Senior Counsel, Commercial
Serve as primary commercial legal counsel for OpenAI's Robotics team, drafting and negotiating complex hardware, manufacturing, supply chain, and partnership agreements while providing practical risk management and scalable legal frameworks to support cutting-edge robotics development.
About the job
Responsibilities
- Serve as the primary legal partner supporting Robotics leadership and cross-functional teams.
- Provide practical, business-oriented legal advice to teams across hardware engineering, manufacturing operations, supply chain, procurement, finance, and operations.
- Draft, review, and negotiate complex commercial agreements, including supplier, manufacturing, development, consulting, licensing, procurement, and strategic partnership agreements.
- Advise on legal issues arising throughout the hardware development lifecycle, including manufacturing, supply chain operations, vendor relationships, and emerging business initiatives.
- Identify commercial, regulatory, intellectual property, privacy, compliance, and other legal risks associated with commercial transactions, partnering with subject matter experts across the Legal organization as needed.
- Develop scalable legal processes, templates, playbooks, and guidance that enable the organization to move quickly while managing risk appropriately.
- Monitor and advise on legal and regulatory developments affecting hardware development, manufacturing, and global operations.
- Collaborate closely with colleagues across Employment, Privacy, Intellectual Property, Regulatory, Compliance, Security, Tax, Trade, and other Legal teams to provide coordinated legal support.
- Translate complex legal concepts into clear, actionable guidance for technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Build trusted relationships across the organization and serve as a strategic advisor to Robotics leadership.
Requirements
- 8+ years of experience across a leading law firm and/or in-house legal department supporting technology companies.
- Significant experience drafting and negotiating sophisticated commercial agreements, particularly involving hardware supply, manufacturing, procurement, development, licensing, and strategic partnerships.
- JD and license or qualification to practice in California.
- Comfortable operating in fast-paced, entrepreneurial environments where priorities evolve quickly and there isn't always an established playbook.
- Sound business judgment and provide practical legal advice that enables teams to move quickly while appropriately managing risk.
- Communicate complex legal concepts clearly and tailor guidance to technical and business audiences.
- Build strong cross-functional relationships and influence through partnership rather than authority.
- High degree of ownership, intellectual curiosity, and enthusiasm for emerging technologies.
- Operate independently while effectively managing multiple priorities and competing deadlines.
Nice-to-Haves
- Experience with emerging technologies, particularly in robotics or hardware development.
Skills
Commercial Agreements, Hardware Supply Agreements, Manufacturing Agreements, Procurement Agreements, Licensing Agreements, Strategic Partnership Agreements, Supply Chain Law, Regulatory Compliance, Intellectual Property, Privacy Law
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