Senior Counsel, Commercial

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is a joint venture between two industry leaders with a clear vision for automotive’s next chapter. From operating systems to zonal controllers to cloud and connectivity solutions, we’re addressing the challenges of electric vehicles through technology that will set the standards for software-defined vehicles around the world.

The road to the future is uncharted. By combining our expertise across connectivity, AI, security and more, we’ll map a new way forward. Working together, we’ll create a future that’s more connected, more intelligent, more sustainable for everyone.

RV Tech is looking for a versatile and proactive Senior Counsel, Commercial, to join our growing legal team. Reporting directly to the General Counsel, you will serve as a high-impact generalist on commercial legal matters, expertly owning and managing a high volume of commercial contracting and general contract matters.

In this role, you will tackle a diverse range of legal challenges tied to our rapid development of the next-generation E/E architecture and software-defined vehicle technology. You will be a driver of business growth, responsible for drafting, negotiating and closing the commercial agreements that move our technology forward. You will serve as the first point of contact for our procurement team, providing hands-on legal support across large and fast-moving purchasing processes for our U.S. entity and its subsidiaries.

This is a unique opportunity for a hands-on legal professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment, relishes complex, multi-disciplinary challenges, and is passionate about enabling groundbreaking innovation through robust legal support.

The role is flex 3 days a week, based in our Palo Alto, California, office.

• Lead the drafting, review, and negotiation of complex commercial and vendor agreements to protect company interests while accelerating business objectives.

• Serve as the first point of contact for our procurement team, providing practical, responsive legal support across large and fast-moving purchasing processes for our U.S. entity and its subsidiaries.

• Work closely with engineering and procurement teams to integrate legal best practices into their workflows and deliver engaging training programs.

• Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate potential legal risks by developing forward-looking strategies that enable business success.

• Oversee external counsel to ensure we receive high-quality, cost-effective legal services.

• Design, implement, and maintain a robust suite of standard contract templates

• Stand up foundational legal intake, tracking, and approval processes to streamline contract lifecycle management as the organization scales.

• Draft clear negotiation playbooks, risk tolerance frameworks, and standard fallback positions to empower business teams and accelerate deal execution.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school and admitted to practice in at least one US state, preferably California.

• A minimum of 7+ years of relevant legal experience, preferably gained within a leading law firm and a dynamic in-house legal department.

• Ability to communicate complex legal concepts clearly and concisely to both legal and non-legal audiences.

• Strong negotiation and drafting skills.

• Experience with, and openness to, using AI tools to work efficiently and effectively in a fast-paced environment.

• A proactive, pragmatic approach to legal counseling with a focus on business enablement and a passion for the future of the automotive industry.

• Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment where the road isn't always mapped out.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with the automotive and/or tech industry and their unique legal and regulatory challenges.

• Experience working in a joint venture or similar complex organizational structure.

• Experience standing up commercial legal processes, building templates, or scaling a legal function within a startup, joint venture, or high-growth tech environment.

• Hands-on experience implementing, configuring, or optimizing Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) systems—specifically Ironclad—to automate legal intake, workflow approvals, and repository management.

We build the exceptional — and we believe the people doing that work should be rewarded accordingly. In addition to a competitive base salary, full-time positions may be is eligible to participate in our annual company performance bonus program.

Payments are discretionary and not guaranteed; actual amounts depend on company results and the terms of the plan in effect, and require active employment at the time of payout. This role is also eligible for equity in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), subject to board approval and the terms of our equity incentive plans, including applicable vesting requirements.

In addition to our compensation programs, we invest in our people with a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the health, wellbeing, and financial future for full-time employees — including health coverage, retirement savings, time off, and family planning programs. Offerings vary by country. Learn more about our global benefit programs.

External candidates can apply for this role through the Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies careers site (https://rivianvw.tech/#careers). If you are a current employee, please apply through our internal job board.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information or characteristics, physical or mental disability, marital/domestic partner status, age, military/veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by law. We are also committed to ensuring compliance with all applicable fair employment practice laws regarding citizenship and immigration status.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is committed to ensuring that our hiring process is accessible for persons with disabilities. If you have a disability or limitation, such as those covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, that requires accommodations to assist you in the search and application process, please email us at [email protected].

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies” may collect, use and disclose your personal information or personal data (within the meaning of the applicable data protection laws) when you apply for employment and/or participate in our recruitment processes (“Candidate Personal Data”). This data includes contact, demographic, communications, educational, professional, employment, social media/website, network/device, recruiting system usage/interaction, security and preference information. Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may use your Candidate Personal Data for the purposes of (i) tracking interactions with our recruiting system; (ii) carrying out, analyzing and improving our application and recruitment process, including assessing you and your application and conducting employment, background and reference checks; (iii) establishing an employment relationship or entering into an employment contract with you; (iv) complying with our legal, regulatory and corporate governance obligations; (v) record keeping; (vi) ensuring network and information security and preventing fraud; and (vii) as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may share your Candidate Personal Data with (i) internal personnel who have a need to know such information in order to perform their duties, including individuals on our People Team, Finance, Legal, and the team(s) with the position(s) for which you are applying; (ii) Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies affiliates; and (iii) Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies’ service providers, including providers of background checks, staffing services, and cloud services.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may transfer or store internationally your Candidate Personal Data, including to or in the United States, Canada, and the European Union and in the cloud, and this data may be subject to the laws and accessible to the courts, law enforcement and national security authorities of such jurisdictions.

If you provide a mobile telephone number as part of your application or during the recruitment process, Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may use that number to contact you via SMS text message for recruitment-related purposes, including scheduling, logistics, and status updates. Message and data rates may apply. You may opt out of SMS communications at any time by replying STOP to any text message you receive from us. Consent to receive SMS messages is not a condition of applying for or being considered for employment.

Please see our Candidate Data Privacy Notice (English) and Candidate Data Privacy Notice (Serbian) for more information.

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Please note this job posting represents an open, active vacancy. Additionally, we are not currently accepting applications from third party application services.