About the roleRippling is looking for a thoughtful, highly-motivated, business-minded attorney to join our Legal & Compliance Team as Associate Commercial Counsel. In this role, you will partner closely with the commercial team, the privacy team, procurement and sales to support negotiation, drafting, and management of a wide range of commercial agreements. This is a great opportunity for an attorney who wants hands-on ownership of deals, direct exposure to business stakeholders, and room to grow into a broader commercial practice. You'll report to our Assistant General Counsel, Commercial.
We are looking for someone who is proactive, collaborative, and comfortable balancing speed with sound judgment in a rapidly-evolving environment. You are ready to learn fast, act fast, and make an impact from Day 1. This role is a great fit for someone who also thinks operationally about legal work. We love fresh perspectives and welcome your thoughts on building and improving processes.
What you will do:- Partner with sales, account management, and other legal teams to support commercial negotiations and help move deals forward
- Review and negotiate a variety of commercial agreements, including SaaS/licensing agreements, SOWs, NDAs, vendor and procurement contracts; expand into partnership contracts
- Provide practical, business-oriented legal advice on contract terms, liability, indemnification, data privacy, and IP provisions
- Manage a high volume of contracts efficiently, prioritizing based on deal size, risk, and urgency
- Help maintain and improve contract templates, playbooks, and negotiation guidelines
- Track contract obligations and support internal processes for contract lifecycle management
- Escalate novel or higher-risk issues to senior counsel with clear analysis and recommendations
- Support ad hoc legal projects as needed (policy updates, training materials, process improvements)
- Leverage AI to help build scalable processes
What you will need:- J.D. from an accredited law school and active bar membership in good standing (or eligibility to register as in-house counsel in your jurisdiction)
- 2-3 years of relevant experience in commercial contracting, either at a law firm or in-house
- Strong drafting and negotiation skills, with the ability to translate legal risk into practical business terms
- Familiarity with core commercial contract concepts: limitation of liability, indemnification, warranties, IP ownership/licensing, confidentiality, and termination
- Ability to manage a high volume of contracts independently and prioritize competing deadlines
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain legal concepts clearly to non-lawyers
- Strong judgment about when to resolve an issue independently versus escalate
- Ability to work cross-functionally in a fast-paced environment
Nice to Have- Experience with SaaS, technology, or data privacy agreements
- Familiarity with leveraging AI tools and skills to improve efficiency
- Prior in-house experience or exposure to a startup/high-growth environment
About the teamOur team keeps Rippling's commercial engine running efficiently and compliantly by working to accelerate revenue while protecting the business. We support Sales, Business Development, and other GTM teams globally, advising on commercial strategy, negotiating increasingly complex deals, and enabling Rippling to continue to grow and scale. This role offers the opportunity to build and scale a world-class commercial legal function at a fast-growing company.
Additional InformationRippling considers working in the office, one to three days a week under current policy, to be an essential function of the employee's role.
#LI-hybrid
This role will receive a competitive salary + benefits + equity. A variety of factors are considered when determining someone's compensation-including a candidate's professional background, experience, and location. Final offer amounts may vary from the amounts listed below.
The pay range for this role is:
135,000 - 210,000 USD per year (US)
