[Hiring] Senior Corporate Counsel, Datacenters and Infrastructure @DigitalOcean

Role Description

We are looking to add a Senior Corporate Counsel, Datacenters and Infrastructure, who is passionate about solving complex legal challenges at the leading edge of artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

As a Senior Corporate Counsel, Datacenters and Infrastructure, reporting to the Associate General Counsel at DigitalOcean, you will join a small and dynamic team dedicated to revolutionizing cloud computing and AI. DigitalOcean's mission is to simplify cloud computing and AI so that builders and businesses can spend more time creating software that changes the world. In this role, you will focus on high-value transactions to procure, build, and operate the physical infrastructure that enables Digital Ocean’s services, including projects and agreements involving datacenter leasing and operations.

What You’ll Do:

• Serve as a trusted partner and a primary legal contact to drive datacenter related agreements to signature (e.g., LOIs, MSAs, order forms, and ancillary agreements).
• Draft, review, and negotiate agreements supporting the building, deployment, and operation of datacenters, including:
  • Datacenter capacity leasing
  • Colocation and design/build agreements
  • Facilities/operations and maintenance agreements
  • Infrastructure procurement agreements for GPUs and other compute hardware, integrated server systems, network equipment, power equipment, and other datacenter infrastructure.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional partners across datacenter procurement, engineering and operations, finance, tax, and compliance functions on deal structuring.
• Provide business-focused counseling on risk allocation, supplier risk assessments, and supplier and product performance and remediation matters.
• Support international expansion by adapting requirements for new jurisdictions and coordinating with local counsel on local law and market issues.
• Build scalable legal tools directed to infrastructure transactions including templates, playbooks, fallback positions, and approval matrices to improve contracting speed and consistency.
• A willingness to work on other high-priority legal work to help a lean Legal Department (e.g., key vendor and operations agreements).

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school and active bar membership in at least one U.S. state.
• 8+ years of legal experience and 3+ years of significant in-house experience supporting datacenter or similar large-scale infrastructure projects.
• Proven experience with datacenter contracts from a developer/provider or tenant perspective, including single tenant and/or colocation deals involving modified-gross, triple net or other lease structures.
• Experience with facilities agreements, and operations-and-maintenance contracts.
• Familiarity with datacenter operational requirements (e.g., SLA constructs, maintenance windows, security requirements, audit rights, change control, and service credits), tax incentives, and financing structures.
• Experience managing multiple projects with minimal oversight to meet aggressive timelines while delivering high-quality work product.
• A low-ego, roll-up-your-sleeves attitude to tackle projects large and small, a desire to learn, an appetite for feedback, and a "leave it better than you found it" growth mindset.
• Proven experience in using strong business judgement to calibrate business and legal risk, and in translating complex legal advice into actionable guidance for business stakeholders.
• Superlative communication and collaborative problem-solving skills with the ability to build positive, influential relationships with cross-functional partners and senior leadership.

Requirements

• 5+ years of direct experience negotiating enterprise datacenter leases.
• Experience with international procurement, trade compliance, and supply-chain risk issues.
• Experience negotiating power-related contracts including interconnection agreements, electricity service agreements, power purchase agreements (PPAs), and behind-the-meter generation structures.
• Experience with early-stage site selection diligence for datacenters, including an understanding of zoning and permitting processes.
• Tech-savvy with an interest in cutting-edge AI technologies.

Benefits

• Competitive array of benefits to support well-being, including Employee Assistance Program and flexible time off policy.
• Reimbursement for relevant conferences, training, and education.
• Access to LinkedIn Learning's 10,000+ courses for continued growth and development.
• Salary range based on market data, relevant years of experience, and skills, with potential for a bonus based on performance.
• Equity compensation to eligible employees, including equity grants upon hire and participation in the Employee Stock Purchase Program.