Product Counsel Lead

Responsibilities

• Act as a trusted advisor to Product, Engineering, Design, and Business teams on issues related to Autonomy and AI, including privacy, data protection, accessibility, and consumer protections.
• Lead and support cross-functional projects on compliance, safety, and IP protection, integrating legal requirements into product development workflows.
• Review product integrations for compliance with contractual obligations, data protection laws, intellectual property rights, and other legal/regulatory requirements.
• Translate complex legal advice into actionable guidance for product and engineering teams under tight deadlines.
• Manage the patenting program, facilitate invention harvesting sessions, and advise on IP strategy.
• Build systems, policies, processes, guides, and playbooks to address risk, ensure compliance, and support innovation.
• Review and edit customer contracts, inbound contracts, marketing materials, and other external-facing documents for compliance, usability, and alignment with company policies.
• Proactively handle additional duties as part of a small legal team in a high-growth startup.
• Collaborate with external regulators, industry groups, and sources to stay current on global legal developments in Autonomy and AI.
• Assist with M&A transactions.

Requirements

• 8+ years of law firm and/or in-house experience, preferably at technology companies, with relevant activities described.
• Experience working with internal engineering, product, design, security, privacy, and marketing teams throughout the product development lifecycle, advising on regulatory requirements and risk mitigation for new technologies.
• Experience counseling business partners on domestic and international laws, regulations, and best practices for implementation and ongoing compliance.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, execution-focused environment with exceptional organizational skills, priority juggling, and adherence to strict deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to advance large, complex projects.
• J.D. degree from an accredited law school and active membership in one state bar.
• Business-minded with a tech geek mindset, focused on execution, leadership on projects, comfort with substantive/creative decisions, self-sufficiency, and working in ambiguity at the intersection of law and new technologies.

Nice-to-Haves

• Combination of law firm and in-house experience.
• Computer science or engineering degree (not required; passion for technologies is key).
• Familiarity with machine learning, autonomy, generative models, and related products.
• Privacy certifications (CIPP-E, CIPP-US, CIPM) or desire to obtain one.

Compensation

Base salary range: $200,000 - $300,000 USD annually (for Sunnyvale, CA location). Total compensation for eligible roles also includes equity and benefits such as comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, 401k with employer match, learning and wellness stipends, and paid time off.