Salesforce is hiring a Sustainability Corporate Counsel to sit inside its Procurement Legal team and own the legal architecture behind its environmental commitments. Day to day, that means structuring and negotiating carbon credit purchase agreements, virtual power purchase agreements, renewable energy certificate deals and multi-party off-take contracts, while expanding the company’s Sustainability Exhibit across its supply chain.
The work matters because these contracts turn public climate goals into binding, bankable action. This role helps Salesforce manage the legal risk of sustainability claims, embed environmental commitments into procurement, and advise the Impact Team on disclosures and strategy, a rare chance to shape how a major technology company delivers on decarbonisation beyond its own operations.
This suits someone who is a qualified lawyer with deep carbon markets or renewable energy transaction experience, comfortable moving between complex contracts and executive-level sustainability conversations.
Job FAQs
What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?
This role sits at the intersection of law, procurement and climate action. The Sustainability Corporate Counsel will structure, draft and negotiate a portfolio of environmental attribute transactions, carbon credit purchase agreements, virtual power purchase agreements, multi-party off-take contracts and renewable energy certificate deals. The counsel will also oversee and expand Salesforce’s Sustainability Exhibit, turning sustainability promises into binding contractual commitments across the supply chain.
Beyond transactions, the role acts as a trusted legal advisor to the Impact Team and Global Procurement Services on corporate sustainability initiatives, external disclosures and legal risk. That includes fast-turnaround counsel on high-value deals, claims substantiation, and the design of supply chain sustainability programs. The overarching goal is to help Salesforce meet its environmental goals while managing legal exposure in a rapidly evolving area.
Key learning opportunities for this job
Deep expertise in carbon markets and renewable energy contracting is the clearest learning curve. The successful candidate will sharpen skills in VPPA and carbon credit deal structures, multi-party negotiations, environmental attribute registries, and the legal mechanics of supply chain decarbonisation. Because the role sits in Procurement Legal, there is also exposure to commercial procurement, supplier engagement and contract lifecycle management.
Salesforce’s emphasis on AI and emerging technology could add another layer: learning how legal teams use AI tools to review contracts, manage risk and scale advice. The counsel may also build executive communication and thought-leadership skills through public speaking, white papers and presentations to senior leaders. Mentorship likely comes from senior procurement lawyers and sustainability leaders across the Impact Team.
How does the ideal candidate look like (experience, skills)?
The ideal candidate is a qualified lawyer with at least five years of experience in complex environmental attribute transactions, carbon markets or renewable energy. A J.D. and active bar admission in the U.S. state of residence are required. They should have a proven track record negotiating carbon agreements, VPPAs or other innovative sustainability-focused procurement structures, ideally across multiple jurisdictions and counterparty types.
Beyond technical legal skill, Salesforce will likely value strong business judgment, exceptional communication and the ability to advise executives. Familiarity with AI and emerging technology tools is a plus, as is a proactive, autonomous mindset and comfort managing competing priorities under tight timelines. A demonstrated interest in sustainability thought leadership (through speaking, writing or cross-functional leadership) would strengthen the profile.
Advice to stand out and make a successful application
Tailor the application to Salesforce’s specific sustainability legal work. Instead of a generic legal CV, build a deal sheet showing carbon credit, VPPA, off-take or REC transactions you have led: deal value, structure, counterparties, jurisdictions, and your exact role. Connect each example to the responsibilities in the posting, environmental attribute transactions, the Sustainability Exhibit, supply chain commitments, and legal risk around sustainability claims.
Because Salesforce uses AI tools in recruiting, keep formatting clean and keyword-rich without overloading. In the cover letter, reference Salesforce’s core values and the Impact Team’s work, and explain why binding contractual sustainability commitments matter to you. For interviews, prepare to discuss how you would negotiate a multi-party VPPA, update a supplier sustainability exhibit, or advise on a disclosure risk. Show AI aptitude and executive presence, the role demands both. A short, specific note on how you would help Salesforce scale its climate commitments will stand out more than general ESG enthusiasm.
What aspects of the company's sustainability is this role likely to focus on?
The role is squarely focused on the contractual and legal machinery of Salesforce’s climate strategy. That includes carbon credit purchases, virtual power purchase agreements, renewable energy certificates, off-take agreements and other environmental attribute transactions that support the company’s net-zero and renewable energy goals. The counsel will also work on supply chain sustainability, likely helping suppliers take on binding environmental commitments through Salesforce’s Sustainability Exhibit.
Another focus is governance and risk: advising on external sustainability disclosures, claims substantiation and the legal boundaries of environmental marketing. This is less about measuring footprint and more about making sustainability commitments enforceable, defensible and aligned with procurement. The role therefore touches environmental and governance dimensions strongly, with social impact coming through supplier engagement and responsible business practices.
What are the main challenges someone in this role might face?
Carbon markets and renewable energy contracting are complex, fast-moving and sometimes uncertain. The counsel may face evolving regulations, shifting market standards, and counterparties with very different risk appetites. Structuring multi-party deals and VPPAs can involve long negotiation cycles, financial complexity and internal pressure to move quickly while protecting Salesforce from legal and reputational risk.
Another challenge is balancing speed with rigor in a fast-paced technology company. The role supports multiple stakeholders (Procurement, Impact, Finance, external counsel) each with different priorities. Sustainability claims are also under growing scrutiny, so advising on disclosures requires care. The successful candidate will likely need to manage competing deadlines, explain legal nuance to non-lawyers, and stay current on AI and emerging tools without losing attention to detail.
How could a typical day look like for someone in this position?
A typical day could start with reviewing or redlining a carbon credit purchase agreement or VPPA, coordinating with external counsel and procurement colleagues on key terms. There may be a call with the Impact Team to advise on a disclosure, a supply chain sustainability initiative, or a new environmental attribute deal. Later, the counsel might update the Sustainability Exhibit, respond to a supplier negotiation, or brief a business leader on legal risk.
The role is likely meeting-heavy and deadline-driven, with a mix of deep contract work and quick-turnaround advice. Variability comes from deal flow: some days are focused on one complex negotiation, others on cross-functional strategy or thought leadership. Because Salesforce operates globally, early or late calls with different time zones could occasionally feature. The through-line is constant collaboration with legal, procurement and sustainability colleagues.
What are the opportunities for professional growth and development in this role?
This role offers unusual visibility for a lawyer interested in sustainability. Leading high-value carbon credit, VPPA and renewable energy transactions builds a specialised deal sheet that is highly portable across corporate sustainability, energy and ESG legal markets. The counsel may also gain executive exposure by advising senior leaders and contributing to public speaking or white papers, positioning them as a thought leader.
Growth could come through expanded scope, owning more of Salesforce’s sustainability legal strategy, managing external counsel, or moving into a senior counsel or lead counsel role. Lateral moves into sustainability strategy, ESG governance or procurement leadership are plausible given the cross-functional nature of the work. As Salesforce continues to scale AI and climate commitments, the role could evolve with new legal questions around technology, data and environmental claims.
The main stakeholders you might be interacting with
The closest partners will likely be the Impact Team and Global Procurement Services, since the role sits in Procurement Legal and directly supports sustainability transactions and supply chain programs. The counsel will interact with procurement category managers, sustainability program leads, finance and accounting colleagues, and legal teammates specialising in commercial, regulatory and privacy matters.
Externally, key stakeholders include suppliers, carbon project developers, renewable energy developers, brokers, registries and outside counsel. The nature of these interactions ranges from negotiating contract terms and managing deal execution to advising on claims and disclosures. The role also likely involves periodic engagement with senior executives, especially when high-value deals, public commitments or reputational risks are on the line.
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