Founding Commercial Counsel

Virtue AI • San Francisco, CA

1d

About The Position

Virtue AI is seeking a Founding Commercial Counsel, their first legal hire, to build the foundational legal framework for a company defining the frontier of AI security, governance, and compliance. This role involves serving as a strategic partner to the executive team and Go-to-Market organization, navigating the complex and evolving regulatory landscape for agentic AI, and ensuring the safe and legal deployment of platforms like VirtueGuard, VirtueRed, and AgentSuite across regulated industries.

Requirements

• J.D. from an accredited law school and active membership in at least one U.S. state bar.
• 8+ years of experience, ideally starting at a top-tier law firm followed by an in-house role at a high-growth SaaS or AI startup.
• Thrive in ambiguity and are excited to be a "department of one," handling everything from high-level strategy to the fine print of a vendor NDA.
• Genuine interest in the technical mechanics of LLMs and agentic AI, with the ability to discuss data flows and model trajectories with engineers.
• Seen as a business enabler, knowing when to be flexible and when to hold the line to protect the company.
• Exceptional ability to translate dense legal and regulatory changes into clear, actionable guidance for a fast-moving team.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience in the cybersecurity or enterprise compliance space.
• Experience with international data residency requirements and global software distribution.

Responsibilities

• Drive Commercial Velocity: Own the end-to-end commercial contract process, including drafting, negotiating, and closing enterprise SaaS agreements, pilot agreements, and DPAs. Build the playbook to ensure rapid movement without compromising risk posture.
• Build the Legal Foundation: Establish standard templates, contract management workflows, and internal legal policies from scratch. Define how Virtue AI handles IP, corporate governance, and employment matters.
• Product & Privacy Counsel: Partner with Engineering and Product teams to ensure AI safety solutions are built with "privacy by design." Advise on global data protection (GDPR, CCPA) and emerging AI regulations (like the EU AI Act).
• AI Governance Strategy: Collaborate with Research and Safeguards teams to develop novel legal frameworks for AI threat-sharing, adversarial red-teaming, and model benchmarking.
• Strategic Risk & Ethics: Provide practical, business-oriented advice on complex issues, bridging legal requirements and ethical considerations in autonomous agentic systems.
• Outside Counsel Management: Select and manage external specialist firms for patent filings, international expansion, and complex regulatory/compliance inquiries.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree