Senior Product & Commercial Counsel - Docker

About Docker

Docker has been one of the most loved brands in developer tooling, trusted by more than 20 million monthly users and over 20 billion container image pulls. From solo founders to the world's largest companies, developers rely on Docker to build, share, and run their applications across our suite of products including Docker Desktop, Docker Hub, and Docker Scout.

We are a globally distributed, remote-first team building the tools that define how software gets built and delivered. As AI agents redefine software development, Docker is at the center of that shift, providing the sandboxed environments, verified images, and secure infrastructure that make autonomous workflows trustworthy by default.

The Role

The Principal Product & Commercial Counsel will report to Docker's Head of Legal. This is a role at the intersection of product counseling and commercial negotiation. You will serve as the primary legal partner to Docker's Product Management and Engineering teams across the full product lifecycle, from concept and design through launch, monetization, and end of life, while also assisting with negotiating the commercial provisions that bring those products to market. Your subject matter depth in open source software licensing and cloud services will directly impact how Docker builds, licenses, and delivers its products to millions of developers and thousands of enterprise customers worldwide.

Responsibilities

• Serve as embedded product counsel to Docker's Product Managers and Engineering teams, providing pragmatic, business-oriented advice on new products, features, pricing and packaging changes, Early Access and beta programs, and end-of-life decisions.
• Advise on open source software matters, including license analysis and compatibility (Apache, MIT, BSD, GPL, LGPL, AGPL, and source-available licenses), inbound and outbound OSS usage, contribution and CLA policies, and compliance obligations.
• Draft and maintain Docker's product-facing legal terms, including service-specific terms, subscription and licensing agreements, Early Access and beta terms, fair use and acceptable use policies, and documentation supporting new monetization models.
• Structure and negotiate commercial provisions in customer and partner agreements relating to product licensing, cloud services, hybrid on-premise and SaaS deployments, IP ownership, indemnification, warranties, and support commitments.
• Counsel on AI-enabled product features, including training data provenance, output ownership, third-party model licensing, and evolving AI regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with GRC on the intersection of product design and regulatory obligations, including software supply chain security expectations and emerging regimes such as the EU Cyber Resilience Act.
• Support IP strategy, including trademark usage guidelines, brand protection, and coordination with outside counsel.
• Monitor and analyze legal and regulatory developments affecting developer tools, open source, cloud services, and AI.
• Help build scalable playbooks, templates, and self-service resources that allow Product and GTM teams to move quickly within well-defined guardrails.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state bar.
• 6+ years of relevant legal experience, with a meaningful portion in-house at a software, cloud, or developer tools company.
• Deep familiarity with open source software licensing, including copyleft and permissive license regimes, license compatibility analysis, and OSS program governance.
• Hands-on experience drafting and negotiating SaaS, software licensing, and cloud services agreements.
• Working technical fluency with developer software concepts such as virtual containers, registries, CI/CD, APIs, and software supply chain security.
• Understanding of AI and LLM legal issues, including model licensing, training data, and applicable regulatory frameworks.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex legal concepts into clear, actionable guidance.
• Sound, risk-calibrated judgment and a bias toward practical solutions that enable the business.
• Proven ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment and manage competing priorities independently.

Perks & Benefits

• Remote-first by design – Work from your home, with offices in Seattle and Paris for connection and collaboration.
• Flexibility – Trust to manage your schedule while delivering great work.
• Time to recharge – Generous PTO, designated quarterly Whaleness Days, and an end-of-year Whaleness break.
• Home office support & Technology stipend – US$100 net per month plus home office setup.
• Learning & development – Annual stipend for conferences, courses, and certifications.
• Parental leave – 16 weeks of paid parental leave after six months of employment.
• Equity – Share in Docker's long-term success.
• Comprehensive benefits – Medical and retirement plans.
• Docker swag – Represent the whale.