Pendo is seeking an experienced director-level commercial counsel to elevate our commercial legal function as we scale into the enterprise market. Reporting directly to the General Counsel, this role is pivotal in building a high-impact contracting engine, optimizing deal processes, and ensuring enterprise readiness as we expand globally.
The ideal candidate is a business-savvy, strategic negotiator with a proven track record of structuring and closing complex enterprise deals worldwide. To succeed, you must be both a visionary leader and a hands-on executor, driving key commercial and operational initiatives within the Legal team.This is a high-impact opportunity for a legal leader who thrives in a fast-paced, high-growth environment and brings a unique blend of legal expertise, technological acumen, and leadership skills. You will play a critical role in shaping the future of our commercial legal operations and establishing the legal foundation for Pendo’s continued global expansion.
Role and Responsibilities
- Develop and optimize Pendo’s commercial contracting framework to support scalability and efficiency across all customer segments, from SMB to large enterprise.
- Create and maintain playbooks, templates, and workflows that accelerate deal velocity while balancing legal risk—standardizing agreements like MSAs, DPAs, and order forms.
- Partner cross-functionally with Sales, Finance, Security, and others to prioritize efforts, align on risk tolerance, and implement a repeatable, scalable contracting process.
- Negotiate and advise on complex legal matters, including licensing, partnerships, strategic alliances, and high-value commercial deals—serving as a trusted, solutions-oriented advisor.
- Drive legal operations and process improvements by leading initiatives focused on contract management tools, AI/automation, and self-service capabilities to streamline execution.
- Ensure global compliance and mitigate risk by incorporating evolving regulatory requirements (e.g., GDPR, CCPA) and providing strategic risk assessments to leadership.
- Partner cross-functionally to support enterprise deal execution by training Sales and Revenue teams on contracting best practices, key negotiation points, and legal playbooks—while aligning terms with internal Legal, Finance, and Security policies and risk tolerance.
- Drive legal team effectiveness and business impact by serving as a trusted advisor to accelerate deal cycles, remove revenue roadblocks, and establish key performance metrics to ensure operational excellence and strategic alignment.
Minimum Qualifications
- 8+ years of legal experience focused on commercial contracting, SaaS, and enterprise negotiations, preferably in a high-growth tech company..
- J.D. from a nationally recognized law school
- Active membership in at least on state bar
- Deep knowledge of SaaS licensing, data privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA), and enterprise procurement requirements
- Strong background in building and scaling commercial contracting processes for global enterprise customers
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting channel and reseller partnerships
- Experience with implementing contract automation tools and legal tech solutions
- Familiarity with revenue recognition principles and how contract terms impact finance
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to think strategically and make data-driven decisions
Pendo Description:
Pendo was founded in 2013 by former product managers, who combined their heads and hearts to build something they wanted but never had as product managers -- a simple way to understand and attack what truly drives product success. Our mission is to improve society's experience with software.Come join one of the fastest-growing startups, supported by best-in-class institutions like Battery Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, Spark Capital and Meritech. You will gain experience in a diverse and exciting set of technologies and clients and have a real impact on Pendo's future.
Our culture is passionate, dynamic, and fun.
EEOC
We are an equal opportunity employer and believe having diverse teams where everyone brings their whole self to Pendo is key to our success. We welcome all people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities and perspectives.
Accessibility
Pendo is committed to working with, and providing access and reasonable accommodation to, applicants with mental and/or physical disabilities. If you think you may require an accommodation for any part of the recruitment process, please send a request to: accommodation@pendo.io. All requests for accommodations are treated discreetly and confidentially, as practical and permitted by law.
Compensation
Our salary ranges are based on paying competitively for our size and industry, and are one part of many compensation, benefits and other reward opportunities we provide.The expected base salary range for this role to be performed in:Raleigh, NC is $230,000 - $245,000New York, NY is $240,000 - $255,000San Francisco, CA is $242,000 - $257,000Individual pay rate decisions, including offers made within and over the expected salary range, are based on a number of factors, including qualifications for the role, experience level, skillset, and balancing internal equity relative to peers at the company.
