Legal Counsel, Privacy

The Nielsen Company • Remote, NV

1d • $107,470 - $179,080

About The Position

The Legal Counsel II, Privacy & Data Protection provides practical, business-oriented legal advice on U.S. and global privacy matters across Nielsen’s products, services, commercial relationships, and internal operations. The role supports the development and operation of Nielsen’s privacy program and partners closely with Product, Engineering, Data Science, Information Security, Procurement, Sales, Marketing, and other business teams.

The position advises on privacy compliance, data governance, and risk mitigation for business operations, products, data partnerships, and commercial transactions. It applies expanded knowledge of privacy and data protection law, solves a range of privacy and commercial legal problems using sound judgment and practical analysis, and drafts, reviews, and negotiates complex data protection exhibits on both the buy-side and sell-side. The role receives moderate guidance while taking ownership of assigned matters and workstreams.

The role-level expectations include understanding key business drivers, solving standard and moderately complex problems using experience and precedent, explaining privacy and legal information in actionable terms, and contributing to the quality of individual and team work. It has no supervisory responsibilities, though it may provide guidance to new associates or colleagues.

Requirements

• 2–5 years of experience practicing privacy, data protection, technology, commercial, or related legal work, preferably in-house or at a law firm advising technology, media, advertising, data, or analytics businesses.
• J.D. or equivalent legal qualification and admission to at least one U.S. state bar, consistent with the requirements for the role.
• At least 2 years of experience with U.S. state privacy regulations, including the CCPA/CPRA and other comprehensive state privacy laws, and the ability to interpret requirements and operationalize them across products, contracts, and business processes.
• At least 2 years of demonstrated experience conducting or supporting DPIAs/PIAs and privacy risk assessments, including documenting risks and tracking mitigation measures.
• Demonstrated experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating DPAs and other privacy-related contract terms, including advising both buyers/customers and sellers/providers of data or services.
• Strong legal research, writing, negotiation, analytical, and issue-spotting skills, with the ability to explain complex privacy requirements in clear business terms.
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional and international teams, exercise sound judgment, manage competing priorities, and operate effectively with moderate supervision.

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of APAC privacy and data protection regulations, particularly India’s Digital Personal Data Protection framework, Australia’s Privacy Act and Australian Privacy Principles, or South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Act.
• CIPP/US certification.
• Adtech, Martech, media measurement, audience analytics, data licensing, or digital advertising experience.
• Familiarity with the GDPR/UK GDPR, international data transfers, cross-border data sharing, and related contractual mechanisms.
• Familiarity with consent and preference management, IAB frameworks such as the Global Privacy Platform or Transparency and Consent Framework, privacy management tools, data mapping, and records of processing activities.
• Additional privacy certification, such as CIPM, CIPT, or an equivalent credential.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day legal guidance on U.S. federal and state privacy laws, including the CCPA/CPRA and evolving comprehensive state privacy statutes, as well as applicable sectoral, consumer protection, marketing, and data security requirements.
• Maintain working knowledge of U.S. state privacy regulations and translate legal developments into actionable guidance, contract language, policies, notices, processes, and implementation requirements.
• Draft, review, and negotiate data processing agreements, data protection and security terms, data use and sharing agreements, and related privacy provisions in commercial contracts, representing Nielsen as both a data buyer/customer and a data seller, provider, or service provider.
• Conduct and support privacy impact assessments (PIAs/DPIAs) for products, features, data uses, partnerships, and other initiatives; identify risks, recommend mitigations, and help embed privacy by design and by default.
• Conduct privacy due diligence on third parties, vendors, customers, and strategic partners, including reviewing questionnaires and security materials, assessing processing activities and data flows, identifying gaps, negotiating remediation, and supporting ongoing oversight.
• Advise on advertising technology, audience measurement, analytics, identity, cookies, pixels, SDKs, targeted advertising, consent and preference management, data monetization, and related media and marketing data practices.
• Partner with Product, Engineering, Data Science, Information Security, Procurement, Sales, Marketing, and other stakeholders to assess proposed data collection, use, disclosure, retention, and deletion activities and support compliant launches and operational changes.
• Support privacy incident and data breach response, consumer and data subject rights escalations, regulatory inquiries, audits, and other privacy compliance matters in coordination with internal teams and outside counsel.
• Contribute to privacy program materials, including policies, procedures, playbooks, templates, training, records of processing, data inventories, and compliance reporting.
• Monitor changes in privacy and data protection laws and enforcement trends, assess their impact on Nielsen’s business, and communicate concise recommendations to stakeholders.
• Manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, global environment and provide clear, timely, pragmatic advice to legal and non-legal audiences.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health and wellness plans.
• 401(k) with a Nielsen company match.
• Generous paid time off policy.
• Depending on the role, a company-provided vehicle and/or discretionary incentive or bonus eligibility may be available.
• The role may be eligible for bonuses, equity, or other incentives.

What This Job Offers

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