Corporate Counsel Lead

About the Company The OpenAI Deployment Company (“DeployCo”) is the deployment arm of OpenAI, purpose-built to deliver enterprise AI transformation at scale. As model capabilities accelerate, deployment has become the primary constraint to realizing AI value creation within large enterprises. DeployCo bridges that gap. Our ambition is to build the company that defines AI deployment. We operate at the intersection of cutting-edge AI, enterprise transformation, and scaled services delivery. We partner with enterprise customers to identify where AI can transform their businesses and build solutions leveraging OpenAI’s models and products. We work with many of the world's largest and most influential companies to solve their most complex business challenges using the latest advances in AI. People who thrive at DeployCo get excited about ambitious and complex work. We are deep believers in the future with AI. We execute quickly, value intellectual honesty, and obsess over the solutions we build for our customers. DeployCo is being built from the ground up as a subsidiary of OpenAI and funded with a partnership of outside investors. About the Role We are seeking a Corporate Counsel Lead to build and lead DeployCo’s legal function from inception through scale. This leader will establish the legal infrastructure required to operate a global services organization closely aligned with OpenAI, while staying close enough to the work to unblock commercial execution in real time. Initially, this role will operate as a player-coach, partnering with OpenAI Legal to support commercial contracting, corporate governance, and regulatory frameworks. Over time, you will build an independent legal organization capable of supporting global operations, M&A, and investor requirements without becoming a bottleneck. You will serve as a strategic advisor to DeployCo’s executive team, ensuring legal risk is managed while enabling rapid commercial execution and growth. Your day-to-day will include negotiating customer agreements, drafting practical policies, managing outside counsel, cleaning up contracting processes, advising executives, and doing the detailed legal work required to keep a new company moving. Success in this role will look like a legal function that protects DeployCo, earns trust with OpenAI and investors, and helps teams move faster because the rules are clear and usable. In this role, you will: Build and lead DeployCo’s legal function across commercial, corporate, employment, and regulatory matters. Draft and negotiate complex enterprise customer and partner agreements. Establish governance structures, policies, and compliance frameworks that are rigorous, usable, and built for speed. Support corporate structuring, financing, and investor-related matters. Lead legal diligence and integration efforts for M&A transactions. Manage intercompany agreements and shared services with OpenAI. Develop scalable contracting processes and risk management frameworks. Manage outside counsel relationships globally. Advise executives on legal risk and strategic decision-making. You may thrive in this role if you: Have 12–15+ years of legal experience in technology, professional services, or corporate environments. Bring strong experience in commercial contracting and corporate governance. Have experience supporting high-growth or PE-backed companies. Are comfortable operating as the first legal leader in a new organization. Thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments. Balance pragmatic risk management with business enablement, and are willing to draft, negotiate, document, and chase details yourself.