Summary

The Team

The Commercial Legal team is at the forefront of Kraken’s global business operations, serving as strategic legal partners across all departments. This lean and dynamic group is responsible for managing a wide range of commercial contracts and supporting the company in its partnerships, procurement, licensing, and vendor relationships. The team plays a key role in enabling Kraken’s rapid innovation and expansion while protecting the business from legal and regulatory risks.

As Head of Commercial Legal, you’ll lead a team of three experienced commercial counsel and paralegals and work cross-functionally with product, engineering, procurement, marketing, and other teams to ensure Kraken’s commercial relationships are legally sound and strategically aligned.

The opportunity

1. Lead and grow the Commercial Legal function and manage a high-performing team of commercial attorneys and paralegals supporting global contracting across the business.
2. Serve as a strategic advisor to leadership and stakeholders on a wide range of commercial legal matters and negotiations including technology agreements, SaaS deals, partnership contracts, and procurement agreements.
3. Oversee the development and continuous improvement of templates, playbooks, processes, and risk management practices to ensure scalable and efficient contracting.
4. Collaborate closely with Product and Compliance teams to assess legal risks and implement practical solutions to enable innovation.
5. Partner with the Procurement team to support vendor onboarding and contract negotiation across multiple jurisdictions.
6. Support M&A through contract review and integration efforts.
7. Help manage contract lifecycle systems and contribute to operationalizing legal workflows through automation and technology.
8. Additional duties and responsibilities as assigned

Skills you should HODL

1. J.D. or equivalent legal degree and active license to practice law in at least one jurisdiction.
2. 10+ years of commercial legal experience, ideally with a combination of top-tier law firm and in-house counsel work.
3. Strong experience leading complex commercial transactions in a global environment, including SaaS, technology, and vendor agreements.
4. Demonstrated leadership experience, including team management and cross-functional collaboration.
5. Exceptional contract drafting, negotiation, and analytical skills.
6. Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth, and remote-first environment.

Nice-to-haves

1. Experience working in fintech, crypto, or similarly regulated industries.
2. Familiarity with procurement and vendor onboarding processes.
3. Background in supporting product and engineering teams on go-to-market strategies.
4. Experience implementing or managing contract lifecycle management (CLM) tools.
5. A passion for crypto, Web3, and emerging technologies.

Skills

• Communications Skills
• Cryptocurrency
• Leadership
• Legal Consulting
• Negotiations Skills
• Team Collaboration