Senior Corporate Counsel
About Backblaze
Backblaze is a public company that makes storing and using data astonishingly easy. When our founding team got together, they committed to helping people save their data. Today, the Backblaze Storage Cloud provides a foundational platform around the world for a broad community of developers, IT generalists, entrepreneurs, and individuals who seek the easy, affordable, trusted solutions we provide.
We have managed to nurture a team-oriented culture with amazingly low turnover. Our approach is guided by honesty, transparency, and a commitment to doing the right thing. Our customers are happy, and so are our coworkers: in the most recent “Great Place to Work” survey, 97% of our team rated Backblaze as “a great place to work.” Check out what our employees are saying on Glassdoor!
About the Role
We are seeking a Senior Corporate Counsel, Corporate & Securities to own Backblaze’s public-company legal stack: SEC reporting, corporate governance, board and stockholder support, equity and Section 16 compliance, entity management, and corporate transactions. This role removes key-person risk on the securities and governance function and gives the public-company calendar a dedicated, senior owner.
The ideal candidate is a seasoned corporate and securities lawyer who is equally comfortable drafting a Form 10-K, running an annual meeting, advising the Board, and supporting M&A and corporate finance. This is a hands-on, high-ownership role for someone who thrives as the go-to expert on public-company matters in a lean, fast-moving legal team.
This role reports to the Head of Legal & Compliance and is fully remote (US-based).
What You’ll Do
Securities Reporting and Section 16 Compliance
- Prepare and review the company’s public company securities filings, including annual and quarterly reports on Form 10-K and 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K.
- Prepare and review the annual proxy statement and related proxy materials; manage annual stockholder meetings and related activities.
- Help administer Section 16 compliance and compliance with corporate securities policies, including the Rule 10b5-1 plans program and the insider trading policy.
- Provide support for equity-related matters and administration.
Corporate Governance and Board Support
- Develop, maintain, and revise corporate governance related policies and procedures.
- Advise on corporate governance matters, including support in connection with preparations for Board of Directors, Board committee, and stockholder meetings.
Entity Management and International Governance
- Manage international corporate governance matters, including establishment of new subsidiaries and branches, compliance with relevant international, federal, and state laws, and ongoing corporate maintenance of domestic and foreign entities.
Risk Management
- Support the company’s risk management program, including periodic risk assessments and related risk compliance programs.
Corporate Transactions
- Oversee legal aspects of corporate transactional matters, including M&A, corporate finance, and other strategic transactions.
- Structure, negotiate, and manage equipment lease and equipment financing arrangements, including sale-leasebacks, master lease agreements, and vendor financing facilities supporting capital equipment procurement.
- Advise on corporate finance transactions, including debt financings, credit facilities, and other strategic capital-raising activities.
Regulatory Monitoring, AI, and Cross-Functional Partnership
- Stay abreast of, and advise on, regulatory and industry developments, including monitoring trends on corporate governance matters, securities laws, regulations, and best practices.
- Apply AI tools to improve the efficiency and quality of drafting, filing preparation, disclosure review, and governance workflows, and help the function adopt emerging legal technology responsibly.
- Partner effectively with outside counsel on various matters.
- Collaborate on a cross-functional basis with other internal departments, including Finance and Accounting, Privacy, Compliance, Sales & Marketing, and leadership teams.
- Other duties as required from time to time.
The Right Fit
- Deep public-company securities and reporting experience, with the ability to independently own the 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, and proxy cycle.
- Strong corporate governance background and experience supporting a Board of Directors and its committees.
- Demonstrated expertise in Section 16, Rule 10b5-1, insider trading compliance, and equity administration areas.
- Experience with M&A, corporate finance, and other strategic transactions.
- Comfortable operating as the primary owner of the public-company stack in a lean team, with a high sense of ownership and sound, pragmatic judgment.
- Fluency with AI, or a strong interest and demonstrated ability to build it, and comfort using AI tools to work more efficiently in a securities and governance context.
- Clear, concise communicator who can translate complex securities and governance requirements into practical, business-focused advice.
- Meticulous attention to detail and a strong track record of managing deadline-driven filing and governance calendars.
Qualifications
- J.D. degree and active U.S. bar membership in good standing.
- 10 or more years of relevant legal experience, including substantial public-company securities and corporate governance experience; a combination of law firm and in-house experience is preferred.
- Deep working knowledge of federal securities laws and regulations (including Regulation FD) and applicable Nasdaq listing standards.
- Demonstrated experience preparing SEC filings (Form 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K) and annual proxy statements, and managing annual stockholder meetings.
- Experience advising on M&A, corporate finance, and entity management matters.
- Familiarity with, or genuine willingness to develop fluency in, AI and its application to legal and governance work, and comfort using AI tools to work more efficiently.
- In-house experience at a public technology or SaaS company is a plus.
Backblaze Perks
- Great healthcare benefits (100% healthcare premiums for family)
- Competitive compensation
- 401K matching
- RSU equity awards
- Flexible vacation policy
- Maternity & paternity leave
- MacBook Pro to use for work plus a generous stipend to personalize your workstation
- Childcare bonus
- Commuter benefits
- Culture that supports a healthy work-life balance
The base pay range for this position is $215,000 - $253,000.
At Backblaze, we value being fair and good to our customers, partners, and employees. That is why diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the core of our values. We are committed to fostering a workforce where all employees feel a sense of belonging regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, socioeconomic status, ability, veteran status, and education. We believe that our dedication to cultivating a diverse workspace not only allows us to better serve our customers in over 175 countries, but further reinforces our commitment to doing the right thing. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.
