Senior Counsel, Commercial (hardware)

OpenAI OpenAI · AI Frontier · San Francisco, CA · Legal

This role is for a Senior Counsel specializing in commercial law for consumer hardware products and technologies at OpenAI. The position focuses on hardware development, supply chain, and negotiating complex commercial agreements. The attorney will provide legal advice to teams involved in hardware engineering, product design, manufacturing, and procurement, and will also monitor regulatory and compliance matters affecting hardware and technology.

What you'd actually do

  1. Be the go-to counsel and partner for several teams focused on consumer hardware design and procurement.
  2. Provide practical, business-oriented legal advice to teams including hardware engineering, manufacturing operations, product design, and procurement to support the design, development, and manufacture of consumer hardware devices.
  3. Draft and negotiate complex supply, development, licensing, manufacturing and other commercial agreements.
  4. Identify and address commercial, product, regulatory, privacy, and other legal issues arising from commercial transactions.
  5. Develop strategies and processes for handling legal issues in creative and scalable ways that support growth.

Skills

Required

  • JD and license or qualification to practice in CA
  • 8+ years of experience across in-house and technology-focused law firm role
  • strong background in drafting and negotiating complex commercial contracts, including hardware supply, manufacturing, procurement, and intellectual property ownership and licensing

Nice to have

  • comfortable operating in an entrepreneurial environment and are proactive and independent
  • communicate with clarity and business judgment, tailoring advice to enable responsible growth
  • build cross-functional relationships and adapt communication styles to diverse audiences
  • strong sense of ownership, intellectual curiosity, and enthusiasm for technology
  • can demonstrate sound judgment in ambiguous or fast-changing situations

What the JD emphasized

  • 8+ years of experience
  • strong background in drafting and negotiating complex commercial contracts