Sr. Legal Director

ABOUT THE ROLE

Accela is seeking a proactive and business-minded Legal Director to support our growing sales and services teams. Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer, this role will serve as a key legal advisor on commercial transactions and revenue-generating activities. The ideal candidate will bring deep experience in negotiating complex SaaS and services agreements, particularly in the public sector, and will thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

This is a hands-on role that requires strong business acumen, excellent judgment, and the ability to balance legal risk with business objectives. You’ll work closely with cross-functional teams including Sales, Services, Finance, and Operations to support deal flow and help scale legal processes as the company grows.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements, including SaaS, software licensing, professional services, and maintenance agreements. Partner with Sales and Services teams to drive deals to closure efficiently while maintaining compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. Provide strategic legal guidance on RFPs, government procurement processes, and contract structures. Collaborate with internal stakeholders to develop and implement scalable legal processes and templates that support revenue growth. Support cross-functional initiatives involving legal input, including compliance, sales operations, and risk management. Stay current on relevant laws, regulations, and industry trends affecting SaaS and public sector contracting. Identify and develop a secondary area of legal expertise (e.g., privacy, compliance, or employment law) to support broader legal team initiatives.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Juris Doctor (JD) from an ABA-accredited U.S. law school. Active membership in a state bar, with eligibility for California Registered In-House Counsel if not CA-barred. 8+ years of legal experience, including at least 3 years in-house at a technology or SaaS company. Strong experience negotiating commercial contracts, particularly with government entities. Solid understanding of SaaS business models and software licensing. Ability to manage multiple priorities and work independently in a fast-paced environment. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with a collaborative, team-first mindset.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Familiarity with revenue recognition principles and their impact on contract terms. Experience supporting enterprise software sales and professional services engagements. Exposure to privacy, compliance, or government relations is a plus.

ABOUT ACCELA

For nearly 20 years, Accela has been an industry leader in designing and delivering government software to improve efficiency, increase citizen engagement and enable the development of thriving communities. Today, citizens are savvy to how services should be delivered, and expect a consistently convenient, openly transparent view into their local government. While government agencies struggle to do more with less, our mission has never been more critical. Accela provides a robust, cloud-based platform of government software solutions that accelerate growth, efficiency, and transparency in communities of all sizes. From planning, to building, to service request management and more, Accela’s SaaS offerings level the playing field for small and medium governments and enable smaller agencies to leverage larger city technologies. Our open and flexible technology helps agencies address specific needs today, while ensuring they are well prepared for the emerging challenges of the future.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION Accela believes in developing and nurturing a workplace community where our differences are celebrated, and everyone feels a sense of psychological safety and belonging. Accela is committed to putting resources and attention towards evolving our practices, policies, and philosophies to enable diversity to thrive and to support equity in opportunity for everyone.

COMPENSATION AND WELL-BEING

The annual base salary range for this full-time position is $200,000 - $250,000. The actual annual base salary offered may be adjusted based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, location, education, skills, training, and experience. In addition to an annual base salary, this role is eligible to earn commissions.

Accela’s U.S. team members will receive a generous benefits package consisting of options including medical, dental, and vision plans, family planning benefits, 401(k) retirement savings plan with company match, health savings account with company contributions, flexible spending account, life, accident, and disability coverage, business travel insurance, employee assistance programs, and other well-being benefits.

Accela is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer and will respond to requests for job accommodations.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, protected veteran status, or based on disability, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

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