Sr. Lead Counsel, Labor & Employment

Pinterest•San Francisco, CA

17h•$178,255 - $366,996•Remote

About The Position

Pinterest is seeking an experienced Senior Lead Counsel to join its Employment Law Team. The team provides strategic, practical counsel to the People Team and business leaders on workforce decisions throughout the employee lifecycle. This role serves as a trusted legal partner across Pinterest, advising on matters from recruiting and organizational change to employee relations, compensation, benefits, and contingent workforces. It helps enable business objectives, manage legal and reputational risks, support Pinterest’s values and culture, and build scalable policies and processes for a global workforce. The role advises executives, People Team leaders, and cross-functional stakeholders on complex employment matters; independently evaluates ambiguous legal and business risks; and provides practical recommendations aligned with company objectives. It leads employment-related agreements, policies, initiatives, compliance programs, process improvements, and training. The position also manages significant disputes, litigation, agency investigations, regulatory matters, and outside counsel relationships, while monitoring legal developments and converting them into actionable guidance and scalable practices. The successful candidate will identify responsible ways to use AI in legal work while exercising sound judgment concerning confidentiality, accuracy, bias, transparency, and human oversight. The position can be based anywhere in the United States and requires in-office collaboration approximately one to three times per year. It is not eligible for relocation assistance. The role is eligible for equity. The disclosed US base salary range is $178,255–$366,996 USD; final salary depends on factors including location, travel, relevant experience, and skills.

Requirements

JD and active bar admission.
At least 10 years of experience handling complex employment matters in a sophisticated law firm or in-house environment.
Deep knowledge of U.S. employment law and experience advising senior business and People leaders on high-impact, complex matters.
Exceptional judgment and decision-making, including the ability to assess ambiguity, balance competing considerations, and make timely recommendations.
Excellent communication and executive-influence skills, including explaining complex legal issues clearly and building trusted partnerships.
Demonstrated ability to independently lead complex cross-functional initiatives and drive alignment and accountability among stakeholders.
Strong experience negotiating and managing employment litigation, agency investigations, regulatory matters, and outside counsel relationships.
Ability to evaluate and responsibly apply AI tools to legal work and efficiency improvements.
Integrity, discretion, resilience, and commitment to an inclusive environment.

Nice To Haves

California or New York bar admission.
In-house experience in a fast-paced organization.

Responsibilities

Advise executives, People Team leaders, and cross-functional stakeholders on complex employment matters, including workforce strategy, organizational change, global mobility, employee relations, accommodations, leaves, classification, and contingent workforces.
Assess complex and ambiguous legal and business risks, weigh competing considerations, and provide decisive, practical recommendations aligned with Pinterest’s objectives.
Lead development and implementation of employment-related agreements, policies, guidelines, legal documents, and operating practices.
Develop and lead cross-functional employment-law initiatives, including compliance programs, policy rollouts, process improvements, training, and strategic People Team priorities.
Work with senior stakeholders to identify emerging risks, set priorities, secure resources, and drive alignment and accountability across workstreams.
Manage significant employment disputes, litigation, agency investigations, and regulatory matters, and develop practical resolution strategies that account for legal, business, employee-experience, and reputational considerations.
Manage outside counsel relationships, budgets, and legal work while maintaining appropriate quality, efficiency, and strategic oversight.
Monitor employment-law developments and translate them into actionable guidance, policies, training, and scalable business practices.
Identify responsible opportunities to use AI to improve legal research, risk spotting, workflow efficiency, knowledge management, and service delivery, while applying appropriate judgment regarding confidentiality, accuracy, bias, transparency, and human oversight.