Senior Commercial Counsel

We’re seeking a proactive, seasoned Senior Commercial Counsel to lead our commercial legal function. This person will champion contract intake, contracting processes, and playbook development, while driving complex commercial deals across the business. They’ll report directly to the General Counsel and serve as the go-to commercial legal resource for internal stakeholders. This is a hybrid role, expected to be on-site three days a week in our San Jose HQ.

Key Responsibilities:

Contracting Process Leadership

• Provide meaningful input into the design, implementation, and refinement of contract intake workflows and management systems (e.g., CLM, DocuSign, Salesforce).

• Build scalable contracting playbooks and templates to elevate consistency and efficiency, and lead trainings for legal and business teams.

Deal Strategy & Execution

• Lead negotiation and drafting of global, complex commercial agreements—including:

  • SaaS, licensing, and technology partnerships

  • Channel, vendor, customer, and professional services agreements

  • Distribution, retail, and original device manufacturer (ODM) agreements

  • Statements of work, data processing addenda, and service level agreements

• Proactively project-manage deals: define milestones, coordinate internal teams (product, sales, finance, compliance), identify and mitigate delays, and hold stakeholders accountable to ensure timely closure.

In-House Leadership & Collaboration

• Serve as the primary legal partner to business stakeholders on commercial projects.

• Provide practical legal advice and recommendations that drive business outcomes while mitigating risk.

• Conduct training and knowledge-sharing sessions on commercial best practices and new playbook elements.

Qualifications:

Experience & Legal Credentials

• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school; active California bar admission.

• Minimum 10 years of legal experience, including:

  • ≥5 years in-house commercial counsel experience

  • ≥5 years in a tech-focused law firm environment, with exposure to commercial and tech transactions

Commercial/Transactional Expertise

• Deep experience across a broad spectrum of agreements:

  • SaaS, licensing, distribution, retail, and ODM contracts

  • Technology partnerships, vendor/customer agreements

• Track record of negotiating large-scale, global commercial agreements involving cross-functional coordination.

• Experience in the hardware and consumer electronics sector is strongly preferred.

Operational & Project Management Strength

• Demonstrated ability to establish legal processes from scratch and drive system improvements (e.g., CLM tools).

• Strong in project planning, milestone tracking, prioritization, and holding stakeholders accountable to deadlines.

Core Skills & Traits

• Exceptional drafting, negotiation, communication, and presentation skills.

• Business-oriented with a “can-do” attitude—friendly, collaborative, diplomatic, and confident in holding teams to commitments.

• Strategic thinker with the ability to guide business teams to the right commercial outcomes.

Tech-Savvy & Adaptable

• Comfortable using contract management systems; proven ability to quickly learn new tools.

Company Statement/Values:  

At NETGEAR, we are on a mission to unleash the full potential of connectivity with intelligent solutions that delight and protect. We turn ideas into innovative networking products that connect people, power businesses, and advance the way we live.  

We're a performance-driven, talented and connected team that's committed to delivering world-class products for our customers. As a company, we value our employees as the most essential building blocks of our success. And as teammates, we commit to taking our work to the Next Gear by living our values: we Dare to Transform the future, Connect and Delight our customers, Communicate Courageously with each other and collaborate to Win It Together. You’ll find our values woven through our processes, present in our decisions, and celebrated throughout our culture. 

We strive to attract top talent and create a great workplace where people feel engaged, inspired, challenged, proud and respected. If you are creative, forward-thinking, passionate about technology and are looking for a rewarding career to make an impact, then you've got what it takes to succeed at NETGEAR. Join our network and help us shape the future of connectivity. 

NETGEAR hires based on merit. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Salary

• $269,000 - $293,000/year