About the RoleNscale buys technology at hyperscale: GPUs and accelerated compute, servers, high-performance networking and optical components, storage, and the software that runs it all. We are hiring a Director, Legal (Procurement and Strategic Sourcing) to lead legal support for our engineering and technology supply chain. You will structure and negotiate the high-value supply, OEM, reseller and software agreements that underpin our AI cloud, and build the procurement legal function as we scale.
The ideal candidate understands how hardware and software actually get sourced, licensed, delivered and supported, and can protect Nscale's position on allocation, delivery, warranty and liability without slowing the business down.
What You'll Be DoingTechnology and hardware procurement- Lead drafting and negotiation of complex, high-value agreements for compute, networking and storage hardware, including master purchase and supply agreements, OEM agreements, value-added reseller and distribution agreements.
- Negotiate key commercial and risk terms such as pricing and prepayment structures, forecasting and allocation, delivery and acceptance, title and risk of loss, warranties, RMA and spares, epidemic failure, service levels, liquidated damages, IP indemnities and limitations of liability.
- Draft and negotiate software, firmware and SaaS licensing agreements, support and maintenance agreements, professional services and systems integration agreements, and open-source considerations tied to infrastructure software.
- Work with our export controls team to advise on supply chain risks including export controls and sanctions (EAR, ITAR, OFAC), customs and tariffs, country-of-origin and component sourcing restrictions, and flow-down of customer requirements to suppliers.
Strategic partnership and business support- Act as trusted advisor to AI Infrastructure, Nscale Cloud, Procurement and Finance leadership on supplier disputes, force majeure and shortages, and contract performance issues.
- Coordinate with Commercial, Construction and Finance counsel so that supply commitments align with customer obligations, data center delivery schedules and financing requirements.
- Manage supplier disputes and claims, working with Litigation where needed.
Building the function- Lead and mentor procurement counsel and paralegal team members.
- Develop and maintain templates, negotiation playbooks, fallback positions and approval matrices for procurement.
- Partner with Legal Operations on contract lifecycle management, intake, reporting and continuous process improvement.
About You- JD from an accredited US law school and active membership in good standing of at least one US state bar.
- 8-12 years of legal experience at a leading law firm and/or in-house, with significant focus on technology procurement and supply agreements.
- Substantial experience negotiating agreements for hardware, software and networking components, such as GPUs and servers, switches, optics and cabling, storage, and related firmware and software, preferably for data center, cloud, telecom or semiconductor businesses.
- Working knowledge of hardware supply chain dynamics, including allocation, lead times, warranty and RMA models, and supplier financing or prepayment structures.
- Familiarity with export controls, sanctions and trade compliance as applied to advanced computing.
- Experience leading or mentoring lawyers and non-lawyer professionals.
- Exceptional negotiation, drafting and communication skills, and a practical, business-enabling approach to risk.
Nice to have- In-house experience at a hyperscaler, neocloud, OEM, semiconductor company or data center operator.
- Experience with large-scale capital equipment procurement, including power and cooling equipment (e.g., switchgear, UPS, generators, chillers).
- Familiarity with multi-jurisdictional supply arrangements.
Join Nscale as we build a world-class AI cloud platform. If you're ready to lead legal for the supply chain behind it, we'd love to hear from you!
