Senior Commercial Legal Counsel, APAC

An overview of this role

As Senior Commercial Counsel in APJ, you’ll help GitLab grow across Asia-Pacific and Japan by bringing legal clarity to complex commercial deals. Reporting to the Director, Legal, Commercial, you’ll work closely with regional Sales and cross-functional partners to negotiate sophisticated agreements, manage cross-border legal questions, and turn varied local requirements into practical deal strategies. This is a high-impact role for someone who wants to shape how GitLab transacts across a diverse region while protecting the business and helping teams move with confidence.

In your first year, you’ll take ownership of key APJ contracting workstreams, strengthen how we handle region-specific legal risk, and improve the templates and processes that support consistent deal execution across APJ. You’ll also help guide work involving data privacy and AI-related terms across multiple jurisdictions, including Japan.

What you’ll do

• Negotiate complex commercial and technology agreements across APJ markets, including SaaS, software, partnership, services, consulting, marketing, licensing, data privacy, and AI-related contracts.
• Manage strategic and high-priority transactions across multiple jurisdictions, balancing legal risk with business needs.
• Partner with regional Sales leadership, internal stakeholders, and external counterparties to move deals forward with clear legal guidance.
• Navigate country-specific contracting norms, approval paths, and drafting requirements across APJ markets, including Japan.
• Advise on cross-border transaction structures and coordinate with outside counsel when local legal support is needed.
• Assess contractual risk and provide practical recommendations, including escalation paths and alternative terms.
• Develop and maintain APJ-focused templates, playbooks, policies, and supporting documentation to improve consistency in contracting.
• Train contract managers and regional Sales team members on contracting practices, legal developments, and day-to-day decision-making across the region.

What you’ll bring

• Qualified to practice law through a J.D. or equivalent legal credential, with active bar membership or a license in a relevant jurisdiction.
• Experienced in commercial and technology transactions across APJ markets within a law firm, in-house legal