About Us

At Saildrone, we sustainably explore, map, and monitor the oceans to understand, protect, and preserve our world. We provide real-time access to critical data from any ocean on earth, 24/7/365, and use proprietary software applications to transform that data into actionable insights and intelligence. Our fleet of uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs), powered by renewable wind and solar power, have a minimal carbon footprint and operate without the need for a crewed support vessel.

Saildrone works with governments, civil agencies, foundations, universities, and private companies around the globe to drive better information about our oceans and seas—from sailing into the eye of a category 4 hurricane to obtain new data about how storms intensify, collecting new CO2 data in hard-to-reach areas, and counting fish biomass to inform sustainable fishery management, to mapping the ocean floor and reducing illegal fishing and drug trafficking. As a result of our work, we have been included on TIME's List of the 100 Most Influential Companies in 2024, Fast Company’s list of the "World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2022," and earned the Ocean Awards’ Innovation Award, presented by the Blue Marine Foundation. Saildrone's hurricane mission was included as one of The New York Times' "Top 21 Things that happened (for the first time) in 2021" and Popular Science's "100 Greatest Innovations of 2021," and entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for recording the "highest windspeed recorded by a USV."

We are based in Alameda, CA, with offices in Washington DC and St. Petersburg, FL, and operate our missions worldwide. Saildrone is backed by top-tier investors in the frontier tech and sustainability sectors, including Social Capital, Capricorn, Lux Capital, BOND Capital, and Emerson Collective.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a one-person legal team at the cutting-edge intersection of big data services and autonomous hardware. You will be an integral part of a high-performing, multi-disciplinary team delivering high impact for humanity and future generations.

The Role

Saildrone is seeking a Senior Commercial Counsel to join its Legal Team. This role will report directly to the VP, Head of Legal and be the second hire on the Legal Team. The ideal hire will be a creative problem solver, interested in developing and expanding the reach of the legal function at a growing startup. This is a great opportunity for a candidate with a growth mindset, who is looking for a mission driven company and a place to grow their career.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with and provide strategic legal advice across the organization, including, but not limited to, Sales, Product, Finance, People, Engineering and Operations.
• Draft and negotiate complex commercial contracts with US and foreign government and commercial customers and prime contractors, in collaboration with Saildrone’s Director of Contracting.
• Draft and negotiate - or advise other Saildrone teams on – vendor contracts, including hardware purchases, software licenses, consulting, marketing and logistics, and NDAs.
• Prepare and further develop commercial templates for Saildrone’s mission-as-a-service offerings and new pricing models.
• Build internal company processes to improve the efficiency and scalability of the legal and cross-functional teams to support business growth, across Sales, Program Management and Legal.
• Assist with the development of Saildrone’s IP portfolio and advise on IP rights, ownership and licensing in commercial agreements.
  
  

Required Skills and Experience

• A Juris Doctorate and membership in good standing with the California state bar or qualified to practice in California as in-house counsel.
• 7+ years prior experience
• Business minded and execution driven, comfortable leading negotiations and capable of managing risk with creative solutions, with limited supervision.
• Capable of building relationships with teams across the organization and building trust with your clients.
• Significant experience structuring, drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements for technology companies, including IP licenses, master purchase and service agreements and statements of work.
  
  

Desired Skills and Experience

• Previous experience as commercial counsel at a technology startup.
• Previous experience drafting and negotiating various types of contracts required for government contracting, including government funding/grant agreements, and familiarity with government contracting practices, including the FAR/DFARs.
• A passion to work in an entirely novel business.
• A maritime law background is not required, but helps!
  
  

Physical Requirements

• Work is performed on a computer and requires the ability to operate a keyboard and other peripheral devices.
  
  

Location: This position is in Alameda, CA. Our waterfront office offers beautiful views of San Francisco Bay in always sunny Alameda. Even our walls have good karma, our offices mix software development with a hardware production line in the former airplane hangar used to film 'The Matrix'.

Benefits:

• Medical, dental and vision plans for you and your dependents.
• Short and relaxing ferry ride from the Ferry Building for SF residents
• Enhanced Parental Leave Programs
• Competitive benefits including excellent medical, life insurance, 401k plan
  
  

Catch up on the latest news about us:

The Tiny Craft Mapping Superstorms at Sea – The New York Times
TIME 100 Most Influential Companies 2024: Saildrone
An Underwater Mountain was Newly Discovered off California Coast – San Francisco Chronicle
Hacking the Anthropocene with Survivalist Robots [VIDEO] – Freethink
An Unprecedented View Inside a Hurricane – EOS
Saildrone’s First Aluminum Surveyor Autonomous Vessel Splashes Down for Navy Testing – TechCrunch
USVs Could Deter IUU Fishing – USNI Proceedings
Saildrone Vehicles Track Whales around Offshore Wind Power – Workboat
Mullen, Former Joint Chiefs Chairman, to Lead Board for Unmanned Tech Firm Saildrone – Breaking Defense
The Navy Is Using Robot Ships to Deter Human Smuggling out of Haiti – Defense One
Saildrone's Quiet Voyage: Autonomous Vehicle Aids Great Lakes Fish Stock Study – Up North Live
Saildrone Featured Videos Playlist

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

At Saildrone, we value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that welcomes people from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe that a diverse and inclusive team leads to innovation and better problem-solving. We encourage applications from candidates of all genders, ethnicities, races, sexual orientations, disabilities, and backgrounds.

Individual compensation packages are based on geographic location, scope of the role, relevant experience, and the ability to deal with complexity and problem solve within our organization, among other factors.

All employees are required to provide proof of authorization to work in the U.S. within their first 3 days of work. Please note that the Company does not sponsor employees for work visas or permanent resident cards to work in the U.S. If you need sponsorship for a work visa or green card, you will not be qualified for employment with Saildrone.

Any unsolicited resumes/candidate profiles submitted through our website or to personal email accounts of employees of Saildrone are considered property of Saildrone and are not subject to payment of agency fees.

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