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Legal Counsel

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The Legal Counsel job family is responsible for advising clients across GitLab on legal matters related to their functional area of expertise.

Levels

The Associate Legal Counsel reports to the Director, Legal or Sr. Director, Legal.

Associate Legal Counsel Job Grade

The Associate Legal Counsel is a Grade 5

  • Partner with team members and stakeholders across GitLab to provide pragmatic advice to minimize legal risks while advancing the goals of the business
  • Advise on, draft, maintain and review templates and policies
  • Monitor and analyze changes in the law and legal risks; propose creative and effective solutions to address those risks
  • Review, draft and negotiate agreements
  • Build the necessary processes, systems, and documentation to improve legal department processes and resources
  • 1 - 3 years' legal experience, preferably in a multinational company
  • JD/LLB or local law degree equivalent and admission to local governing body
  • Experience working effectively across business units and internal functions to efficiently resolve business issues
  • Practical yet creative problem-solving approach that emphasizes addressing business needs while protecting GitLab’s interests
  • Proactive, dynamic, and result driven self starter with strong attention to detail
  • Familiarity working across the globe, to support multiple time zones and cultures
  • Outstanding interpersonal skills, the ability to interface effectively with all business functions throughout the organization with a highly responsive and service-oriented attitude
  • Sound and practical business judgment
  • Previous experience in a remote work environment would be an added advantage
  • Ability to use GitLab

The Legal Counsel (Intermediate) reports to the Director, Legal or Sr. Director, Legal.

The Legal Counsel (Intermediate) is a Grade 6

  • Partner with team members and stakeholders across GitLab to provide pragmatic advice to minimize legal risks while advancing the goals of the business
  • Advise on, draft, maintain and review templates and policies
  • Monitor and analyze changes in the law and legal risks; propose creative and effective solutions to address those risks
  • Review, draft and negotiate agreements
  • Build the necessary processes, systems, and documentation to improve legal department processes and resources
  • 4 - 8 years' legal experience, preferably in a multinational company
  • JD/LLB or local law degree equivalent and admission to local governing body
  • Experience working effectively across business units and internal functions to efficiently resolve business issues
  • Practical yet creative problem-solving approach that emphasizes addressing business needs while protecting GitLab’s interests
  • Proactive, dynamic, and result driven self starter with strong attention to detail
  • Familiarity working across the globe, to support multiple time zones and cultures Outstanding interpersonal skills, the ability to interface effectively with all business functions throughout the organization with a highly responsive and service-oriented attitude
  • Sound and practical business judgment
  • Previous experience in a remote work environment would be an added advantage
  • Ability to use GitLab

The Legal Counsel (Intermediate II) reports to the Director, Legal or Sr. Director, Legal.

The Legal Counsel (Intermediate II) is a Grade 7

  • Partner with team members and stakeholders across GitLab to provide pragmatic advice to minimize legal risks while advancing the goals of the business
  • Advise on, draft, maintain and review templates and policies
  • Monitor and analyze changes in the law and legal risks; propose creative and effective solutions to address those risks
  • Review, draft and negotiate agreements
  • Build the necessary processes, systems, and documentation to improve legal department processes and resources
  • 6 - 10 years' legal experience, preferably in a multinational company
  • JD/LLB or local law degree equivalent and admission to local governing body
  • Experience working effectively across business units and internal functions to efficiently resolve business issues
  • Practical yet creative problem-solving approach that emphasizes addressing business needs while protecting GitLab’s interests
  • Proactive, dynamic, and result driven self starter with strong attention to detail
  • Familiarity working across the globe, to support multiple time zones and cultures
  • Outstanding interpersonal skills, the ability to interface effectively with all business functions throughout the organization with a highly responsive and service-oriented attitude
  • Sound and practical business judgment
  • Previous experience in a remote work environment would be an added advantage
  • Ability to use GitLab

The Senior Legal Counsel reports to the Director, Legal or Sr. Director, Legal.

The Senior Legal Counsel is a Grade 8.

Market Justification: Over 200 companies have this senior individual contributor level with an average of 5 incumbents. In order to independently manage strategic and complex legal matters, additional experitise and experience as an individual contributor is vital for business success.

