Director of Legal

Redpanda Data • Austin, TX

20h • Hybrid

About The Position

Redpanda is seeking a Director of Legal to join their legal team as the second member, reporting directly to the VP, General Counsel. This is a significant role for a business-oriented attorney who desires ownership. The individual will be the primary contact for commercial transactions, managing deals from inception to completion, and will be responsible for developing and establishing the necessary forms, playbooks, and processes to support the company's scaling contracting needs. While commercial transactions are central, the role extends to partnering with the VP, General Counsel on various company matters, including privacy, product counseling, compliance, employment, and corporate issues, adapting to workload demands and learning new areas as required. The ideal candidate is practical, self-motivated, and thrives on building a legal function from the ground up in a rapidly evolving startup environment. The position is preferred to be hybrid, based in the Austin office with a minimum of three days on-site per week, though remote work will be considered for exceptional candidates.

Requirements

• A JD from an accredited law school and active membership in at least one US state bar.
• 5+ years of legal experience across law firm and/or in-house roles, with significant experience drafting, negotiating, and closing commercial agreements for technology companies.
• A demonstrated track record of independently owning complex commercial negotiations end to end.
• Working knowledge of privacy and data protection laws (GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, and other US state and international privacy laws) and experience negotiating DPAs.
• Experience building and improving contracting processes, templates, and playbooks — a builder's mindset, not just a reviewer's.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to turn complex legal analysis into practical business guidance for non-legal stakeholders.
• A generalist's curiosity and flexibility: comfort taking on unfamiliar legal areas, learning quickly, and operating with autonomy in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.

Nice To Haves

• In-house experience at a high-growth enterprise software, data infrastructure, or AI company.
• Experience as an early legal hire helping build a legal function from the ground up.
• Hands-on experience with CLM systems and AI-enabled legal workflows.
• Familiarity with emerging AI regulation.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the point person for commercial transactions: draft, negotiate, and close customer, partner, and vendor agreements, driving negotiations to quick, successful completion.
• Own and build Redpanda's contracting infrastructure: create and maintain templates, forms, negotiation playbooks, and approval workflows, and operationalize legal tech and AI tools that make contracting faster and more scalable.
• Partner closely with Sales, Customer Success, Product, Security, and Finance to structure business-aligned agreements and translate complex legal concepts into clear, actionable guidance.
• Advise on privacy and data protection matters, and help the business navigate the evolving AI regulatory landscape.
• Provide practical, business-oriented advice on legal risk across the full range of issues facing a high-growth enterprise software company.
• Support the VP, General Counsel on strategic initiatives in new legal domains as the company grows.

Benefits

• team members around the globe
• culture based on trust, transparency, communication, and kindness
• nimble, high-impact team with the latest AI tools — and the budget to actually use them

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree