Head of Legal

Commercial & strategic agreement negotiations

• Lead negotiation of commercial agreements that accompany or follow investments.
• Advise internal stakeholders on risk, enforceability, and global contracting standards.
• Develop scalable templates and playbooks to streamline repeat transactions.

Investment execution & deal structuring

• Lead all legal aspects of venture investments, including legal due diligence, term sheets, equity financing documents, shareholder agreements, side letters, and investor rights agreements. 
• Structure transactions to align financial returns with strategic objectives.
• Partner with investment professionals on valuation, risk allocation, governance rights, and exit strategy.
• Manage and coordinate external counsel efficiently and cost-effectively.

Portfolio support & value creation

• Provide guidance on governance, board matters, follow-on financings, and liquidity events.
• Support M&A, secondary transactions, and exit processes.
• Help team navigate legal questions regarding portfolio companies with Toyota & its affiliates

Legal Operations & Corporate Governance

• Oversee corporate policies, support in board matters, and internal approvals.
• Manage NDAs, vendor agreements, contractor agreements, and employment-related matters (hiring, terminations, and employee documentation), in conjunction with the Woven by Toyota HR team.
• Advise on privacy and data security compliance (e.g., GDPR, CCPA, and other applicable regulations).
• Provide oversight on IP matters.
• Advise on litigation exposure, product liability, commercial disputes, insurance, and risk mitigation.
• Support securities matters, intercompany arrangements, and organizational structuring.
• Partner closely with regional and corporate legal teams to ensure cross-jurisdictional alignment.
• Engage with external counsel, regulators, and public authorities as required.
• Advise on emerging legal and regulatory risks across jurisdictions.

Compliance and Risk Management

• Oversee fund governance, LP agreements, and all other corporate compliance matters. 
• Ensure compliance with securities laws, antitrust regulations, FCPA, export controls, and data privacy laws.
• Establish risk frameworks specific to corporate venture investing.
• Manage conflicts of interest between the corporate parent, fund and portfolio companies.

Strategic Advisory & leadership

• Advise senior leadership on the legal implications of innovation strategy and venture deployment.
• Translate legal risk into clear, business-focused recommendations.
• Serve as a strategic partner to the Investment Committee.
• Build and scale legal infrastructure appropriate for a growing CVC platform.
• Manage the legal budget and external counsel relationships.
• Implement contract management systems and internal training to improve deal execution.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• 7-10+ years of relevant legal experience, including experience at a top-tier law firm and within a corporate environment such as a corporate venture capital arm, venture capital fund, private equity firm, or in-house at a technology company.
• Exposure to venture-backed startups and emerging growth companies.
• Significant experience negotiating complex commercial agreements.
• Demonstrated experience leading commercial and investment negotiations directly (not solely managing outside counsel).
• Experience with cross-border transactions and global regulatory considerations.
• Experience working across multiple legal disciplines (e.g., corporate, commercial, governance, regulatory).
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, with a willingness to assume additional responsibilities as needed.
• Exceptional attention to detail and strong organizational skills; excellent time management with the ability to manage multiple concurrent assignments with a high degree of accuracy.
• Comfortable operating within both structured corporate environments and fast-paced, startup-driven settings; demonstrates resourcefulness and agility.
• Ability to build strong, trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Maintains focus and urgency while fostering a respectful and collaborative work environment.
• Adapts well to changing priorities and navigates ambiguity with confidence.
• Strong negotiation, drafting, and strategic problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrates sound judgement and ability to reach decisions with focus on the bigger picture, results vs. task-oriented

NICE TO HAVES

• Experience in auto/tech mobility sector
• Fund formation 
• Experience in highly regulated  
• Experience managing outside counsel.
• Fund of funds experience 
• Experience working in large multinational corporations