Assistant General Counsel - Commercial (Partnerships)

Kraken

5d•$175,800 - $351,600•Remote

About The Position

Payward, the parent company of Kraken, is seeking an Assistant General Counsel - Commercial (Partnerships) to join its Commercial Legal team. This role will be at the forefront of Kraken's global business operations, serving as a strategic legal partner. The Commercial Legal team is responsible for managing a wide range of commercial contracts and supporting the company in its partnerships, procurement, licensing, and vendor relationships. This team plays a key role in enabling Kraken's rapid innovation and expansion while protecting the business from legal and regulatory risks. As Assistant General Counsel – Commercial (Partnerships), you will report directly to the Head of Commercial Legal and will be responsible for leading Kraken’s product partnership commercial legal efforts. You will work cross-functionally with Product, Sales, Finance, Engineering, and Regulatory teams to craft and launch novel and strategically significant products and partnerships at the most innovative financial exchange in the world.

Requirements

J.D. or equivalent legal degree and active license to practice law in at least one jurisdiction.
8+ years of commercial legal experience, ideally a mix of top-tier law firm and in-house experience.
Proven track record leading complex, high-stakes commercial transactions in a global environment, particularly those involving technology, SaaS, or strategic partnerships.
Deep understanding of product development and go-to-market strategies from a legal perspective.
Excellent contract drafting, negotiation, and analytical skills.
Demonstrated leadership experience, including mentoring and managing high-performing teams.
Ability to operate independently and decisively in a fast-paced, remote-first, innovation-driven environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience in fintech, crypto, or other highly regulated sectors.
Familiarity with vendor onboarding, procurement processes, and compliance frameworks.
Background working closely with product and engineering teams to develop and launch consumer-facing and enterprise products.
Experience implementing or managing contract lifecycle management (CLM) tools.
Passion for crypto, Web3, and emerging technologies.

Responsibilities

Serve as the lead commercial counsel for cutting edge, high visibility product partnerships, driving legal strategy and execution for complex and first-of-their-kind commercial arrangements that support Kraken’s most innovative product initiatives.
Act as a strategic partner to the Product, Sales, Engineering, Finance, and Regulatory teams, helping design go-to-market structures and partnership models that are legally sound and support rapid innovation.
Advise leadership and stakeholders on a wide range of commercial legal matters and negotiations, including technology agreements, strategic partnerships, and terms of service.
Oversee the development and continuous improvement of legal templates, playbooks, AI processes, and risk management frameworks that support scalable and efficient commercial operations.
Collaborate closely with Compliance, Tax, and Regulatory teams to assess legal risk and implement practical, forward-thinking solutions that unlock business opportunities.
Support contract lifecycle management and help drive legal process automation and tooling improvements across the function.
Assist with M&A efforts as needed, including contract diligence and integration.
Additional responsibilities and special projects as assigned by the Head of Commercial Legal.