Lead Counsel, Employment and Litigation

Ironclad•San Francisco, CA

1d•$199,000 - $249,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Ironclad is seeking a Lead Counsel, Employment and Litigation with 8+ years of experience to be the primary employment law advisor and a versatile contributor to the Legal team's broader compliance, litigation, and risk management efforts as the company scales. This role reports to and collaborates with the Deputy General Counsel, Corporate & Employment, providing guidance on employment-related legal matters that align with company culture and global business objectives. The position involves a key role in a wide range of employment and HR issues, including policy and process development, employee relations, investigations, and compliance. The role will work closely with People and Legal leadership. This is a hybrid role based in San Francisco, requiring office attendance at least twice a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays), with potential for additional in-office days for team or company events.

Requirements

JD from an accredited law school and admission to the CA Bar.
8+ years of legal experience, with at least 3+ years in-house in tech; strong preference for experience in high growth B2B company.
Proven track record in employment law matters, including employee relations issues, leave administration, pay equity, workplace investigations, performance management and policy development.
Experience managing or supporting employment-related litigation, pre-litigation disputes, and government inquiries, including demand letters, agency charges, subpoenas, and litigation holds; comfort coordinating with outside litigation counsel on active matters.
Intellectual curiosity and genuine willingness to lean into new areas of law, including compliance, regulatory developments, AI governance, and marketing review, as the needs of a growing Legal team evolve.
Positive, business-focused attitude with excellent judgment, high integrity, and the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously and on time.
Ability to quickly assess business challenges and understand business objectives, making timely and pragmatic recommendations in light of company priorities.
Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of people, collaborate with and build in partner relationships internally and externally.
In-depth understanding of how legal issues impact different parts of the organization and ability to translate complex legal issues in a clear and understandable manner.
Strong project management skills and a demonstrated ability to build and scale programs (including internationally) and lead cross-functional initiatives (including having led change management efforts).
Deep understanding of the modern Legal tech stack and surrounding LegalTech ecosystem.

Nice To Haves

Prior exposure to regulatory matters or compliance programs.

Responsibilities

Serve as the first point of contact for Ironclad’s People Team to develop and deliver creative solutions to complex employment issues that align with the company’s strategic goals and values.
In partnership with the People Team, establish enterprise policies and scalable processes that will govern the legal aspects of the employment life cycle, including recruitment, compensation matters, reorganizations, leave management and administration, policy governance, employee privacy and more.
Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders on employment law trends, workplace investigations, and complex personnel issues and collaborate with the People Team to develop strategic solutions that align business objectives with applicable employment laws and regulations.
Develop and deliver training programs for managers and People Team members on employment law best practices.
Serve as the employment law team lead for international expansion and other corporate initiatives.
Advise on matters arising out of the development and use of AI technology in recruiting/hiring, compliance, and other employment processes.
Advise managers and employees on the interaction between AI tool use and attorney-client privilege, including how to preserve privilege when using AI in the context of sensitive personnel matters, investigations, and legal escalations; partner with Legal Operations and the People team to develop practical guidance and guardrails.
Serve as the first-line internal resource for litigation and pre-litigation matters, including triaging demand letters, agency charges, subpoenas, and threatened claims; coordinating litigation holds with IT and Legal; and managing outside litigation counsel relationships on active matters.
Aid in developing our global compliance program.
Contribute to broader Legal team initiatives — including compliance program development, privilege training, cross-functional escalation frameworks, and legal operations improvements — as a collaborative member of the full Legal department.

Benefits

100% health coverage for employees (medical, dental, and vision), and 75% coverage for dependents with buy-up plan options available
Market-leading leave policies, including gender-neutral parental leave and compassionate leave
Family forming support through Maven for you and your partner
Paid time off - take the time you need, when you need it
Monthly stipends for wellbeing, hybrid work, and (if applicable) cell phone use
Mental health support through Modern Health, including therapy, coaching, and digital tools
Pre-tax commuter benefits (US Employees)
401(k) plan with Fidelity with employer match (US Employees)
Regular team events to connect, recharge, and have fun
Opportunity to help build the company you want to work at
Equity awards (a new hire grant, along with opportunities for additional awards throughout your tenure)
Competitive total rewards package