Lead Counsel, Legal

At Aerospike, we dream big and deliver even bigger. Our mission is to unleash the power of the world’s real-time data with a database built for infinite scale, speed, and sustainability.

We empower companies to tackle seemingly insurmountable challenges and achieve what’s never been done before. That’s why we developed the world’s leading real-time database—powering mission-critical applications for the most innovative, category-disrupting organizations.

Aerospike enables extreme-scale, real-time applications that:

• Fight fraud in microseconds.
• Drive dramatic increases in shopping cart size.
• Power global digital payments.
• Deliver hyper-personalized user experiences to tens of millions.

Industry leaders like Airtel, Experian, Nielsen, PayPal, Snap, Verizon Media, and Wayfair trust Aerospike as the foundation for their future. They rely on us to act in the moments that matter.

Headquartered in Mountain View, California, with offices in London, Bangalore, and Tel Aviv, Aerospike is the uncontested leader in next-generation, always-on, hyperscale data solutions. Unlike legacy NoSQL systems, our patented Hybrid Memory Architecture unlocks today’s hardware to deliver unimaginable performance and value for the most demanding data workloads—from the edge, to the core, to the cloud.

If you're ready to shape the future of data, join us.

As Lead Counsel, you will be responsible for managing legal matters for the company. As the company’s first legal hire, you will have a unique opportunity to establish and shape the legal function, building processes and policies from the ground up to support the company’s growth and global operations. You will provide strategic legal counsel to the executive team and other stakeholders while also handling day-to-day legal needs including corporate governance, commercial contracts, legal operations, and employee matters. Over time, this role may involve hiring, mentoring, and managing regional legal professionals as the company expands globally.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Legal Counsel

• Provide strategic legal advice to the executive team on business decisions, risk management, and growth strategies.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure legal considerations are integrated into strategic initiatives.
• Proactively identify and mitigate potential legal risks in emerging business opportunities.

Contract Management

• Oversee the end-to-end contract lifecycle, including drafting, negotiation, execution, renewals, and terminations.
• Lead contract negotiations for complex agreements, including SaaS, partnership, vendor, and international contracts.
• Establish and refine contract templates, playbooks, and guidelines to ensure consistency and risk mitigation.

Legal Operations

• Drive the adoption of legal technology, including contract lifecycle management (CLM) tools, to improve process efficiency and compliance.
• Design and implement efficient workflows for legal and contract-related requests.
• Maintain a centralized repository for contracts and track key dates (e.g., expirations, renewals).

Corporate Governance, Compliance, Employment and HR Support

• Support the maintenance of corporate governance practices
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations across jurisdictions, including those related to data privacy, intellectual property, and corporate reporting.
• Provide day-to-day legal support to the HR team on employee-related matters
• Partner with External Counsel as required

Team Growth and Development (Future Focus)

• Develop the foundation for a future legal team by creating processes, policies, and frameworks that can scale as the company grows.
• Plan for and manage the recruitment, training, and development of regional legal professionals as the company expands globally.

Qualifications

• Education: JD or equivalent legal degree with strong academic credentials. Admission to at least one bar association.
• Experience:
• 8+ years of legal experience, with a focus on corporate, commercial, or technology law.
• Experience in the software, SaaS, or technology industry is strongly preferred.
• A mix of law firm and in-house experience is highly desirable.
• Proven track record of handling cross-border legal issues, including compliance, data privacy (e.g., GDPR, CCPA), and IP protection.
• Exceptional contract negotiation and drafting skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Aerospike is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law.

  Join us at Aerospike and be part of a dynamic team that is shaping the future of data management. Salary Range for California Based Applicants: [$200,000 - $300,000] (actual compensation will be determined based on experience, location, and other factors permitted by law).