Director of Legal

Gruve is an innovative software services startup dedicated to transforming enterprises to AI powerhouses. We specialize in cybersecurity, customer experience, cloud infrastructure, and advanced technologies such as Large Language Models (LLMs). Our mission is to assist our customers in their business strategies utilizing their data to make more intelligent decisions. As a well-funded early-stage startup, Gruve offers a dynamic environment with strong customer and partner networks.

About the Role

We are seeking a Director of Legal with 4-7 years of legal experience to join our growing tech services startup. As an early member of the legal team, you will gain broad exposure to commercial, operational, and corporate legal matters, and play a key role in helping the company scale responsibly in a fast-paced environment.

The ideal candidate will have experience supporting infrastructure, cloud, AI and technology services business, including negotiating commercial lease agreements and complex technology transactions involving cloud, hosting, colocation, GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) and related infrastructure services.

This is an excellent opportunity to develop into a more senior in-house role over time, with meaningful ownership and impact from day one.

This is an onsite position based in Redwood City, California.

Key Responsibilities

Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements, including:  

Commercial real estate leases, amendments, renewals, subleases, and related occupancy agreements

Hosting, colocation, cloud services, GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS), AI infrastructure, data center, and managed services agreements

Customer agreements, Master Services Agreements (MSAs), Statements of Work (SOWs), NDAs, procurement agreements, vendor contracts, reseller agreements, and strategic partnership agreements.

Hardware procurement, technology licensing, and infrastructure-related purchasing agreements.

Advise business stakeholders on legal, commercial, and operational risks associated with AI infrastructure, cloud computing, GPU capacity procurement, GPUaaS offerings, and data center operations.

Work closely with Business and Commercial leadership to provide legal support for operational, technical, and commercial needs.  

Partner with Sales, Operations, Product, and Engineering teams to support enterprise customer negotiations and contracting strategy.

Identify, assess, and mitigate legal risks related to operations, people management, contractor management, cloud and software services, and technology delivery.

Support compliance initiatives, including data privacy, information security, and regulatory considerations relevant to infrastructure and tech services.

Assist with corporate matters including entity management, policies, governance documentation, and contract playbook development.

Manage outside counsel for specialized matters, including Commercial Leasing, real estate transactions, employment matters, litigation, regulatory compliance, corporate transactions, and other complex legal issues

Contribute to building scalable legal processes, templates, workflows, and best practices to support rapid growth.

Basic Qualifications

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school 

Active license to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction  

2–3 years of relevant legal experience in a law firm and/or inhouse legal department 

Experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial contracts including technology, infrastructure, cloud services, hosting, procurement, and customer-facing agreements.

Experience reviewing and negotiating commercial lease agreements and related real estate documents

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate legal concepts for nonlegal teams 

Strong organizational skills and comfort managing multiple deadlines in a fastmoving environment 

Ability and willingness to work onsite in Redwood City, CA.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience supporting cloud computing, data center, infrastructure, managed services, AI, or GPU-as-a-Service businesses.

Familiarity with commercial issues related to GPU procurement, capacity commitments, cloud infrastructure, colocation, hosting, and AI service offerings.

Experience negotiating commercial real estate leases and facilities-related agreements.

Knowledge of technology licensing, infrastructure services, data processing, and service-level commitments in enterprise technology transactions

Background supporting sales and customer facing teams on contract negotiations 

Exposure to privacy, data protection, information security, or employment law 

Prior in-house experience at a startup, technology, SaaS, or professional services company 

Self-starter mindset, comfortable operating independently and escalating issues appropriately 

Interest in growing into a Senior Counsel role as the company scales 

Highlight that you found this position through GoInhouse.com when applying

Compensation & Benefits

The base salary range for this role is $140,000 – $190,000, depending on experience, skills, and location. This role may also be eligible for additional benefits and equity, consistent with company plans and policies. 

Why Gruve

At Gruve, we foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive and contribute their best work. If you’re passionate about technology and eager to make an impact, we’d love to hear from you.

Gruve is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and thank all who apply; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.