Assistant General Counsel - Commercial (Partnerships)

As Assistant General Counsel for Commercial (Partnerships) at Kraken, you'll lead commercial legal strategy for cutting-edge, high-visibility product partnerships. Reporting directly to the Head of Commercial Legal, you'll work cross-functionally with Product, Sales, Finance, Engineering, and Regulatory teams to structure and launch novel, strategically significant partnerships at one of the world's longest-standing crypto platforms, trusted by over 10 million individuals and institutions globally.

What you'll do

• Serve as lead commercial counsel for high-visibility product partnerships, driving legal strategy and execution for complex, first-of-their-kind commercial arrangements that support Kraken's most innovative product initiatives.
• Act as a strategic partner to Product, Sales, Engineering, Finance, and Regulatory teams, helping design go-to-market structures and partnership models that are legally sound and enable rapid innovation.
• Advise leadership and stakeholders on commercial legal matters and negotiations, including technology agreements, strategic partnerships, and terms of service.
• Oversee development and continuous improvement of legal templates, playbooks, AI processes, and risk management frameworks that support scalable and efficient commercial operations.
• Collaborate closely with Compliance, Tax, and Regulatory teams to assess legal risk and implement practical, forward-thinking solutions that unlock business opportunities.
• Support contract lifecycle management and drive legal process automation and tooling improvements across the function.
• Assist with M&A efforts as needed, including contract diligence and integration.
• Take on additional responsibilities and special projects as assigned by the Head of Commercial Legal.

What you bring

• J.D. or equivalent legal degree and active license to practice law in at least one jurisdiction.
• 8+ years of commercial legal experience, ideally a mix of top-tier law firm and in-house experience.
• Proven track record leading complex, high-stakes commercial transactions in a global environment, particularly those involving technology, SaaS, or strategic partnerships.
• Deep understanding of product development and go-to-market strategies from a legal perspective.
• Excellent contract drafting, negotiation, and analytical skills.
• Demonstrated leadership experience, including mentoring and managing high-performing teams.
• Ability to operate independently and decisively in a fast-paced, remote-first, innovation-driven environment.

Nice to have

• Experience in fintech, crypto, or other highly regulated sectors.
• Familiarity with vendor onboarding, procurement processes, and compliance frameworks.
• Background working closely with product and engineering teams to develop and launch consumer-facing and enterprise products.
• Experience implementing or managing contract lifecycle management (CLM) tools.
• Passion for crypto, Web3, and emerging technologies.

About Kraken (Payward)

Kraken is one of the world's longest-standing crypto platforms, founded in 2011 and trusted by over 10 million individuals and institutions globally. It offers spot trading, margin, futures, staking, and OTC services, with products built for both individual investors and institutional clients. Kraken is part of Payward, which has spent 15 years building a modern, globally accessible financial infrastructure platform.