hands-on role combines commercial contracting with the design of scalable workflows, helping the business manage growing legal needs while balancing risk, speed, and business priorities. WHAT YOU'LL DO - Own legal intake, prioritization, contracting workflows, approvals, escalation paths, document management, and outside-counsel coordination. - Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements, including MSAs, SOWs, data licenses, SLAs, NDAs, vendor agreements, and partner contracts. - Create and maintain contract templates and negotiation playbooks for recurring issues such as data rights and usage restrictions. - Identify opportunities to streamline or automate high-volume legal workflows using software and AI, while preserving appropriate human review. - Set clear guidelines for what legal work is handled internally, standardized, automated, or escalated to leadership or outside counsel. - Scope outside-counsel work efficiently, manage legal spend, and reserve external support for specialist or high-value matters. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR - At least 5 years of experience in legal operations, contracts management, commercial operations, or transactional legal work at a fast-growing technology company. - A law degree, such as an LLB or equivalent, and hands-on experience with US commercial contracting conventions. - Strong skills drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial technology agreements, with sound judgment about when specialist advice is needed. - Experience with intellectual property law, contract workflows, intake systems, document management, approval frameworks, and outside-counsel relationships. - Experience creating templates and negotiation playbooks, and building or scaling legal operations or contract management functions. - Familiarity with legal technology, workflow automation, and AI, plus commercial judgment and experience with data licensing or other IP-intensive businesses. COMPENSATION & BENEFITS Annual salary range: $160,000 to $200,000 USD, plus equity and comprehensive benefits. Visa sponsorship and relocation support are available for strong candidates. LOCATION On-site in San Francisco, California, or Singapore. San Francisco is the primary location.