Commercial Counsel - Legal ArchitectLegal | Chicago, Illinois | On-siteOVERVIEWThe Commercial Counsel - Legal Architect is a newly created position with a clear mandate: design and build the commercial legal foundation that SRAM's growth requires, then own and operate it at the speed the business demands. That means architecting the contract infrastructure, governing the systems that handle routine volume, and personally leading the complex negotiations that require a skilled attorney, sharp judgment, and the confidence to hold a position under pressure. The counterparties are sophisticated, the deal structures are genuinely complex, and the stakes are real.
As the infrastructure matures, so does the complexity of the work. This role does not hand off what it builds. It runs it, scales it, and takes on progressively more demanding commercial challenges as SRAM's global presence evolves. The right candidate is a commercially sophisticated attorney and a genuine problem-solver who is energized by complexity, wants to own something significant, and has no interest in managing something comfortable.
RESPONSIBILITIESOwn the Commercial Legal Infrastructure
- Select, implement, and govern a contract lifecycle management platform that gives SRAM visibility, consistency, and control across its global commercial relationships
- Design self-service workflows that enable business teams to move at SRAM's pace on routine transactions without requiring direct lawyer involvement on every deal
- Build and continuously improve the template libraries, playbooks, clause repositories, and approval frameworks that make legal infrastructure a durable business advantage
- Build the system that treats every signed agreement as the starting line, not the finish: tracking what SRAM is owed, ensuring it gets delivered, and making sure nothing negotiated hard for gets quietly left behind
- Govern AI-assisted workflows that automate commodity legal work and redirect attorney capacity toward the problems that require real judgment
- Drive adoption of standardized tools across global business functions and build the legal literacy that lets teams move confidently without constant escalation
Lead Complex Commercial Transactions
- Negotiate and close the agreements that require a skilled attorney at the table: global manufacturing and supply relationships, distribution and channel partnerships, and the sophisticated sponsorship and sports marketing deals that define SRAM's presence in the sport
- Serve as a cross-functional legal problem-solver across sourcing, product development, sales, and marketing, structuring deals that create value rather than simply documenting it
- Bring decisive, well-reasoned positions to the issues that determine outcomes in commercial negotiations: IP ownership, exclusivity, warranty allocation, indemnification, and liability
- Communicate with clarity and authority, delivering legal advice that business leaders can act on and counterparties take seriously
- Support SRAM's global supply chain and trade compliance strategy as the company's manufacturing footprint and regulatory environment continue to evolve
Build and Own the Commercial Legal Function
- Work alongside the Director of Legal to establish the processes, relationships, and institutional knowledge that a high-performing commercial legal function requires, then own and operate that function at full tempo
- Capture and systematize the institutional knowledge embedded in SRAM's long-standing commercial relationships, converting experience and relationships into durable organizational infrastructure
- Establish the reporting, escalation, and matter management structures that give leadership confidence and keep legal operations efficient as transaction volume and complexity grow
- Scale the function with the business; as SRAM's global presence evolves, the commercial legal infrastructure and the attorney running it expand with it
QUALIFICATIONS- Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school; active bar admission in at least one U.S. jurisdiction
- 7 to 12 years of commercial legal experience; a combination of law firm training and meaningful in-house tenure is strongly preferred
- Demonstrated experience building or significantly improving commercial legal infrastructure, including templates, playbooks, workflow design, or contract management platform implementation
- Strong drafting and negotiation skills across a range of commercial agreement types, including supply, manufacturing, distribution, licensing, sponsorship, and services agreements
- Experience with cross-border commercial agreements and international operations; European commercial law and manufacturing contexts are a meaningful plus
- Genuine enthusiasm for legal technology and AI-assisted workflows, with the systems design instinct to build for scale rather than solve one problem at a time
- Ability to translate legal complexity into clear, direct business guidance that non-lawyers can act on without follow-up
- High initiative and genuine comfort with ambiguity; this role requires a lawyer who generates direction, not one who waits for it
- Commercial mindset that treats risk as something to be managed intelligently, not avoided at the cost of the deal
WORKING CONDITIONS- On-site in Chicago, Illinois; this is not a remote or hybrid role
- Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as business needs require
- Passion for cycling or the competitive sports industry is a genuine differentiator at SRAM
COMPENSATION- Base salary: $175,000, with the potential to reach $225,000 for highly experienced candidates
- Eligible for annual corporate bonus based on company and individual performance
- Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance; 401(k) with company match; life and disability insurance; and paid time off
