Senior Manager Legal Counsel

About AI71

AI71 is an industry leader in artificial intelligence, delivering innovative solutions that empower developers, businesses and governments to solve complex challenges. AI71 builds secure, enterprise-ready applications powered by cutting-edge technology, tailored for knowledge workers and sector-specific needs. AI71 bridges the gap between advanced AI and real-world impact. Guided by a strong commitment to research and responsibility, we create transformative solutions that drive progress and empower communities.

The Role

As AI71 scales, so does the volume and complexity of our commercial and legal work. We are looking for a senior, commercially-minded lawyer to take ownership of our customer-facing and revenue-generating contracts and our highest-value, high-stakes engagements.

This is initially a hands-on, senior individual-contributor role — you will be drafting, negotiating and working directly with the business from day one — but it is designed to grow. As the function builds out, you will be expected to step up quickly: mentoring junior members of the team, helping shape processes and playbooks, and building out the function including any ancillary needs. You will work closely with, and deputise for, the General Counsel, and partner across the ai71’s business units, working directly with Product, Engineering, Commercial, Procurement and the CEO Office.

It is a rare opportunity to help build a modern, technology-enabled legal function from the ground up, at the forefront of applied AI.

What You'll Do

• Own revenue & customer-facing contracts & lead partnering with specific verticals: lead the drafting, review and negotiation of customer-facing and revenue-generating agreements — master framework agreements, SaaS and support agreements, and deployment statements of work — from RFP and proposal stage through to signature. Overall responsibility for specific verticals within ai71.
• Advise on high-stakes matters: act as legal lead on high-value, complex and strategic engagements, providing pragmatic, commercially sound and timely advice to business stakeholders. This may include M&A activity.
• Support governance, data & AI: advise on data-sharing and licensing terms and help translate AI, data-protection and privacy requirements into clear, simple guardrails for product and engineering teams.
• Build the foundations: contribute to core legal infrastructure — risk-tiered templates and playbooks, the contract repository, self-service capability and the legal risk framework — to help the function move from reactive to proactive.
• Step up to lead: provide guidance, review and mentoring to junior members of the team, and take on supervisory and line-management responsibility as the team grows.
• Manage external counsel: build and manage effective, cost-efficient relationships with external law firms and advisors across relevant jurisdictions.
• Deputise for the GC: represent the legal function and cover for the General Counsel on defined matters as required.
• Manage disputes: handle disputes and potential disputes to achieve cost-effective resolution, instructing and overseeing external counsel where required.

What You'll Bring

• Experience: approximately 6–10 years' PQE, including in-house experience, ideally gained at a technology, SaaS, fintech or high-growth business.
• Commercial contracting: a strong, broad commercial contracting background across the full lifecycle — framework agreements, SaaS/licensing, SOWs and NDAs — with excellent drafting and negotiation skills. Understanding of IP & revenue protection provisions in commercial agreements.
• Communication & influence: high EQ and a collaborative style; a good listener able to build strong, lasting relationships and influence and align stakeholders at all levels; able to give advice clearly, succinctly and in a user-friendly way.
• Judgment & “Can-Do” Attitude: strong commercial acumen and problem-solving ability, with ability to be pragmatic and appropriately risk-based rather than one-size-fits-all. Desire to help the business achieve its goals and willingness to support beyond what is considered strictly “legal”.
• Credibility & ethics: high credibility and strong ethics, ability to push back and/or escalate as needed.
• Resilience & drive: resilience, drive and strong organisational and prioritisation skills, with the ability to juggle competing demands and keep stakeholders informed in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.
• Curiosity: genuine curiosity and the aptitude to learn new legal and business areas quickly, and a real interest in AI and the technology the business is building.
• Leadership readiness: some experience mentoring or supervising junior lawyers, or clear readiness and appetite to step into a people-management role.
• Education: a qualified lawyer with law degree. Open to civil or common law jurisdiction.
• Language: fluent in English, written and spoken.

Great Pluses:

• Languages: Additional language skills a huge positive – Arabic and/or French in particular.
• Technology / AI Experience: Specific experience in AI, data privacy and data protection (e.g. GDPR and UAE frameworks) or broader technology law.
• Scaling Experience: helping to build, scale or systematise an in-house legal function playbooks, templates, self-service or automation. Experience in legal technology / automation also a plus.

Why AI71

• Mission-Driven Work: work on cutting-edge AI applications with a talented and passionate team, solving real-world challenges in critical sectors.
• Unparalleled Opportunity: a chance to innovate and solve real-world challenges using AI at a company with unique access to world-leading models and resources.
• Career Growth: competitive compensation, benefits, and significant career-growth opportunities as a foundational member of the team.
• World-Class Environment: a flexible working environment and the latest tools and technologies needed to do your best work.