Associate General Counsel

About the role

GEP is seeking an experienced, commercially sophisticated Associate General Counsel - Legal Contracts for its Global Contracts Team in Clark, New Jersey — a senior member of the team, owning an assigned portfolio of complex commercial deals end-to-end across GEP's consulting, AI-powered services, SaaS, and managed services lines, including cross-border engagements. Partnering closely with Sales, Delivery, and Finance, the successful candidate will draft, negotiate, and close agreements that advance revenue while managing legal risk, and serve as a trusted advisor to the business in a high-growth, AI-forward global enterprise. Reporting to the Senior Director – Global Contracts Team and supervising one junior attorney on the team, the role demands sound commercial judgment, the ability to work autonomously within established playbooks and escalation thresholds, and the confidence to engage senior client and counterparty stakeholders directly.

Responsibilities

Commercial & Revenue Contract Management

• Draft, negotiate, and close complex commercial agreements across the full lifecycle, including: MSAs and SOWs for consulting and managed services; SaaS subscription and software licensing agreements, including enterprise-scale deals; AI-powered services agreements, including data processing addenda and responsible AI terms; Reseller, channel partner, and designated purchaser / buy-hold-sell arrangements; Strategic alliance, teaming, and subcontracting agreements; Inbound vendor and procurement contracts.
• Manage a high-volume global contracting pipeline supporting a fast-moving sales organization.
• Partner with Sales, Delivery, and Finance to structure agreements that advance revenue goals while managing legal risk.
• Maintain and improve contract templates, playbooks, fallback positions, and approval workflows to support scale and consistency.
• Track and escalate material risks, non-standard positions, and items requiring senior or executive sign-off under GEP's approval framework.

Global Regulatory & Commercial Compliance

• Ensure contracts comply with applicable laws across operating jurisdictions, including export controls, anti-bribery (FCPA, UK Bribery Act), and supply chain obligations.
• Advise on cross-border structuring and multi-jurisdictional considerations across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.
• Stay current on regulatory developments affecting GEP's commercial and technology business — including AI, data privacy, and technology procurement — and surface implications for the contracts team.

AI, Technology, Data Privacy & Intellectual Property

• Advise customers on responsible AI use, algorithmic accountability, model governance, and emerging regulations — including the EU AI Act, U.S. federal/state AI guidance, and sector-specific requirements.
• Negotiate data processing agreements, cross-border transfer mechanisms (SCCs, BCRs), and data localization requirements arising in commercial transactions.
• Support compliance with global data privacy and security laws (GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, and other regional frameworks) as they intersect with commercial contracting.
• Advise on IP provisions — ownership, licensing, and protection of GEP's proprietary software and AI technologies.

Internal Collaboration & Legal Operations

• Serve as a business-oriented legal partner to Sales, Delivery, Technology, Finance, and Executive leadership, building trust through responsiveness and a solutions-oriented approach.
• Represent GEP in deal strategy sessions and client negotiations, engaging directly with client legal, procurement, and risk counterparts.
• Supervise and develop one junior attorney on the contracts team — allocating work, reviewing output, and providing coaching and performance feedback — while sharing knowledge across the global team.
• Contribute to process improvement, technology adoption (including CLM), and legal operations maturity as GEP scales.

Core Objectives — First 365 Days

• Within 60 days, develop working command of GEP's standard positions, playbooks, escalation thresholds, and approval workflows.
• Within 90 days, operate independently on the commercial contracts pipeline — owning your deal load end-to-end with minimal escalation on standard and moderately complex matters.
• Within 180 days, propose improvements to templates, standard terms, or workflows that measurably reduce turnaround time or risk.
• Within 365 days, establish a reputation with Sales and Delivery leadership as a commercially pragmatic legal advisor who enables deals at the speed of the business.
• Within 365 days, raise the capability and independent deal capacity of the junior attorney reporting into this role.
• Build strong working relationships across the global contracts team and international legal colleagues, managing cross-border matters with confidence.

Requirements

• J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school and active U.S. bar membership; admitted in New Jersey or eligible for in-house counsel registration there.
• 6–10 years of post-bar experience combining law firm practice (commercial transactions or technology) with in-house counsel experience at a global technology, SaaS, or professional services / consulting firm.
• Hands-on experience drafting, negotiating, and closing complex agreements across consulting / managed services, SaaS / software licensing, and AI-powered services, including reseller, channel partner, and designated purchaser / buy-hold-sell structures in a global environment.
• Working knowledge of global AI, data privacy, and technology procurement regulation, and its practical implications for commercial contracting.
• Proven ability to manage a high-volume global deal pipeline with disciplined prioritization and consistent delivery against commercial timelines.
• Business acumen to translate legal issues into actionable guidance for non-legal stakeholders and make principled, risk-based recommendations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with the presence to advise senior leaders and negotiate directly with client counterparts.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in the procurement, supply chain, or enterprise technology / B2B SaaS sector.
• Familiarity with cross-border commercial transactions and multi-jurisdictional compliance obligations in the EU, UK, APAC, and Middle East.
• Working knowledge of contract lifecycle management (CLM) platforms and legal operations tools.
• Experience advising on GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, and data processing agreement terms in a commercial contracting context.
• Prior involvement in AI product or services commercialization, including AI-specific provisions such as model governance, output warranties, and AI indemnification.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic Thinking — Balances legal rigor with commercial pragmatism; an advisor who enables deal-making, not a gatekeeper.
• Executive Presence — Represents GEP's legal position in high-stakes negotiations with senior clients, vendors, and counterparty counsel.
• Judgment & Integrity — Exercises sound judgment in ambiguous or high-stakes situations; maintains the highest standards of professional responsibility.