Commercial Counsel

Zip•San Francisco, CA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Zip is an AI platform for enterprise procurement, built to orchestrate procurement across teams, tools, and suppliers with the help of AI agents. This enables companies to secure necessary resources and innovate faster. The platform is trusted by major enterprises such as T-Mobile, OpenAI, AMD, Mars, and Dollar Tree, having processed over $500 billion in spend and saved over $8 billion. Zip's team comprises product leaders from companies like Apple, Airbnb, and Meta, as well as former procurement leaders from various large organizations. The company has raised $371 million, most recently at a $2.2 billion valuation, and has been recognized by Forbes Fintech 50, Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, Inc. Best in Business, and LinkedIn Top Startups. Zip is seeking a commercially minded lawyer to join as a Commercial Counsel, based in San Francisco (or remote), to support its go-to-market and revenue teams, with a primary focus on customer contracts and outbound commercial work. This role is for a business-minded lawyer who can effectively close deals, appropriately calibrate risk, and ensure business continuity. The core of the role involves negotiating and advising on customer-facing agreements within a fast-paced, high-growth enterprise software environment. The ideal candidate is practical, responsive, and commercially sharp, with additional value if they possess experience in product, AI, privacy, or data-related matters. This lawyer will collaborate closely with Sales, Revenue, Product, Security, and other cross-functional teams, demonstrating sound judgment in distinguishing critical issues from those that should not impede deal progress.

Requirements

6 to 8+ years of relevant legal experience, preferably with a mix of law firm and in-house experience
Significant experience negotiating customer-facing commercial agreements, especially SaaS and enterprise software contracts
Strong business judgment and comfort balancing legal risk, commercial priorities, and speed
Ability to give clear, concise advice that enables stakeholders to make decisions quickly
Strong drafting and negotiation skills
Comfort working independently in a fast-moving environment with shifting priorities
Ability to partner effectively with sales and business teams while maintaining sound legal judgment
A practical approach to problem-solving, with a focus on enabling the business rather than creating unnecessary process
J.D. and active bar membership in at least one U.S. jurisdiction

Nice To Haves

Experience advising on product counseling matters
Experience with privacy and data protection issues, including commercial privacy questions and data processing terms
Familiarity with U.S. privacy laws and general global privacy frameworks relevant to customer contracting
Experience working with security review processes and security-related contract provisions
Experience in a high-growth SaaS or enterprise software company
Experience supporting international commercial work

Responsibilities

Lead drafting, review, and negotiation of a high volume of customer-facing commercial agreements, including: SaaS agreements, MSAs, Order forms, DPAs, NDAs, Partner and reseller agreements, Other outbound commercial contracts
Partner closely with Sales, Revenue, Partnerships, Security, Procurement, and other business teams to support efficient deal execution
Advise internal stakeholders on legal and commercial risk in a practical, business-forward way
Help structure positions that support revenue goals while keeping risk at an acceptable level for Zip
Negotiate inbound commercial contracts with vendors, partners, and service providers
Build and refine templates, fallback language, negotiation playbooks, and approval frameworks that help accelerate deal cycles
Identify recurring friction points in customer negotiations and improve the contracting process at a systems level
Support questions relating to privacy, data use, data protection, and product-related commercial issues as they arise in customer deals
Collaborate with Product, Security, and compliance stakeholders on contract terms touching product functionality, security commitments, AI, and data handling
Contribute to scalable legal processes and help improve how legal supports the business as Zip grows