  • Independently manage strategic and complex legal matters with both internal and external partners
  • Partner and provide leadership to team members and stakeholders across GitLab to provide pragmatic advice to minimize legal risks while advancing the goals of the business
  • Benchmark, advise, draft, maintain and review templates and policies
  • Monitor and analyze changes in the law and legal risks; propose creative and effective solutions to address those risks
  • Review, draft and negotiate complex agreements and provide guidance and mentorship to more junior team members
  • Exposure or experience with various business solutions with the skill and desire to build and improve processes, systems, and documentation both within the legal department and coordination with other impacted business units
  • 8 - 15 years' legal experience, preferably in a multinational company
  • JD/LLB or local law degree equivalent and admission to local governing body
  • Experience identifying and leading initiatives effectively across business units and internal functions to efficiently and proactively resolve business issues
  • Practical yet creative problem-solving approach that emphasizes addressing business needs while protecting GitLab’s interests
  • Proactive, dynamic, and result driven self starter with strong attention to detail
  • Experience working across the globe in support of multiple time zones and cultures
  • Outstanding interpersonal skills, the ability to influence and interface effectively with leadership across all business functions
  • Sound and practical business judgment consistent with industry best-practices
  • Previous experience in a remote work environment would be an added advantage
  • Ability to use GitLab

The Lead Legal Counsel reports to the Director, Legal or Sr. Director, Legal.

The Lead Legal Counsel is a Grade 9.

Market Justification: Over 100 companies have this senior individual contributor level with an average of 5 incumbents. In order to independently manage strategic and complex legal matters and act as a subject matter expert, a high level of experitise and experience as an individual contributor is vital for business success.

  • Subject matter expert for whom the legal team and broader internal stakeholders rely upon for expert advice and guidance.
  • Project and Program management responsibilities associated with subject matter expertise.
  • Independently manage strategic and complex legal matters with both internal and external partners
  • Partner and provide leadership to team members and stakeholders across GitLab to provide pragmatic advice to minimize legal risks while advancing the goals of the business
  • Benchmark, advise, draft, maintain and review templates and policies
  • Monitor and analyze changes in the law and legal risks; propose creative and effective solutions to address those risks
  • Review, draft and negotiate complex agreements and provide guidance and mentorship to more junior team members
  • Exposure or experience with various business solutions with the skill and desire to build and improve processes, systems, and documentation both within the legal department and coordination with other impacted business units
  • 10 - 15 years' legal experience, preferably in a multinational company
  • JD/LLB or local law degree equivalent and admission to local governing body
  • Experience identifying and leading initiatives effectively across business units and internal functions to efficiently and proactively resolve business issues
  • Practical yet creative problem-solving approach that emphasizes addressing business needs while protecting GitLab’s interests
  • Proactive, dynamic, and result driven self starter with strong attention to detail
  • Experience working across the globe in support of multiple time zones and cultures
  • Outstanding interpersonal skills, the ability to influence and interface effectively with leadership across all business functions
  • Sound and practical business judgment consistent with industry best-practices
  • Previous experience in a remote work environment would be an added advantage
  • Ability to use GitLab

Specialties

Product and Privacy

The Legal Counsel, Product and Privacy collaborates with clients across GitLab on a broad range of matters including IP, product, marketing and privacy. In addition to the general Responsibilities and and Requirements above, this role specifically requires:

  • Experience providing counseling to product and engineering teams on products and features throughout the development lifecycle, and identifying legal issues
  • Knowledge and understanding of open source licensing
  • Experience working on advertising, trademark, marketing issues (email campaigns, sweepstakes, promotional activities), including familiarity with FTC regulations, GDPR and other local law requirements
  • Experience identifying privacy issues, conducting privacy impact assessments, and advising on privacy compliance requirements(e.g., GDPR, CCPA)
  • A strong mix of legal, technical, and business acumen that will allow you to understand and discuss complex technical issues and data flows.
  • Basic knowledge of DMCA and Law Enforcement requirements
  • Experience working in a SaaS and self-managed software company

