Privacy Counsel

Beacon Holdings•San Francisco, CA

13h

About The Position

Beacon is seeking a strategic, hands-on Privacy Counsel to serve as its first dedicated privacy specialist. This foundational role will build Beacon’s privacy strategy and architecture, establishing the frameworks, policies, and processes that govern data collection, use, and protection across Beacon and its portfolio of vertical market software companies. Reporting to Beacon’s VP, Legal, the Privacy Counsel will partner closely with the IT, Governance, and Risk leader and advise teams across the Beacon platform. The role owns privacy across the full acquisition lifecycle, from pre-acquisition diligence through integration and post-close operations, as well as day-to-day privacy matters. The successful candidate will develop a scalable, risk-based privacy program for a multi-jurisdictional technology acquirer and help embed privacy-by-design into technology, data infrastructure, and business processes. Beacon acquires, operates, and grows vertical market software companies, investing in their continued growth and holding them permanently. The company describes its approach as supporting the people who built these businesses and helping them improve with an AI-native platform.

Requirements

J.D. from an accredited law school.
Membership in good standing of at least one bar.
Seven or more years of privacy law experience at a top-tier law firm, or 5–7 years of in-house privacy counsel experience at a technology company operating in a data-heavy environment.
Demonstrated experience building or leading a privacy function, including developing privacy programs, policies, and governance frameworks.
Deep knowledge of multi-jurisdictional privacy law, including U.S. privacy law (CCPA/CPRA, HIPAA, FERPA, and applicable state laws), Canadian privacy law (PIPEDA and Law 25/Bill 64), and EU/UK GDPR.
Experience with cross-border data transfer requirements and international compliance obligations.
Hands-on experience advising on personal data, sensitive personal information, health data, financial data, and B2B data across industries and use cases.
Experience conducting or advising on privacy due diligence in M&A transactions and familiarity with privacy issues in corporate transactions, vendor relationships, and technology deployments.
Ability to provide pragmatic, business-enabling advice, assess and quantify risk, recommend proportionate controls, and help the business move forward.
Proficiency with AI tools for legal and privacy work and interest in using technology to build efficient, scalable privacy operations.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills and ability to explain complex regulatory requirements to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Membership in the California or New York bar is preferred.
Experience with vertical market software, SaaS, or multi-product technology platforms.

Responsibilities

Build and own Beacon’s enterprise data privacy program, including its strategy, governance structure, operating model, principles, risk appetite, policies, controls, and accountability structures.
Lead privacy due diligence on acquisition targets, assessing data inventories, consent frameworks, cross-border transfer mechanisms, regulatory exposure, and historical compliance posture.
Develop standardized privacy diligence checklists and playbooks, and lead risk-based privacy integration planning and execution after acquisitions close.
Draft, implement, and maintain privacy documentation, including privacy policies, DPAs, ROPAs, consent frameworks, DSR procedures, data retention schedules, and vendor privacy terms.
Create reusable privacy templates and precedents for use across the portfolio.
Serve as the primary privacy advisor to Beacon’s IT, Governance, and Risk function and collaborate with engineering, product, and operations teams at Beacon and portfolio companies.
Translate privacy requirements into actionable guidance and embed privacy-by-design principles into technology development, data infrastructure, and business processes.
Monitor and advise on privacy law compliance across applicable jurisdictions, including U.S., Canadian, and EU/UK regimes, and implement appropriate cross-border data transfer mechanisms.
Develop and maintain a data breach and privacy incident response playbook; lead legal advice on investigation, containment, notification, and regulatory reporting, coordinating with IT security, external counsel, and senior leadership.
Own the third-party privacy risk framework, including vendor assessments, DPA negotiations, ongoing monitoring, and review of data-sharing arrangements.
Advise on privacy implications of AI tools and data-intensive technologies, develop responsible data-use guidelines for AI and machine learning, and monitor evolving regulatory expectations.
Design and deliver privacy training and awareness programs and foster privacy accountability across Beacon and its portfolio companies.