Senior Commercial Counsel
About The Position
Tipalti's Commercial Legal Team is adding a Senior Commercial Counsel to its Toronto office. This role is heavily relied on by a tight, high-autonomy team that treats AI as infrastructure, not novelty. The practice will span both sides of the commercial deal sheet, and influence will extend well beyond contract negotiation into how this team operates and evolves. This role reports to the Director, Commercial, within a team of three. The role includes structured ramp-up time, the tools and training needed to operate at full speed, and the support to build real confidence in Tipalti's products, business, and regulatory landscape before increasing the pace. Tipalti is the AI-powered platform for finance automation, elevating how finance teams operate in the global economy. They empower customers to scale faster and smarter by removing the complexities of doing global business and accelerating finance operations efficiency. Their platform provides a comprehensive suite of finance automation solutions designed for mid-market businesses across accounts payable, global payouts, procurement, employee expenses, corporate cards, supplier management, tax compliance, and treasury. Tipalti partners with leading financial institutions such as Citi, Wells Fargo, J.P. Morgan, and Visa, enabling over 5,000 global companies to efficiently and securely pay millions of suppliers and payees across 200+ countries and territories, in 120 currencies. At Tipalti, they pride themselves on their collaborative culture, the quality of their product and the capabilities of their people. Tipaltians are passionate about the work they do, and keen to get the job done. Tipalti offers competitive benefits, a flexible workplace, career coaching, and an environment where diverse individuals can thrive and make an impact. Their culture ensures everyone checks their egos at the door and stands ready to reach for success together. Founded in Israel in 2010, Tipalti is a global business headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area (Foster City) with offices in Tel Aviv, Plano, Toronto, Vancouver, London, Amsterdam, Tbilisi and Medellin.
Requirements
- Hold a common-law law degree (J.D., LL.B., or equivalent) and be in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario. Open to other Canadian jurisdictions or US-qualified counsel.
- 8+ years in commercial technology transactions, ideally with both law firm and in-house software company experience.
- SaaS agreements, DPAs, NDAs, SOWs, and partner agreements are second nature.
- Genuinely enthusiastic about AI tools and legal technology, and willingness to teach others matches own skill.
- Communicate directly and collaboratively, and built for a team that stays tightly connected.
- Independent judgment on sensitive matters, sharp attention to detail, and proven comfort managing volume in a fast-moving environment.
Responsibilities
- Own the Sales-Side Pipeline: Negotiate and close the Tipalti Services Agreement, along with order forms, schedules, SOWs, partner and alliance agreements, and channel deals. Handle security questionnaire escalations, privacy and DPA negotiations, and commercial and contractual inquiries from sophisticated international buyers, managing each from first markup to signature with minimal oversight.
- Drive Vendor-Side Contracting: Lead commercial contracting of Tipalti's vendor engagements, coordinating risk reviews with internal teams. Software agreements are the bread and butter, but will also handle accounting, professional services, marketing, consulting, events, and other operational agreements. Participate in vendor due diligence and the procurement-led intake process while coaching the procurement team and other teams on contracting processes and workflow improvements.
- Advise the Business Directly: Serve as a primary commercial legal point of contact for stakeholders across sales, customer success, procurement, finance, marketing, security, and go-to-market teams in every time zone Tipalti operates in. Field and drive customer retention, dispute resolution, and commercial regulatory and compliance issues to resolution.
- Shape the Contracting Playbook: Help reengineer how the commercial legal team operates, from templatizing agreements to building AI-powered workflows. Within the first quarter, own key segments of the contracting pipeline and begin contributing to the team's AI integration roadmap.
- Use AI Like a Boss: Calibrate AI use to the risk profile and complexity of each matter, applying professional judgment to every output. Utilize AI tools, understand their limitations, and know how to right-size it across contract types.
- Run Your Own Book: Carry a full portfolio of matters and exercise independent judgment on risk, deal structure, and escalation. Communicate directly with opposing counsel, business leaders, and cross-functional partners, handling matters from intake to close.
Benefits
- Hybrid working model that requires you to be in office Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday
- Competitive salary and equity
- Matching RRSP
- Extended benefits, Employee Assistance Program, life insurance, AD&D, LTD
- Maternity, Paternity and Fertility Treatment benefits
- 15 days of PTO
- Subsidized lunch on office days
- Fresh fruit, snacks & drinks in office
- Conveniently located close to transit
- Phone/internet allowance
- Regular company-wide social events
- Multiple ERG groups celebrating our diversity and creating an inclusive culture
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
