General Counsel (SVP Level), San Francisco Bay Area, CA (Hybrid) (938-SLS)
About The Position
Our client is a global, publicly traded technology company operating at the intersection of SaaS, fintech, and payments, serving millions of small and mid-sized businesses worldwide. With a strong international footprint, significant scale, and continued rapid growth, particularly in the U.S., the company is seeking a business-minded, execution-oriented and sophisticated General Counsel to lead its U.S. legal organization at a pivotal moment. This role serves as the top senior legal executive in the United States and will manage a team of 30 professionals. It will report to the companyâs Chief Legal Officer, who is based internationally. The General Counsel will act as a key lieutenant to global legal leadership and a trusted advisor to U.S.-based senior executives, including the CEO. The legal function is well established and globally scaled, with deep expertise across corporate, commercial, regulatory, product, and operations. The General Counsel will build on that foundation, elevating legalâs impact as the company continues to grow in complexity, scale enterprise operations, and expand its go-to-market footprint. The position is based in the San Francisco Bay Area (San Mateo, California) and operates in a hybrid model with an in-office expectation of approximately 2-3 day per week. For the right candidate, a New Yorkâbased location may be considered.
Requirements
- Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school and active bar membership in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
- Significant in-house legal experience within high-growth technology companies; experience in SaaS, fintech, payments, or enterprise software environments strongly preferred.
- Prior General Counsel experience preferred; seasoned Deputy General Counsel candidates with enterprise-scale leadership experience will be considered.
- Strong commercial contracting background, including customer, partner, and revenue-generating agreements.
- Demonstrated experience advising senior executives and influencing at the C-suite level.
- Proven ability to lead and develop teams of leaders in complex, matrixed organizations.
- Experience operating effectively in fast-paced, ambiguous, and execution-driven environments.
- Management experience
- Executive presence with the ability to operate as a peer to senior leadership.
- Pragmatic, solution-oriented, and commercially minded.
- Comfortable taking smart risks and making decisions with imperfect information.
- Humble, collaborative, and low-ego, with strong relationship-building skills.
- Resilient and adaptable, with the ability to thrive amid rapid change.
- Hands-on leader who can balance strategic vision with operational rigor.
Responsibilities
- Serve as the principal legal advisor to U.S.-based senior leadership and a strategic partner to the CEO and global executive team.
- Lead all U.S. legal matters across commercial transactions, go-to-market strategy, partnerships, M&A, and product counseling.
- Act as the primary legal face of the organization in the U.S., representing the function with credibility, confidence, and executive presence.
- Partner closely with sales, marketing, product, and operations leaders to enable growth while managing risk in a fast-paced, high-change environment.
- Lead, develop, and mentor a legal organization of approximately 30 professionals, including multiple senior leaders and people managers.
- Operate as a hands-on player/coach, balancing executive-level strategy with practical execution.
- Collaborate closely with global legal leadership on matters involving IP, privacy, governance, and other specialized functions.
- Drive operational excellence within the legal organization, including process improvement, legal technology adoption, and disciplined management of outside counsel.
- Support global transactions and initiatives, including strategic acquisitions and cross-border matters.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Executive
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
Number of Employees
1-10 employees
