Best suited to in-house legal professionals with deep supply chain and IP experience working in highly regulated technology sectors.
Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.
Original posting from Humanoid via Ashby
Here at Humanoid, we believe in a future where robots amplify human potential. That’s why we’ve set out on a mission to build the world’s most capable, commercially-scalable, and safe humanoid robots. We’re bringing that mission to life with HMND‑01 - our rapidly developed humanoid platform being deployed in real industrial environments - and we’re growing the team to take it even further.
ABOUT THE ROLE
Humanoid is seeking a Director of Contracts & Business Support to lead commercial contracting across the business and to build the processes, standards, and systems that support it. This is the company's senior commercial legal role, reporting directly to the CLO. It carries a global remit covering the markets Humanoid sells into, the partners it builds with, and the suppliers from which it sources. The role works in close partnership with the go-to-market (GTM) and supply chain functions, supporting transactions from initial structuring through negotiation to signature. This includes customer and reseller agreements, master supply and manufacturing contracts, technology partnerships incorporating revenue share and other non-standard commercial models, and the confidentiality and data protection arrangements that sit alongside them. Alongside transactional work, the role owns the contracting operating model: standard templates, negotiation playbooks and fallback positions, delegation of authority, escalation routes, and the selection and implementation of contract lifecycle management (CLM) and AI-assisted contract review tooling.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
- Own commercial contracting end to end — drafting, negotiating, and closing customer, partner, and supplier agreements across every country we operate in.
- Act as the legal partner to our GTM and supply chain teams, from early deal shaping through to signature, with fast and commercially practical answers.
- Negotiate supply chain and manufacturing agreements, and technology partnerships including revenue share and other non-standard commercial models.
- Build and own the contracting operating model: templates, playbooks, guidelines, delegation of authority, escalation paths, and the internal processes that keep deals moving.
- Select, implement, and get real value from CLM and AI-assisted contract review tooling — running a pipeline in the hundreds without simply adding headcount.
- Protect and commercialise our intellectual property (IP), advising on ownership, licensing, and confidentiality across customer, partner, and supplier arrangements.
- Manage commercial disputes and pre-litigation matters, working with the Head of Compliance and outside counsel where it makes sense.
- Work with the Head of Compliance and the CLO to make sure commercial terms reflect our regulatory obligations.
- Instruct and manage outside counsel with a clear view of cost and value.
- Build, manage, and develop the contracts team as it grows, while staying hands-on yourself.
- Be a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders across Sales, Supply Chain, Finance, and the executive team.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
- 10+ years' post-qualification experience (PQE); qualified solicitor in England and Wales (or equivalent), with a current practising certificate.
- 5+ years in highly regulated or safety-critical sectors — for example robotics, AI, automotive, aerospace, medical devices, or comparable technology.
- 5+ years of in-house experience.
- 5+ years of people management experience.
- A strong track record on supply chain contracts and technology partnerships, including revenue share arrangements.
- Solid IP and dispute resolution experience.
- Proficiency with contract management systems and AI contract review tools.
- Comfortable managing senior stakeholders and holding your own with commercial leadership.
- Hands-on and execution-oriented — you draft and negotiate yourself rather than only overseeing others.
- Comfortable operating in ambiguity and driving clarity in a fast-moving environment.
- Motivated by a long-term in-house role. This is a demanding position in a company building at pace, where priorities shift and no two weeks look the same.
NICE TO HAVE
- Dual UK/US qualification.
- Experience in deep-tech, robotics, hardware, or advanced manufacturing organisations.
- Experience implementing a CLM platform from scratch, ideally an AI-enabled one.
- Experience scaling a legal function through rapid commercial growth or a funding round.
WHAT WE OFFER
- Competitive equity: stock options with meaningful upside as we scale.
- 30+ days off, including 23 days annual leave, all UK bank holidays, and additional company closure days (including Christmas–New Year shutdown).
- Private healthcare, including virtual and in-person care.
- Pension scheme with 8% total contribution (5% employee, 3% employer) on full earnings.
- Free daily breakfast, catered lunch, and snacks in-office.
- Work at the frontier - collaborate daily with world-class engineers, researchers, and product experts building the next generation of AI and humanoid robotics.
- Real ownership - direct access to founding leadership, meaningful input on product direction, and the ability to drive key initiatives from day one.
Source: Humanoid careers (Ashby)