Lead Counsel, Data Privacy

Overview

A legal and compliance team within a global financial platform is seeking a Senior Lead Counsel specializing in Data & Privacy. This role focuses on managing data protection, privacy, and regulatory matters across the US and broader Americas region. The position involves partnering with senior stakeholders on issues related to data protection, AI, cybersecurity, cross-border data access, and US financial privacy regulations. The role is remote and based in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Lead counsel for data and privacy legal matters in the US and Americas, providing risk-based, business-oriented advice on data protection, AI, and cybersecurity issues, including cross-border access and national-security-related topics.
• Develop and implement AI governance globally, including policies, procedures, privacy mitigations, and accountability frameworks.
• Design and execute privacy and data protection compliance programs focused on US federal and state consumer financial privacy frameworks such as GLBA, FCRA, CalFIPA, Executive Order 14117, and state privacy laws.
• Collaborate with Product, Engineering, Information Security, Regulatory Legal, Regulatory Compliance, Commercial Legal, and Risk teams to embed privacy and security by design in product development, technical architecture, user experience, and go-to-market strategies.
• Lead privacy impact assessments (DPIAs/PIAs), AI risk assessments, and other privacy evaluations.
• Draft, review, and negotiate complex data protection and data-sharing agreements, including DPAs, cross-border transfer terms, and AI-related clauses with customers, vendors, financial partners, and third parties.
• Coordinate international data flows involving the Americas, ensuring appropriate transfer mechanisms and governance.
• Co-lead privacy and data protection workstreams for security and data incidents in the Americas, including triage, investigation, notifications, remediation, and lessons learned.
• Advise on high-risk or novel data processing activities such as new AI use cases, advanced analytics, and innovative platform or embedded-finance data models.
• Support interactions with US and Americas regulators and policymakers on privacy, cybersecurity, data access, and related topics.
• Develop and refine privacy workflow tools and processes, including intake, assessments, records of processing activities, data subject requests, and use of specialist tooling and metrics.
• Provide training and enablement for Product, Engineering, Sales, Operations, and other teams on privacy, data, AI, and cybersecurity topics.

Minimum Qualifications

• Active U.S. legal qualification or foreign equivalent with a license to practice in at least one US jurisdiction.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in-house or in private practice advising on technology, data, and privacy issues related to technical platforms and products.
• Strong knowledge of US federal and state privacy and data security laws (e.g., CCPA/CPRA, GLBA/Reg P) and their intersection with payments and financial services regulation.
• Working knowledge of GDPR and Canadian/South American privacy laws such as LGPD.
• Experience advising on US privacy adtech requirements and operationalizing consent management under varying state privacy laws.
• Proven ability to partner with technical teams to translate legal and regulatory requirements into practical technical designs and controls.
• Experience advising on emerging US and global AI legal requirements and AI governance best practices.
• Experience supporting data and privacy legal aspects during security or privacy incidents, including assessment, notification, and remediation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of explaining complex legal concepts to non-lawyers and senior executives.
• High ownership, resilience, and pragmatism; ability to manage multiple complex matters in a fast-paced fintech environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience advising on data, privacy, AI, and cybersecurity issues in financial services, payments, or fintech sectors.
• Experience interacting with regulators on privacy, cybersecurity, AI, or data access issues.
• Experience contributing to or leading global privacy programs, including DPO-style functions or regional privacy frameworks.
• Relevant privacy and/or AI certifications such as CIPP/US, CIPP/E, CIPM, or AIGP.
• Prior in-house experience at a rapidly scaling tech or fintech company and working with globally distributed teams.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range: $160,000 to $250,000 annually.

Location

• Remote position based in the United States.