Commercial Counsel

About this role

Mission Groq is seeking a business-minded Commercial Counsel (5+ years’ experience) to be the primary legal partner for procurement and data center licensing & operations - while also supporting compliance, and other cross-functional matters. You’ll draft and negotiate core commercial agreements (e.g., MSAs, SOWs, SLAs, hardware supply, data center colocation, SaaS, DPAs, and other professional services agreements), and you’ll build the playbooks, templates, and contracting programs that make us faster and safer at scale. We’re looking for an agile, growth-mindset self-starter who learns new domains quickly, communicates crisply, and moves deals to signature with sound judgment. Responsibilities & Opportunities In This Role Own procurement contracting process: Manage and improve intake process in partnership procurement and finance stakeholders; draft and negotiate MSAs, SOWs, DPAs, SLAs, hardware supply, SaaS, IP licensing, and professional services agreements; and develop playbooks, templates and processes to scale the work. Data center licensing & operations: Partner with legal and cross-functional stakeholders to negotiate data center agreements and counsel data center operations teams. Privacy, security & compliance: Partner with legal and cross-functional stakeholders to conduct vendor due diligence/TPRM with Security; align to GDPR/CCPA, SOC 2/ISO 27001; manage DPAs/SCCs; advise on export controls/sanctions (EAR) and anti-corruption expectations in relation to procurement and data center functions. Regulatory Compliance: Support legal and cross-functional stakeholders to ensure regulatory compliance requirements are reflected in negotiation and execution of commercial agreements. Legal Team Operations Efficiency: Partner with legal team members to optimize processes and tools used in procurement and other areas of work, develop and report on KPIs. Ideal Candidates Have/are J.D. and active U.S. bar membership. 5+ years commercial/transactional experience (law firm and/or in-house) with direct procurement contracting experience. Proven negotiator across all types of procurement agreements (including technical and non-technical services, hardware supply, and SaaS) Experience negotiated data center colocation agreements and advising data center operations teams. Working knowledge of privacy & security frameworks, and DPA/SCC mechanics with respect to procurement and data center agreements and operations. Exceptional drafting, clear risk framing, and stakeholder EQ; thrives in ambiguous, fast-moving environments. Proven ability to think critically and strategically, understanding the company's business goals and objectives, and developing legal strategies to support those goals. Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders. Agile, growth mindset; self-starter. Ability to be flexible in a fast-paced environment with limited direction and at times imperfect information, balance competing priorities, and manage several time-sensitive projects at once. A plus: familiarity with EAR and trade controls relevant to semiconductors and experience building templates/playbooks. Attributes Of a Groqster Humility – Egos are checked at the door Collaborative & Team Savvy – We make up the smartest person in the room, together Growth & Giver Mindset – Learn it all versus know it all, we share knowledge generously Curious & Innovative – Take a creative approach to projects, problems, and design Passion, Grit, & Boldness – No-limit thinking, fueling informed risk taking Compensation: Groq is committed to providing competitive compensation through our Total Cash philosophy, which incorporates potential bonus value directly into base pay. The total cash salary range for this position, which is inclusive of the potential bonus value, is $225,900–$265,800, with individual placement determined by your geographic location, experience, skills, and alignment with internal compensation standards. This range is specific to candidates located in the United States. Compensation for international candidates will vary based on local market dynamics. Beyond cash compensation, Groq also offers equity participation and a robust suite of employee benefits. This position may require access to technology and/or information subject to U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). To comply with these requirements, candidates for this role must meet certain citizenship or residency criteria. Specifically, they must qualify as U.S. Persons for export control purposes (i.e., U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (Green Card holder), or a protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) such as a refugee or asylee), or otherwise be eligible for an applicable export license.