Assistant General Counsel – Commercial

Why This Role Matters:

CFS is at an inflection point, moving from R&D to commercial execution. The deals, structures, and legal foundation this person builds now will directly shape how CFS contracts, partners, and scales for years to come. This is not a maintenance role — it is a builder role, for someone who wants outsized ownership over both the substance of high-stakes deals and the systems that make the whole commercial legal function work.

What You'll Do

Build & Scale the Commercial Legal Function Serve as the architect of CFS's commercial legal capability — building on and improving existing processes to create scalable contract workflows, tools, standard templates, negotiation playbooks, and training that empower business teams and accelerate deal velocity. Lay the groundwork for, and ultimately recruit and lead, a team as the function grows

Lead High-Stakes Commercial and Partnership Negotiations Structure, draft, and negotiate complex, high-value commercial and partnership agreements, including key customer, supplier, and vendor deals, long-term procurement contracts, joint developments, strategic alliances, and partnerships

Drive Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Serve as a core legal partner on corporate development initiatives — strategic partnerships, joint ventures, strategic investments, technology transfers, licensing, and other complex transactions central to scaling commercial fusion. Partner closely with corporate development and open innovation teams to structure and close deals that advance CFS's strategic position

Support Core Corporate Legal Matters Provide legal support on corporate, subsidiary and entity management, and corporate transactions as they relate to commercial, corporate development, or strategic partnership transactions and agreements, serving as a trusted resource to the CLO, CFO, and CCO on corporate-adjacent legal needs beyond commercial deal work

Advise Supply Chain & Operations Serve as the primary legal advisor to procurement and global supply chain teams, mitigating risk across complex, multi-tiered international supply chains for advanced hardware, specialized materials, and manufacturing

Drive Pragmatic Risk Management Provide business-minded, creative, and actionable legal guidance that balances risk mitigation with the urgency and agility required to hit CFS's commercial milestones

Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration Partner closely with commercial, corporate development, supply chain, engineering, global affairs, finance, and compliance teams to ensure alignment and seamless execution across all commercial and corporate development activity — and act as a visible legal leader within the broader organization

What You'll Bring

Education & Bar: J.D. from an accredited law school and active bar admission in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction (eligible for MA In-House Counsel registration)
 
Experience: 12+ years of legal experience, ideally starting at a top-tier law firm followed by significant in-house experience at a fast-growing, complex technology, energy, advanced manufacturing, or industrial company
 
Commercial Expertise: Deep background in drafting and negotiating complex commercial contracts, strategic partnerships, global supply chain agreements, and corporate development transactions (JVs, strategic investments, licensing, tech transfer)
 
Corporate Legal Exposure: Familiarity with core corporate legal matters — governance, entity structuring, and general corporate transaction support — sufficient to advise confidently alongside commercial work
 
0-to-1 Process Builder: Proven track record of creating, operationalizing, and/or improving commercial legal systems, contract management tools (CLM), and negotiation playbooks from the ground up
 
Leadership Trajectory: Experience mentoring, managing, or building legal teams, or a clear readiness to do so — this role is expected to grow into a team lead position
 
Business Acumen & Pragmatism: Exceptional judgment and the ability to synthesize complex technical, operational, and legal concepts into clear, actionable advice for non-lawyers
 
Executive Presence: Comfort advising senior leadership and acting as a trusted strategic partner to the CLO and business unit executives
 
Adaptability & Drive: A proactive, self-starter mentality comfortable operating in a fast-changing, high-ambiguity environment where innovation happens daily
 
Mission Alignment: A genuine passion for clean energy, deep technology, science-based product commercialization, and CFS's mission to bring fusion to the grid
 

Must-have requirements:

Dedication to safety to mitigate hazards that may include heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, lead, high voltage, and cryogenics
Willingness to occasionally travel or work required nights/weekends/on-call