Director of Legal & Compliance

ibynd•Englewood, NJ

86d•Remote

About The Position

The Director of Legal & Compliance is a full-time, individual contributor role reporting directly to the COO. This individual will own the existing compliance program across multiple entities and carrier/vendor relationships, with responsibility for maturing the program, enhancing contracting processes, and establishing the foundation for future growth. The role requires a strong understanding of the insurance industry, particularly wholesale commercial insurance, and a technology-forward approach.

Requirements

JD from an accredited law school and active bar membership in at least one US jurisdiction; New York bar membership preferred.
8–10 years of combined law firm and in-house legal experience.
Direct insurance industry experience is required — insurtech, carrier, or MGA. This is not a role for a generalist looking to learn the industry on the job.
Working knowledge of surplus lines regulation, producer licensing, and the wholesale distribution model; experience with MGA, MGU, or program business strongly preferred.
Demonstrated experience negotiating carrier binding authority, program agreements, and/or vendor contracts.
Experience operating a compliance program — as the owner, a key contributor, or the person who inherited and matured one.
Strong commercial judgment and the temperament to be a sole practitioner inside a fast-moving business: able to prioritize ruthlessly, say no when it counts, and make calls without a committee.
Comfort in a technology-forward environment — conversant with how software, data, and AI factor into modern insurance operations.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills across a wide range of audiences including regulators, carriers, underwriters, and engineers.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with NAIC model laws and the emerging AI/algorithmic accountability landscape (NAIC Model Bulletin on AI, Colorado SB21-169, NYDFS Circular Letter No. 7).
Experience operating or maturing a privacy program under GLBA and modern state privacy laws.
Exposure to reinsurance treaty review, program business structures, or multi-state licensing administration.

Responsibilities

Take full ownership of the existing compliance program and mature it across both iBynd and SEMSEE entities — written policies and procedures, training, monitoring, internal audit, producer oversight, anti-fraud and AML obligations, and the compliance committee cadence.
Identify compliance gaps, prioritize them by risk, and close them. Define what 'good' looks like for this company at the next stage of scale and put the controls in place to get there.
Oversee state regulatory and licensing across all operating states — entity licenses, producer/P&C licenses, and surplus lines broker licenses — ensuring the company's full licensing footprint is current, accurate, and audit-ready.
Provide tax compliance guidance in partnership with accounting, ensuring state-by-state obligations, surplus lines tax filings, and applicable programs are properly maintained and overseen.
Lead negotiation of carrier appointments, binding authority and program agreements, reinsurance treaties where applicable, MGA arrangements, and the full stack of vendor, partner, and technology contracts.
Build out contract templates, playbooks, and intake processes that allow the business to move quickly without sacrificing protection on the terms that actually matter.
Serve as the primary legal point of contact for carrier counterparties, MGA/MGU partners, and third-party vendors on all contractual and relationship matters.
Manage outside counsel relationships for litigation support, specialized regulatory matters, and jurisdictions requiring local bar membership.
Advise on and conduct ongoing legal review of the company's digital platform with particular emphasis on privacy obligations, AI/ML governance in underwriting, and data handling practices.
Own the company's privacy compliance program under GLBA and applicable state privacy laws, ensuring policies, notices, and data practices are current and enforceable.
Monitor the evolving AI and algorithmic accountability landscape and advise leadership on compliance implications for the company's platform and operations.
Partner with the technology and product teams to build legal and compliance requirements into new platform features and data initiatives from the outset.
Handle the full scope of matters a sole in-house lawyer owns: commercial contracts, employment matters, corporate governance, claims and E&O escalations, and regulatory correspondence.
Advise leadership on legal risk across business decisions — able to distinguish between risks that need a stop sign and risks that need a seatbelt.
Liaise with DOI examiners, carrier counterparties, underwriters, engineers, and external advisors as required, moving fluidly between audiences in the same day.
Other duties as assigned.