Associate Director, Commercial Counsel

About the role

WE ARE A GROWTH INVENTION COMPANY BUILT TO HELP THE WORLD’S MOST ASPIRANT BRANDS GROW FASTER. OPERATING AT THE INTERSECTION OF TECHNOLOGY AND MARKETING, WE CREATE WHAT IS NEXT BY PREVAILING IDEAS, ACTING FAST, AND MOVING FURTHER BECAUSE STANDING STILL JUST IS NOT IN OUR DNA.

Responsibilities

• Drafting, Reviewing, and Negotiating Contracts
• Lead the drafting, review, and redlining of a broad range of commercial agreements — including MSAs, SOWs, NDAs, DPAs, vendor, consulting, production, and talent agreements.
• Independently negotiate agreements with counterparties (both clients and vendors) and effectively represent DEPT®'s interests.
• Contract Management and Compliance
• Support contract compliance with established company processes and policies.
• Support and drive the continuous improvement of DEPT®'s contract templates and playbooks to reflect current business and legal considerations.
• Monitor changes in applicable laws, regulations, and best practices relevant to DEPT®'s operations.
• Risk Management and Dispute Handling
• Be able to lead commercial dispute resolution efforts in collaboration with the DEPT® Legal team, providing risk assessments and recommending practical solutions.
• Serve as a trusted legal advisor to company management at all levels, providing timely, actionable, and business-focused guidance.
• Process Improvement and Relationship Building
• Identify process gaps and drive creative solutions in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with business teams to ensure contracts are well-tailored to DEPT®'s needs.
• Career Development and Mentorship
• Mentor junior members of the Legal team and foster a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor and bar membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state.
• 5+ years of transactional contract experience, including drafting, redlining, negotiation, and contract management.
• Significant in-house experience strongly preferred; litigation experience is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage a high-volume contract workload and advise senior business stakeholders.
• Strong organizational, traffic management, and operational skills.
• Ability to move quickly yet efficiently to protect risk while maximizing turnaround time.
• Knowledge of applicable statutes, rules, and regulations pertaining to DEPT®'s business and its states/countries of operation.
• A high level of complex problem-solving, critical thinking, and information analysis skills are essential for this role.
• Experience with creative production contracts (music licensing, talent agreements, video production agreements) a plus.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex legal issues clearly to non-lawyers.
• The ability to encourage and build mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among all DEPT® team members and clients.
• Strong focus on treating everyone at DEPT® as a client, and treating DEPT®'s clients with respect and a win-win problem-solving demeanor.
• Ability to predict and prevent legal issues and risks.
• Effectively represent the organization as appropriate in its relationships with legal and business communities.
• Experience with creative production contracts (music licensing, talent agreements, video production agreements) a plus.
• Experience evaluating and implementing AI tools within a legal or corporate environment, including contributing to AI use policies, risk assessments, and internal training on responsible AI use.
• Genuine interest in, and ongoing engagement with, the evolving landscape of legal AI — including awareness of key vendors, product capabilities, and the limitations and risks of AI in legal practice.
• High professional and personal standards with unquestioned integrity.

Qualifications

• Experience with AI-powered legal tools, including: contract review and analysis platforms; and AI-assisted legal drafting and research tools. Ability to critically evaluate and validate AI-generated outputs, applying professional judgment to identify errors, gaps, and legal risks.
• Experience evaluating and implementing AI tools within a legal or corporate environment, including contributing to AI use policies, risk assessments, and internal training on responsible AI use.
• Genuine interest in, and ongoing engagement with, the evolving landscape of legal AI — including awareness of key vendors, product capabilities, and the limitations and risks of AI in legal practice.

Skills

• Commercially minded, solutions-oriented approach to the practice of law.
• Sound judgment and confident decision-making, often under tight timeframes and with limited information.
• Leadership and mentorship skills.
• Collaboration and communication skills.
• Problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
• Complex problem-solving and information analysis skills.
• Experience with AI-powered legal tools.
• Experience with creative production contracts.
• Experience with contract management and compliance.
• Experience with dispute resolution and risk assessment.
• Experience with process improvement and relationship building.
• Experience with AI tools integration and implementation.
• Experience with AI tool evaluation and risk assessment.
• Experience with AI tool internal training on responsible AI use.
• Experience with AI tool awareness of key vendors, product capabilities, and limitations.
• Experience with AI tool risk assessment and internal training on responsible AI use.
• Experience with AI tool awareness of key vendors, product capabilities, and limitations.

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package including healthcare, dental, and vision coverage, a 401k plan with matching, paid time off, paid company holidays, parental leave, and more. We are a B Corp-certified company passionate about purpose-driven work and are dedicated to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive.

Pay

The anticipated salary range for this position is listed below. Salary is based on a range of factors that include relevant experience, expertise, physical location, and organizational impact. This is based on a 40-hour workweek and leveling.

Schedule

We offer remote work options for this position.