Fast Facts

SEMI is seeking a Principal Legal Advisor to provide in-house legal expertise supporting global operations, focusing on contracts, compliance, and risk management.

Responsibilities: Key responsibilities include drafting and negotiating contracts, supporting compliance efforts, providing legal guidance across functions, managing external counsel, and overseeing corporate governance.

Skills: The ideal candidate should possess excellent communication skills, strong judgment, project management abilities, and familiarity with international compliance standards.

Qualifications: Candidates should have over 10 years of relevant legal experience, preferably in-house or in the semiconductor sector, with a bachelor's degree appropriate for pre-law preparation.

Location: Preferred location is Milpitas, CA, with the possibility of remote work; however, it's not specified.

Compensation: $71 - $89 / Hourly

Description

Compensation: Min: $71.00 per hour - Max: $89.00 per hour (Location - Milpitas, CA preferred)

The exact compensation may vary based upon skills, experience & location

Although we’re small, we’re mighty and influence and impact society at large positively. At SEMI, we offer opportunities to connect and interact with world leaders, industry legends, and rising stars. We help our members develop public and private policies to strengthen global supply chains and promote business growth and prosperity. Learn and grow professionally through career opportunities such as rotational assignments. Contribute by influencing and impacting an industry that is the foundation for innovation and positive change in areas like environmental sustainability, thought leadership, and workforce development. We take pride in offering work-life balance so you can live your personal and professional life to the fullest. 

As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome all to apply

THE ROLE:

The Principle Legal Advisor will perform in-house legal activities and be SEMI’s primary interface with legal firms. This role will support the company’s global operations by advising on a broad range of corporate legal matters, including contracts, corporate governance, compliance, risk management, and cross-border business transactions. The ideal candidate is a proactive legal generalist with strong judgment, excellent communication skills, and a collaborative approach to problem-solving.

This is a full-time, non-exempt position which reports directly to Chief Financial & Business Operations Officer of SEMI and preferred location is Milpitas, CA

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES:

This role will establish SEMI’s first in-house legal expertise necessary to enable significant growth in scale and breadth of the organization’s impact on the global semiconductor industry. 

Contract Drafting, Review & Negotiation, Life cycle management

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial contracts, including NDAs, MSAs, SaaS agreements, vendor contracts, and licensing agreements.
• Partner with business units to align contracts with company objectives and risk tolerance.
• Convert existing corporate records to a state-of-the-art contracts management system.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Support compliance efforts related to data privacy, anti-corruption, antitrust, trade compliance, and other regulatory matters.
• Develop and maintain internal policies and procedures to manage legal and operational risk.

Cross-functional Legal Support

• Serve as a trusted legal advisor to the global organization.
• Provide guidance on employment law, IP protection, corporate transactions, and dispute resolution utilizing outside counsel where appropriate.

Corporate Governance & Legal Operations

• Support internal audits, investigations, and litigation as needed.
• Drive legal initiatives to improve workflows, technology adoption, and document management.

Manage external counsel in the areas of:

Intellectual Property Management

• Maintain the company’s intellectual property / brand portfolio
• Manage and coordinate matters with outside IP counsel

Corporate Governance & Entity Management

• Support the company’s legal entity management, including regulatory filings and intercompany agreements.
• Advise on corporate structure, mergers, acquisitions, and reorganizations.

CRITICAL SKILLS:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate across functions and cultures
• High integrity and sound judgment with a commitment to ethical decision-making
• Familiarity with international compliance standards (e.g., GDPR, FCPA, export controls)
• Fluency in another language a plus (especially Mandarin, Japanese, or Korean)
• Project management skills and attention to detail
• Proficient knowledge of Microsoft Suite (Ex: Excel, Word, PowerPoint)

KNOWLEDGE OR EXPERIENCE:

• Strong knowledge of corporate law, commercial contracts, and regulatory frameworks
• Over 10 years of relevant legal experience, ideally in-house legal department or a law firm
• Experience advising global or multi-national businesses preferred
• Experience in the semiconductor or non-profit sector

EDUCATION & LICENSING

• Bachelor’s degree in an area of study suitable for pre-law preparation

ABOUT SEMI

SEMI is the global industry association representing the electronics manufacturing and design supply chain, connecting over 3,000 member companies and 1.3 million professionals worldwide. SEMI members are responsible for the innovations in materials, design, equipment, software, devices, and services that enable smarter, faster, more powerful, and more affordable electronic products. Since 1970, SEMI has built connections that have helped its members prosper, create new markets, and address common industry challenges together. SEMI maintains offices in Berlin, Brussels, Hsinchu, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, Milpitas and Washington, D.C. For more information about SEMI, please visit us at SEMI.org