Employment Counsel - AMER

Datadog•New York, NY

2d•$171,000 - $228,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Datadog is seeking an Employment Counsel to join our growing global Employment Legal team. In this role, you will serve as a trusted legal advisor to the People team, business leaders, and cross-functional partners on a broad range of employment law matters impacting our workforce and culture. While your primary focus will be supporting our U.S. operations, you will also contribute to global initiatives and projects as the company continues to scale. This role offers the opportunity to influence strategic people decisions while partnering across a fast-paced, collaborative technology organization. At Datadog, we place value in our office culture - the relationships and collaboration it builds and the creativity it brings to the table. We operate as a hybrid workplace to ensure our Datadogs can create a work-life harmony that best fits them.

Requirements

J.D. from an accredited law school and an active member in good standing of a U.S. state bar (New York preferred).
At least 4 years of experience practicing U.S. employment law, with prior in-house experience preferred.
Able to provide practical, business-oriented legal advice while balancing legal risk with organizational objectives.
An effective communicator who builds trusted relationships across Legal, People, and business teams and exercises sound judgment in ambiguous situations.
Organized, collaborative, and comfortable managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

Nice To Haves

International employment law, immigration, mobility, or multinational company experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

Advise the People team and business leaders on a broad range of U.S. employment law matters, including recruiting, hiring, performance management, accommodations, leaves of absence, employee relations, investigations, compensation, terminations, restrictive covenants, and wage and hour compliance.
Draft, review, and provide legal guidance on employment-related documents, including offer letters, contractor agreements, separation agreements, and employment policies.
Partner cross-functionally with Legal, People, and business stakeholders to develop compliant employment practices and support strategic company initiatives.
Provide employment law support throughout mergers, acquisitions, and post-close integration activities.
Assess legal risk, recommend practical business solutions, and support decision-making on complex workforce matters.
Monitor changes in employment laws and regulations and help implement policies and processes that promote ongoing compliance.