Senior Product & Privacy Counsel

Overview

This role involves providing legal counsel focused on AI governance, privacy frameworks, and emerging regulatory regimes within a software product environment. Reporting to the VP of Legal, the position requires embedding into the product development lifecycle to advise on AI-enabled features and data governance decisions. The legal professional will partner closely with engineering, product, and go-to-market teams to build a privacy and product legal program from the ground up, while also supporting commercial transactions and guiding AI governance strategy.

Responsibilities

Product Counsel

• Serve as legal advisor to Product and Engineering teams, providing timely guidance during product development cycles.
• Shape and implement the organization's AI governance framework, including use-case risk evaluation standards and documentation practices.
• Participate in cross-functional workstreams to develop and implement scalable internal processes and policies for responsible AI use, collaborating with engineering, security, and product leadership.
• Advise on AI-related intellectual property matters, including licensing and data usage.
• Provide counsel on open source licensing models and legal considerations relevant to open source software development and distribution.

Privacy Counsel

• Monitor and interpret evolving AI regulations and global privacy frameworks such as the EU AI Act, GDPR, and CCPA/CPRA, translating requirements into actionable guidance for technical and business stakeholders.
• Conduct privacy impact assessments (PIAs), data protection impact assessments (DPIAs), and AI risk analyses for new features and product lines.
• Support data mapping, data subject requests, and data governance improvements across the product portfolio.
• Draft, review, and negotiate data processing agreements (DPAs) and AI-specific addendums; serve as escalation point for the commercial legal team on privacy and AI issues.
• Perform due diligence on vendor compliance and negotiate contracts to include robust data protection clauses.
• Partner with Security on incident response and regulatory inquiries, including breach assessment and stakeholder notifications.
• Develop internal playbooks, training programs, and policies such as privacy policies, terms of service, and DPAs to build a culture of compliance and proactively address emerging risks.
• Collaborate with security and engineering teams to support compliance certifications including SOC 2, ISO 27001 and 27701, HIPAA, and PCI from a privacy and legal perspective.

Requirements

• Admission to the California Bar or eligibility for the Registered In-House Counsel exception, and in good standing.
• Minimum of 8 years of legal experience, including at least 4 years of product legal experience at a software company.
• Significant experience counseling product and engineering teams through the full product development lifecycle, from conception to launch, with expertise in legal and regulatory aspects of software product development.
• Strong understanding of open source licensing, SaaS business practices, and relevant global regulatory requirements.
• Ability to quickly form and convincingly communicate a point of view under time pressure and with imperfect information.
• Generalist mindset, willing to take on additional responsibilities and explore subjects outside core expertise.
• Strong judgment and risk assessment skills, with the ability to adapt legal requirements in creative and pragmatic ways.
• Capability to independently manage and negotiate commercial agreements with customers, partners, and vendors.
• Proven ability to thrive in fast-paced, highly variable environments, with experience building or improving processes at hyper-growth companies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in the SaaS and cybersecurity industry.
• IAPP certifications such as CIPP/US or CIPP/E.
• Experience advising on AI/ML products, including emerging AI governance frameworks like the EU AI Act.
• Familiarity with security and compliance frameworks such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, or HIPAA.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range: $212,000 - $266,000 annually.
• Extensive health coverage.
• Annual expense budget.
• Rest and recovery policies designed to maximize ability to recharge.
• Retirement savings plans.
• Professional development opportunities.

Location

Remote-first and globally distributed work environment.

This position offers the opportunity to work at the intersection of AI, privacy, and product legal counsel within a dynamic, fast-growing software environment. The role requires a strong legal background combined with expertise in AI governance and privacy regulations, supporting responsible innovation and compliance across product and commercial functions.