Commercial Counsel, Forward Networks
$220-260k
Mathematically-accurate network modeling
Be an early applicant
Mathematically-accurate network modeling
201-500 employees
Be an early applicant
$220-260k
201-500 employees
Company mission
To transform networks to be agile, predictable, and secure.
Role
Who you are
- Do you want to be the attorney closest to the revenue engine of a company that's defining a category?
- Do you see technology, process, and tools not as overhead but as force multipliers — and actively seek them out?
- Are you energized by working directly with sales teams to find the path to "yes" on complex deals?
- If you bring strong commercial transactions experience, genuine curiosity about how products work, and the ability to build trust across every function in a company, you may be exactly who we're looking for
- 6–10+ years of experience in technology transactions, with a meaningful mix of law firm and in-house experience
- Significant experience supporting enterprise sales teams with SaaS and on-premise software licensing, including direct negotiation of complex, high-value commercial agreements
- Demonstrated ability to work at pace in a growth-stage environment, comfortable owning outcomes, not just process
- Strong understanding of software licensing models, data protection and privacy frameworks, intellectual property provisions, indemnification and liability structures, and security and compliance requirements common in enterprise software
- Excellent judgment in risk assessment, able to distinguish material risk from theoretical risk and advise accordingly
- Forward-leaning orientation toward technology, tools, and process improvement. You actively seek out ways to amplify your output and the efficiency of the teams you support
- Genuine curiosity about the product: the technology, and the business, not just the contract terms
- Exceptional ability to work across stakeholders with competing priorities, building consensus and driving decisions to close
- Strong communication skills: able to translate complex legal concepts into clear, actionable guidance for sales, engineering, and executive audiences
- Adaptable and comfortable with ambiguity: you thrive when the answer isn't in the precedent file
- Entrepreneurial mindset: you see a growing legal function as an opportunity to build, not just maintain
What the job involves
- Forward Networks is looking for a Commercial Counsel to join our legal team. You'll own inbound vendor agreements and be part of a tight team structuring, negotiating, and closing SaaS and on-premise software agreements with some of the world's largest enterprises and government agencies
- Structure, draft, negotiate, and close a wide range of commercial agreements including SaaS subscription agreements, on-premise software licenses, order forms, SOWs, NDAs, partner and reseller agreements, and procurement-driven contracts
- Develop and refine contract templates, playbooks, and approval workflows that scale with the business, leveraging technology and tooling to drive efficiency wherever possible
- Advise on deal structure, pricing models, and non-standard terms, balancing business objectives with legal and commercial risk
- Navigate complex procurement processes including government contract vehicles, security requirements, and compliance frameworks
- Work cross-functionally with finance, product, marketing, and engineering teams on matters that extend beyond commercial transactions, including product-related legal questions, marketing review, privacy considerations, and other areas of the business as needs arise
- Provide practical, risk-calibrated guidance in ambiguous situations where there is no clear playbook, helping the business move forward with eyes open rather than issuing binary approvals
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of the legal function, identifying process gaps, building institutional knowledge, and helping establish best practices as the company scales
- This is a commercial counsel role at its core, but it sits inside a lean, high-impact legal team at a company where the scope of what you can touch is wide. Beyond commercial transactions, you'll have the opportunity to work directly with senior leaders across marketing, HR, finance, product, and engineering on matters that span the full breadth of the business
- For the right candidate, this is a chance to develop the kind of integrated, cross-functional legal skill set that positions you for broader leadership roles down the road
Our take
The rapid flow of data from inside and outside organisations has rendered top-down planning difficult, and often ineffective, especially in an enterprise network setting. Forward Networks provides a solution by creating digital twins of a company's network architecture so planners and developers can see how their activities will affect operations across the entire network.
Although digital twinning is relatively new, there is already intense competition for this space. Forward Networks has carved out a unique niche in focusing on enterprise networks rather than the organisation as a whole, a focus which is needed given the complexity of modern hybrid networks which can span several cloud environments.
In 2023, Forward Networks completed a Series D funding round led by MSD Partners, with participation from Goldman Sachs, one of its long-term customers. This investment has supported the business in further developing its product, expand the services available to its customers, and scaling its core team.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
95% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 4 rounds)
Jan 2023
$50m
SERIES D
Oct 2019
$35m
SERIES C
Total funding: $112.5m
Company benefits
- We’re an agile team and early-stage company with plenty of opportunities to grow, as a company and as individuals.
- Every team member receives a compensation package that includes equity, so we can grow together.
- We offer top-grade insurance, with medical, dental, and vision benefits for you and your family.
- Vacations, holidays, family days. With no tracked time off, you can go as long as it’s okay with your manager.
Company HQ
Santa Clara, CA
Leadership
David Erickson
(Co-Founder & CEO)Was Director of Course Content and Instructor at SDN Academy, a Graduate Research Assistant at Stanford University and Member of Technical Staff at big switch networks.
Brandon Heller
(Co-Founder & CTO)Was Director of Course Content and Instructor at SDN Academy. Prior to that, they interned at Google, Hewlett-Packard and Emerson Motor Company.
Nikhil Handigol
(Co-Founder & Chief AI Officer)Was Director of Course Content and Instructor at SDN Academy, as well as a Member of Technical Staff at ON.Lab and Research Assistant at Stanford University.
Peyman Kazemian
(Co-Founder)Was Director of Course Content and Instructor at SDN Academy, and a Researcher and Teaching Assistant at Stanford University. Also in terned at Google and Ericsson.
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