Commercial Counsel
AI in this role
ABOUT RETELL AI
Retell AI is using first-principles thinking to reimagine the call center with cutting-edge voice AI. Thousands of companies now use Retell's AI voice agents to handle sales, support, and logistics calls that once required large teams of human agents. Backed by Y Combinator, Alt Capital, and other leading investors, we've scaled to $80M in ARR with a team of 50, up from $5M at the start of 2025, and are now valued at over $1.5B.
Our vision for 2026 is to build a modern CX platform where entire contact centers are powered by AI. Instead of basic automation that needs constant human tuning, we're creating intelligent AI “workers” that act as frontline agents, QA analysts, and managers, continuously executing, monitoring, and improving every customer interaction.
We're growing fast and looking for ambitious builders who want to tackle hard technical problems, move quickly, and have a real impact on one of the fastest-growing voice AI companies in the world.
Let's build the future together.
Recent recognition:
No. 1 Best Places to Work in the Bay Area, San Francisco Business Times 2026
#3 Fastest-Growing Software Company, G2 Best Software Awards 2026
ABOUT THE ROLE
Retell AI transforms customer experience with voice AI for enterprises, including customers like CVS/Aetna, American Airlines, Lenovo, and Grab. We have more customer stories than we can tell!
We're hiring our first Senior Counsel to build Retell's legal function from the ground up. You'll report directly to the founder and be Sales' go-to partner on every enterprise deal. Voice AI raises new legal questions around consent, AI disclosure, and outbound calling, and you'll help set how we answer them.
KEY RESPONSIBILITY
This hire has fast, safe contracting that keeps enterprise deals moving.
Close enterprise agreements (MSA, DPA, BAA, order forms) quickly, with minimal reliance on outside counsel
Build contract templates, a negotiation playbook, and turnaround SLAs, so sales are never blocked
Set Retell's position on voice AI legal issues: call recording consent, TCPA, AI disclosure, and customer use-case reviews
Own platform terms, acceptable use policy, privacy policy, and outside counsel spend
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
Must have:
JD and active US bar membership in California State
6+ years of commercial or technology transactions experience OR 4+ years in a tech transactions group at a top law firm
Experience with privacy and AI regulation (GDPR, CCPA, EU AI Act)
Nice to have:
Background in telecom, TCPA, or healthcare (BAA) matters
HOW WE EVALUATE
We care less about checkboxes and more about:
Judgment that balances legal risk with deal speed
Precision and speed in real redlines
Explaining legal issues clearly to non-lawyers
Ownership under ambiguity
YOU MIGHT THRIVE IF
You'd rather find a path to yes than write a memo on why not
You enjoy high deal volume and fast turnarounds
You want to build a legal function, not inherit one
JOB DETAILS
Cash: $230,000 - $270,000
Equity: 4-year vest / 1-year cliff
Location: Redwood City, California (Relocation support provided)
US Visas: Retell AI is open to sponsoring work authorization for qualified candidates, including H-1B, TN, L-1, E-3, and F-1 (OPT/CPT).
OTHER BENEFITS
100% coverage for medical, dental, and vision insurance
$70/day DoorDash credit for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks
$200/month wellness reimbursement (gym, fitness classes, etc.)
$300/month commuter reimbursement (gas, Caltrain, etc.)
$75/month phone bill reimbursement
$50/month internet reimbursement
COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY
Best offer upfront: Choose from three cash-equity balance options; no negotiation needed
Top 1% talent: Above-market pay (top 5th percentile) to attract exceptional builders
High ownership: small teams, >$1M revenue per employee, and significant equity
Performance-based: Offers tied to interview performance, not tenure or past salary
INTERVIEW PROCESS
Recruiter screen (15 min)
Live contract redline (45 min)
Hiring Manager interview (45 min)
Onsite (2.5 hours)
Negotiation role-play
Voice AI legal case
Cross-functional conversation with Sales and Deal Desk
How we rate this
Commercial Counsel at Retell AI rates 47 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Uses AI (AI Level 2 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.
Uses AI. An ordinary role that requires AI tools.
- ●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
- ●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
- ●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
- ●○○○ Little AI0 to 39
Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Open the description and count.
Prepare for this job
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Skills and AI tools this role asks for
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Adapt your resume
- List these exact terms on your resume: Speech. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
- Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them — a tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.
- Put the AI tool in a bullet point about what you did, not just in a skills list — this role treats it as a required part of the job.
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