Senior Commercial & Privacy Counsel (SaaS)

About:
We’re a fast-growing EdTech SaaS startup improving student and faculty support for universities and colleges. Our customers span the U.S., U.K., EU and beyond. We move quickly, ship often, and care deeply about security, privacy, and rock-solid contracts.

The Opportunity:
We’re hiring an experienced in-house attorney to own commercial contracting and privacy/compliance. You’ll partner with Sales, Customer Success, Security, and Product to close enterprise deals, strengthen our data protection posture, and streamline the contract lifecycle. This role is fully remote and part-time (20–40 hours/week depending on pipeline and projects).

What You’ll Do:
1. Lead commercial contracting across MSAs, SaaS subscriptions, order forms, SOWs, SLAs, security addenda, and DPAs—draft, redline, negotiate, and close with enterprise procurement and legal teams.

2. Own privacy & data protection: GDPR/UK GDPR, SCCs/UK Addendum, DPIAs, RoPA, data maps, vendor management, data retention, subprocessors, and i ---------- /breach language.

3. Enable security compliance: partner with Security on SOC 2, ISO 27001, and Cyber Essentials / CE+—align evidence and language, respond to security questionnaires, and prep audit artifacts.

3. Accelerate deals: create and maintain clause playbooks, fallback positions, and a contract template library; triage intake and manage versions through e-signature.

4. Manage risk: advise on IP, indemnities, liability caps, warranties, data residency/transfer, and regulatory requirements in higher-ed/public-sector contexts.

5. Scale process: recommend lightweight CLM and intake workflows suited to a startup while meeting enterprise expectations.

6. Support RFPs/RFIs with Sales/Security; shepherd redlines to resolution and document decisions.

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What You’ll Bring (Must-Haves):

1. 10+ years post-qualification experience as in-house counsel at software/SaaS companies focused on commercial contracts and data protection.

2. Juris Doctor (or foreign equivalent) and active bar admission in at least one jurisdiction.

3. Deep expertise negotiating software/SaaS contracts and DPAs with enterprise buyers.

4. Hands-on GDPR experience (SCCs/UK Addendum, DPIAs, vendor diligence).

5. Practical familiarity with SOC 2, ISO 27001, and Cyber Essentials / CE+ and how they surface in contracts and questionnaires.

6. Exceptional drafting, negotiation, and stakeholder-enablement skills; clear, business-savvy communication.

7. Excellent written English and meticulous attention to detail.

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Nice to have:
1. Public sector / education procurement experience (e.g., universities, school systems) and familiarity with frameworks common in that space (e.g., FERPA).

2. Multi-region deal experience (U.S., U.K., EU).

3. Implementing lightweight CLM tools, clause libraries, and intake workflows.

4. Experience managing large security questionnaires and third-party risk.


How We Work:
- Remote-first, flexible schedule; aim for 4 hours of overlap with Central European Time most days.
- Part-time (20–40 hrs/week); workload flexes with deal flow and audit timelines.
- Engagement type: contractor or part-time employment, depending on location and preference.
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Why Join:
High ownership and direct impact on closing enterprise deals.
Build pragmatic, scalable legal & privacy processes from the ground up.
Collaborate with a team that values speed, clarity, and security by design.