Senior Counsel, Product and Technology

About the role

This Senior Counsel role focuses on integrating legal strategy directly into Cohere's product lifecycle. The individual will develop standardized contract terms for products, ensuring consistency and alignment with product capabilities. A key responsibility involves providing guidance on intellectual property risks, including open source software compliance and third-party integrations, to safeguard the company's product portfolio.

The position requires close collaboration with product managers, engineers, and business development teams from the early stages of product design through to market strategy. This includes quarterbacking legal input for product launches and staying informed about evolving technology regulations to assess their impact on development and commercialization. Success in this role means effectively mitigating legal risks across the entire product lifecycle.

The ideal candidate will operate within a security-first enterprise AI company that develops cutting-edge foundation models. This role supports Cohere's mission to build AI systems that solve real-world business problems and contribute to the widespread adoption of AI. The legal professional will advise internal teams on critical considerations for product development and commercialization, ensuring compliance and managing liability.

The annual salary for this position ranges from $265,000 to $330,000 USD.

Skills that matter here

• legal: This role requires a qualified lawyer to provide strategic guidance and manage legal risks for product development and commercialization.
• technology transactions: The position involves expertise in technology contracts and agreements to support product commercialization and partnerships.
• intellectual property law: A core responsibility is managing intellectual property risks across the product portfolio, including open source software compliance.
• commercial agreements: The role involves creating standardized contract terms and advising on commercial aspects of product launches and market strategies.
• SaaS: Experience advising enterprise software companies operating across various deployment models, including SaaS, is required.
• AI: A deep understanding of AI/ML technologies and platforms is necessary to advise on product development and regulatory compliance.

Who this role suits

• Someone with at least seven years of legal experience, specifically in technology transactions and product counseling.
• A lawyer admitted to practice in the US, Canada, UK, or EU, comfortable with fast-paced technology environments.
• An individual who can effectively partner with technical and business teams, translating complex legal concepts.
• A professional who stays current on technology regulations and can proactively assess their impact on product strategy.

From the employer

• Create standardized templates, playbooks, and guidelines for product contract terms to improve efficiency and consistency, and ensure alignment with product capabilities.
• Provide strategic guidance on and manage intellectual property risks across Cohere’s product portfolio, including open source software (OSS) compliance and third-party software integration.
• Identify and mitigate legal risks throughout the product lifecycle, working closely with product regulatory and commercial counsel to manage regulatory compliance, liability exposure, and contractual obligations.
• Quarterback Legal input ahead of product launches, collaborating with internal and external legal counsel.
• Partner with product managers, engineers, and business development teams to provide early legal input on product design, feature development, and market strategy.
• Stay current on relevant technology regulations and assess their impact on product development and commercialization.
• Advise internal teams on key legal considerations for product development and commercialization.

• 7+ years of legal experience, with significant in-house or law firm experience in technology transactions and product counseling.
• Qualified as a lawyer with admission to practice in the US, Canada, UK, or EU.
• Proven expertise in technology contracts, intellectual property law, and commercial agreements.
• Experience advising enterprise software companies operating across various deployment models (SaaS, Cloud, and On-prem).
• Deep understanding of software development lifecycles, product roadmaps, and technology integration.
• Experience with open source software compliance and third-party technology integration.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with technical and business teams.
• Deep understanding of AI/ML technologies and platforms.
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced technology company, adapting to new priorities, and navigating ambiguity.

• A weekly lunch stipend of $75/£75 or equivalent in your local currency for lunch.
• Full health and dental benefits, including a separate budget for mental health.
• RRSP matching, 401K, Pension Scheme.
• 100% Parental Leave top-up for up to 6 months, for either parent.
• Annual enrichment benefits:
• Arts & culture, fitness/wellness, quality time, and a workspace improvement credit.
• Education & learning stipend for conferences, courses, and coaching.
• 6 weeks of paid vacation (30 working days!)
• Budget for traveling to other offices if you are remote, plus an annual company offsite.