At Moody's, we unite the brightest minds to turn today’s risks into tomorrow’s opportunities. We do this by striving to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome to be who they are—with the freedom to exchange ideas, think innovatively, and listen to each other and customers in meaningful ways.
If you are excited about this opportunity but do not meet every single requirement, please apply! You still may be a great fit for this role or other open roles. We are seeking candidates who model our values: invest in every relationship, lead with curiosity, champion diverse perspectives, turn inputs into actions, and uphold trust through integrity.
Skills and Competencies
- 10-15 years of experience practicing corporate law with a mix of law firm and inhouse experience preferred. Experience must include advising SaaS companies on matters such as software and data licensing, data privacy in the transactional context, and drafting and negotiating a wide variety of commercial agreements.
- Demonstrated ability to lead legal teams
- Proven ability to deliver legal strategies to senior management, including presenting in executive meetings
- Ability to negotiate complex revenue-generating contracts and strategic partnerships with top tier banks, hyperscalers, and government customers
- Preferred Qualifications: Previous experience providing legal counsel in financial services and/or technology industries, and/or experience in sales agreements to the government sector strongly preferred. Experience with legal issues pertaining to Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) products and services is a plus.
Education / Accreditation
Law Degree (JD) and active bar membership in state where practicing
Responsibilities
We are seeking a skilled, experienced, and commercial minded Assistant General Counsel to join our U.S.-based legal team. This player-coach role focuses on managing and negotiating sophisticated customer commercial contracts related to SaaS financial software agreements, data licenses, AI products and services, and professional services agreements. The position includes oversight of federal, state, and local government contracts, as well as agreements with academic institutions. Additionally, the Assistant General Counsel will lead a small legal team in a player-coach capacity and collaborate with cross-functional teams to align legal strategies with business objectives.
- Oversee, draft, negotiate, and manage customer contracts for SaaS financial software, data licenses, AI products and services, professional services, and other commercial agreements, including subcontractor, reseller, partnership, and referral agreements.
- Provide legal guidance on contractual matters, identifying and prudently managing risks in compliance with company policies and applicable laws while proactively assisting the business in achieving its goals.
- Lead and mentor a small team of legal professionals, fostering growth and collaboration within the team.
- Advise on and execute complex cross-border transactions, federal government contracts, and agreements with state and local government entities
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams (e.g., sales, marketing, finance, product management, sales operations, privacy, and information security) to align on contractual and strategic matters and provide practical legal solutions.
- Develop and maintain contract templates, usage guidance notes, and department policies, including with regard to anti-bribery, trade sanctions, and competition law.
- Address ordinary course privacy and information security issues in customer transactions, partnerships, and contracts, referring to privacy SME when necessary
- Manage and improve internal legal processes to streamline operations and enhance efficiency in contract management and negotiation, including through the use of automation and AI.
- Stay current on legal developments relevant to the business and engage outside counsel as needed in a cost-effective and strategic manner.
- Provide training and guidance to internal stakeholders on contracting policies, procedures, and compliance requirements to promote consistency and understanding across global teams.
About the team
The Moody's Analytics Legal team provides legal support for the Moody's Analytics customer-facing business. The MA Legal team acts as a resource to the MA business by advising on customer contracts and addressing related client issues. The team also advises MA business lines on legal issues that arise in relation to the company's products and services. The Assistant General Counsel will play a critical role in protecting the company's business interests and meeting its legal obligations.
For US-based roles only: the anticipated hiring base salary range for this position is $198,300.00 - $287,550.00, depending on factors such as experience, education, level, skills, and location. This range is based on a full-time position. In addition to base salary, this role is eligible for incentive compensation. Moody’s also offers a competitive benefits package, including not but limited to medical, dental, vision, parental leave, paid time off, a 401(k) plan with employee and company contribution opportunities, life, disability, and accident insurance, a discounted employee stock purchase plan, and tuition reimbursement.
Moody’s is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender, age, religion or creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital or familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Moody’s also provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities or based on a sincerely held religious belief in accordance with applicable laws. If you need to inquire about a reasonable accommodation, or need assistance with completing the application process, please email accommodations@moodys.com. This contact information is for accommodation requests only, and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications
For San Francisco positions, qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.
This position may be considered a promotional opportunity, pursuant to the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act.
Candidates for Moody's Corporation may be asked to disclose securities holdings pursuant to Moody’s Policy for Securities Trading and the requirements of the position. Employment is contingent upon compliance with the Policy, including remediation of positions in those holdings as necessary.