Senior Counsel, Data Privacy

Overview

This role involves serving as Senior Lead Counsel, Data & Privacy, with primary responsibility for data and privacy legal and regulatory matters across the US and broader Americas. The position is based in Seattle and focuses on providing legal guidance on data protection, AI, cybersecurity, cross-border data access, and US financial privacy regulation. The role includes shaping and executing data and privacy strategy in the Americas, designing scalable compliance approaches for fintech and AI-driven products, and translating regulatory requirements into practical solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead data and privacy counsel for the US and Americas, advising on data protection, AI, and cybersecurity issues across US, Canada, and South America, grounded in global data protection regulations.
• Develop and implement AI governance globally, including policies, procedures, privacy mitigations, and accountability frameworks.
• Develop and execute privacy and data protection compliance programs focused on US federal and state consumer financial privacy frameworks (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 and go-to-market strategies.
• Lead privacy impact assessments such as DPIAs/PIAs and AI risk assessments.
• Draft, review, and negotiate complex data protection and data-sharing agreements, including DPAs and cross-border transfer terms.
• Coordinate international data flows involving the Americas, ensuring appropriate transfer tools 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 processing activities, including new AI use cases and innovative data models.
• Support interactions with US and Americas regulators and policymakers on privacy, cybersecurity, and data-access topics.
• Build and refine tools and processes for privacy workflows, including intake, assessments, ROPA, and data subject requests.
• Contribute to training and enablement for various teams on privacy, data, AI, and cybersecurity topics.

Minimum Qualifications

• U.S. legal qualification (or foreign equivalent) with an active license to practice in at least one US jurisdiction.
• At least 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 requirements (e.g., LGPD).
• Experience advising on US privacy adtech requirements and operationalizing consent management.
• Proven ability to partner with technical teams to translate legal 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.
• Excellent communication skills, able to explain complex legal concepts to non-lawyers and senior executives.
• High degree of ownership, resilience, and pragmatism; comfortable in a fast-paced fintech environment managing multiple complex matters.

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 (e.g., CIPP/US, CIPP/E, CIPM, AIGP) or equivalent experience.
• Prior in-house experience at a rapidly scaling tech or fintech company with globally distributed teams.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range: $180,000 - $270,000

Location

• Seattle, USA