Lead Counsel, Global Public Sector

Opportunity Overview: Lead Counsel, Global Public Sector at Scale AI

Scale AI, a global leader in powering advanced AI models and systems, is seeking a highly skilled and collaborative Lead Counsel, Global Public Sector to join its expanding legal team in London, United Kingdom. This is a full-time, mid-senior level position designed for an action-oriented commercial attorney eager to navigate the cutting-edge legal landscape of artificial intelligence, sovereign AI, and public sector technology deployment across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Key Responsibilities

• International Expansion: Drive Scale AI's global market entry and operations outside the US, supporting the Global Public Sector business unit.
• Contract Negotiation: Draft, review, and negotiate complex commercial agreements, including Sovereign AI transactions, master services agreements (MSAs), and bespoke software development contracts.
• Procurement & Tenders: Manage complex public procurement processes and tenders as a prime contractor, subcontractor, or consortium partner.
• Regulatory Advisory: Counsel internal teams on privacy, data protection, and emerging global AI regulatory frameworks.
• Risk Management: Design and implement practical policies to optimize legal and business risks while facilitating sales and organizational growth.

Eligibility Criteria

To be considered for this role, candidates must possess:

• Legal Qualification: A UK, common law, or EU legal qualification with substantial experience handling English law matters.
• Professional Experience: A minimum of 7+ years of Post-Qualified Experience (PQE) in the technology sector, gained within leading law firms, in-house legal departments, or government legal offices.
• Technical & Commercial Acumen: Strong commercial and intellectual property (IP) legal skills combined with a solid understanding of software technologies.
• SaaS Expertise: Extensive hands-on experience negotiating complex Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and custom software development agreements.

Preferred Qualifications (Nice-to-Have)

• Direct experience addressing legal issues related to AI and emerging AI regulations.
• Privacy counseling and regulatory compliance experience.
• Experience working with or advising governments and enterprises based in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
• Proficiency in the Arabic language.

Important Application Policies

Scale AI enforces a strict 90-day waiting period before reconsidering candidates who have previously applied for the same role. This policy ensures a thorough and fair evaluation of all applicants. Scale AI is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. Candidates requiring reasonable accommodations during the application or recruitment process may contact the team at accommodations@scale.com.