Head of Legal

Tulip, the leader in AI-native frontline operations, is helping companies around the world equip their workforce with composable, connected apps, leading to higher quality work, improved efficiency, and end-to-end traceability across operations. Tulip’s cloud-native, no-code platform, powered by embedded AI, is driving the digital transformation of industrial environments through composable, human-centric solutions that go beyond disrupting the Manufacturing Execution System (MES) category.

A spinoff out of MIT, Tulip is headquartered in Somerville, MA, with offices in Germany, Hungary, Singapore, and Israel. Tulip has been recognized as a World Economic Forum Global Innovator, a 2024 Deloitte Technology Fast award winner, one of Energage’s Top Workplaces USA, and one of Built In Boston’s “Best Places to Work” and “Best Midsize Places to Work.”

The Role

Legal at Tulip supports the entire Tulip organization, providing counsel and advice on any topic and/or activity relevant to any and every team at the company. Tulip Legal handles the review and negotiation of all contracts and performs research and provides advice on corporate governance, employment, intellectual property, general corporate topics, data privacy, real estate, and whatever else may happen to be pertinent.

We are seeking a highly experienced, strategic, and business-oriented General Counsel who will lead the legal function, manage global legal risk, oversee corporate governance, and align legal strategy with our business objectives. This role requires a leader with strong judgment, who can operate at the strategic level while still diving into complex commercial and privacy matters critical to our SaaS business model.

About You:

• Highly collaborative and able to organize and manage projects across multiple teams (Sales, Finance, Operations). Must be a quick-learning self-starter with the executive presence to work with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrated history of sound judgment, unimpeachable integrity, and the ability to evaluate risks and options fairly in ambiguous situations.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, able to simplify complex legal issues for business colleagues with varying levels of legal knowledge.
• Proven ability to convey strong and prompt communication while consistently adapting and prioritizing in a fast-paced environment.
• Tactful, detail-oriented, and possessing strong internal and external negotiating skills.

What skills do I need? 

• 8+ years of progressive legal experience, with at least 3 years in a senior in-house counsel role, preferably at a high-growth SaaS or technology company.
• Experience leading the legal function through periods of high-growth and scaling within an enterprise B2B SaaS environment. This includes building scalable legal processes and internal controls.
• Deep expertise in structuring, drafting, and negotiating complex B2B enterprise subscription, licensing, and partnership agreements.
• Thorough understanding of and direct experience with key global data protection frameworks, including HIPAA, HITECH, GDPR, CCPA, and data security issues.
• Strong foundation in corporate governance, compliance, and experience with strategic transactions.
• A Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school is required.
• Must be licensed to practice law and in good standing in at least one U.S. state.

Key Responsibilities:

Executive Strategy, Governance & Enterprise Risk

• Serve as the primary legal advisor to the CEO, CFO, COO, and executive team, influencing strategic decisions and long-term planning.
• Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate legal, regulatory, and operational risks across all jurisdictions where the company operates.
• Oversee corporate governance, including board matters, entity management, equity programs, and documentation for complex financing or strategic transactions.

Global Compliance, Quality & Regulatory

• Design, implement, and maintain a comprehensive global compliance framework covering corporate, data privacy, security, and industry-specific requirements.
• Act as the primary legal partner to the Quality organization, ensuring compliance across Quality Management Systems (QMS), controlled documentation, and requirements such as GxP, ISO, and CFR.
• Lead regulatory certification and attestation programs (e.g., SOC 2, FedRAMP), partnering with Security, IT, and Operations to ensure readiness and ongoing compliance.
• Oversee global privacy compliance (GDPR, CCPA, etc.), including PIAs, data processing frameworks, and regulatory filings.

Commercial, Partnerships & Ecosystem

• Lead and negotiate complex B2B SaaS commercial agreements including MSAs, DPAs, SLAs, partnership and reseller agreements, and strategic vendor contracts.
• Guide all partnership, alliance, and ecosystem agreements end-to-end—from deal structure and negotiation through compliance, risk management, and ongoing governance—to enable scalable enterprise growth.
• Provide legal leadership on pricing, packaging, channel strategy, and high-risk or high-value customer engagements.

IP, Product & Security

• Oversee the company’s global IP protection, including patents, trademarks, trade secrets, copyright strategy, and defense.
• Advise Product and Engineering on product compliance, licensing, open-source use, AI safety/ethics considerations, and regulatory impacts on platform roadmaps.
• Support security programs, incident response, and data protection controls from a legal and regulatory perspective.

Legal Operations & Global Scaling

• Own the legal budget, outside counsel strategy, and relationships across labor, immigration, litigation, corporate, and specialized practices.
• Guide international expansion, advising on employment law, entity setup, regulatory requirements, and cross-border operations.
• Build the foundation for a scalable legal function, including processes, tooling, documentation standards, and future team design.

Key Collaborators:

• People Operations
• CEO, CFO, COO, CMO, CPEO
• GTM & Sales
• Labor & Immigration counsel 

Working At Tulip

We know even great candidates experience imposter syndrome. Even if you don’t match every requirement, applying gives you the opportunity to be considered. 

We’re building a strong, diverse team that values hard work, families, and personal well-being. Benefits of working with us include:

• Direct impact on product and culture
• Company equity
• Competitive benefits package including Health, Dental, Vision, Short-term Disability, Long-term Disability, Life Insurance, AD&D Insurance, Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Commuter Benefits, Parental Leave, and 401(K)
• Flexible work schedule and unlimited vacation policy
• Virtual company events and happy hours
• Fitness subsidies
• An inclusive, dog-friendly office with diverse and inspiring colleagues

We are an equal opportunity employer. At Tulip, we celebrate all. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Help us build an inclusive community that will transform frontline operations. 

This role is located in Somerville, MA - We are a hybrid work environment and are in the office 3+ days/per week.

The compensation information displayed on each job posting reflects the range for new hire pay rates for the position across all US locations. Within the range posted, actual compensation will be determined depending on multiple factors including job-related knowledge & skills, experience, business needs, geographical location, market compensation data, and internal equity. Expected compensation ranges for this role may change over time. The salary range for this position is $195,000-$250,000 year.