Senior Counsel, Commercial and Compliance

D-Wave (NYSE: QBTS), D-Wave is a leader in the development and delivery of quantum computing systems, software, and services. We are the world’s first commercial supplier of quantum computers, and the only company building both annealing and gate-model quantum computers. Our mission is to help customers realize the value of quantum, today. Our quantum computers — the world’s largest — feature QPUs with sub-second response times and can be deployed on-premises or accessed through our quantum cloud service, which offers 99.9% availability and uptime. More than 100 organizations trust D-Wave with their toughest computational challenges. With over 200 million problems submitted to our quantum systems to date, our customers apply our technology to address use cases spanning optimization, artificial intelligence, research and more. Learn more about realizing the value of quantum computing today and how we’re shaping the quantum-driven industrial and societal advancements of tomorrow: www.dwavequantum.com.

You can read more about our company and our innovations in the pages of The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Fast Company, MIT Technology Review, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, Wired and across many whitepapers. 

At D-Wave, we’re helping customers realize the value of quantum computing today and are shaping the quantum-driven industrial and societal advancements of tomorrow.

About the role

• D-Wave is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Counsel, Commercial and Compliance, to join our Legal team. This is a key individual contributor role providing both expert commercial legal advice, supporting complex business transactions across multiple business units, and expertise in navigating compliance and regulatory requirements applicable to the company. Reporting to the Vice-President, Legal, you will collaborate closely with senior legal counsel and business leaders to manage contractual risk, negotiate agreements, and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations while enabling business growth and strategic initiatives. You will play an important role in enabling internal business teams by delivering practical, business-focused legal solutions and fostering strong working relationships across the company. 

What you'll do

• Independently draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of complex commercial agreements, including procurement, customer, professional services, SaaS, confidentiality, and collaboration contracts.  

• Analyze and resolve complex legal issues arising from the company’s day-to-day operations with minimal supervision, including providing timely, clear guidance on commercial legal questions from multiple departments.  

• Provide practical, business-focused legal advice to internal clients to identify, analyze, and manage commercial and legal risks.  

• Collaborate cross-functionally with teams such as Procurement, Sales, R&D, and Finance to support contract management, procurement processes, and compliance matters.  

• Identify, mitigate and provide advice on legal and regulatory risks, including compliance with privacy, export controls, cybersecurity and AI laws and regulations 

• Contribute to the design, development, implementation and management of new and ongoing compliance and ethics programs, including policies, directives, and procedures 

• Keep informed of relevant laws, regulations, and industry trends affecting the company’s compliance landscape and provide advice accordingly.  

• Support internal training and awareness of initiatives on commercial legal matters and compliance matters as needed.  

• Work closely with senior legal counsel and business leaders to escalate critical issues, address emerging compliance trends and risks, and align legal strategies with corporate objectives. 

About You

• Juris Doctor (JD) or Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.).  

• Must be licensed to practice law in Canada or the U.S.A. 

• 5-7 years’ experience at a top-tier law firm and/or in-house legal department. 

• Proven track record drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a broad range of complex commercial and/or technology agreements, including procurement, customer, professional services, SaaS, confidentiality, and collaboration contracts.  

• Solid understanding of commercial law and ability to align legal advice with business goals. 

• Solid experience with developing and maintaining compliance programs and frameworks, particularly privacy, export controls, cybersecurity, and AI. 

• Demonstrated ability to independently analyze complex legal and business issues and provide clear, practical solutions.  

• Experienced in managing competing priorities and high-volume workloads in global, matrixed environments, delivering high-quality work on time with minimal supervision.  

• Excellent communication skills to effectively explain legal risks and concepts to non-legal stakeholders.  

• Strong relationship-building skills with a proven ability to collaborate effectively across multiple business units and teams.  

• Self-motivated, proactive, and goal-oriented, with the ability to manage workload autonomously in a dynamic and fast-paced setting. 

A D-Waver's DNA

• We look at the future and say “why not”; we see possibilities where others see problems or routines. We show the way ahead and are committed to achieving ambitious goals.
• We practice straight talk and listen generously to each other with empathy. We value different opinions and points of views. We ensure that we connect outside as well as inside to learn from others and inspire each other.
• We hold ourselves accountable for delivering results. We make decisions & take responsibility so that we can act & support each other.
• As leaders we motivate & engage our teams to undertake beyond what they originally thought possible, by developing our teams & creating the conditions for people to grow and empower themselves through enabling & coaching.

Our Compensation Philosophy is Simple but Powerful:

We believe providing D-Wavers with company ownership, competitive pay, and a range of meaningful benefits is the start of creating a culture where people want to give the best they’ve got — not because they’re simply making money, but because they’ve fallen in love with our vision, mission, values, and team. 

During the interview process, your Recruiter will review our total rewards (base, equity, bonus, perks, benefit, culture). The final offer is determined by your proficiencies within this level.   

Inclusion: 

We celebrate diverse perspectives to drive innovation in our pursuit. Our employees range from distinguished domain experts with decades of experience in their respective fields, to bright and motivated graduates eager to make their mark. Our diverse and innovative team will make you feel appreciated, supported and empower your career growth at D-Wave.

The Fine Print: 

No 3rd party candidates will be accepted

It is D-Wave Systems Inc. policy to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/provincial, local law.