Employment - EMEA

The Legal Counsel, Employment - EMEA collaborates with clients across GitLab on a broad range of matters across the entire arc of the employment relationship, from recruiting to onboarding, compensation, performance management, leave management, separation, and, where necessary, litigation. In addition to the general Responsibilities and Requirements above, this role specifically requires:

  • Experience providing counseling to people business partners and team member relations teammates regarding team member relations concerns
  • Knowledge and understanding of general employment compliance requirements in the EMEA region with an ability to flag and seek out from local counsel specific local requirements as applicable
  • Experience drafting employment policies, especially those that cross multiple jurisdictions in the EMEA region
  • Familiarity with GDPR and other local privacy law requirements as it relates to employee privacy
  • A strong mix of legal, technical, and business acumen that will allow you to understand and discuss complex employment issues
  • Experience managing employment litigation, appeals tribunals, agency investigations, and/or negotiating separation agreements
  • Ability to provide support, including issue spotting and managing outside counsel, in regions outside of EMEA, on an as-needed basis

Commercial

The Legal Counsel, Commercial reports directly to the Director of Legal, Commercial and collaborates with external and internal clients across GitLab on a broad range of matters related to commercial contracting including the negotiation and review of complex contracts, review of regional specific legal requirements to drive templates and process, and act as a trusted advisor to internal clients. In addition to the general Responsibilities and Requirements above, this role specifically requires the ability to:

  • Draft and negotiate a wide range of contracts including partnership, services, consulting, marketing, licensing, data privacy, and other commercial and technology related agreements
  • Engage on top priority and complex Agreements tied to large value and material transactions
  • Review regional specific legal requirements, including with outside counsel, for terms and policy creation and enforcement
  • Create and present training materials for both Contract Managers and Sales Team Members
  • Understand GitLab and GitLab products in order to identify risks, develop solutions, mitigation and negotiation strategies
  • Add information and feedback to playbooks and other supporting documentation to support the development of other legal team members
  • Become a trusted advisor to the Sales Team Members and Leadership across multiple functions
  • Work closely with members of the Legal team to develop and improve applicable standardized forms, processes, and procedures
  • Perform risk analysis review for all contractual documents and recommend mitigating options

Performance Indicators

  • Legal oversight of product development and understanding of the GitLab products and features
  • Development of standard processes, trainings and practices for marketing issues
  • Effective Open Source License management and counseling

Legal Counsel (Employment - EMEA)

  • Legal oversight of employment compliance and understanding of the applicable employment solutions in place across jurisdictions.
  • Development of standard policies, processes, trainings and practices for employment issues.
  • Strategic business partner for People Success group.
  • Engage in creation of applicable internal SLAs and drive efficiency to meet such standards
  • Development of terms and conditions which align with industry and regional standards to assist in scaling the business and improving sale cycle metrics
  • Assist leadership in the development, implementation and successful achievement of Quarterly OKRs

Career Ladder

The next step in the Legal Counsel job family is not yet defined at GitLab.

Hiring Process

Candidates for this position can expect the hiring process to follow the order below. Please keep in mind that candidates can be declined from the position at any stage of the process. To learn more about someone who may be conducting the interview, find their job title on our team page.

  • Selected candidates will be invited to schedule a 30-minute screening call with our Global Recruiters
  • Next, candidates will be invited to schedule an interview with our Director of Legal, Privacy and Product
  • Next, candidates will be invited to schedule with additional team members of the legal department *Next, candidates will be invited to schedule an interview with our Chief Legal Officer
  • Finally, candidates may be invited to schedule interviews with Directors or team members in relevant functional areas

Additional details about our process can be found on our hiring page.

Compensation Calculator

To find out more about the compensation for this role, please apply to a role first. Once selected for a screening call, you'll be able to sign up here to view our compensation calculator. Be sure to use the same email address for both.

About GitLab

GitLab Inc. is a company based on the GitLab open-source project. GitLab is a community project to which over 2,200 people worldwide have contributed. We are an active participant in this community, trying to serve its needs and lead by example. We have one vision: everyone can contribute to all digital content, and our mission is to change all creative work from read-only to read-write so that everyone can contribute.

We value results, transparency, sharing, freedom, efficiency, self-learning, frugality, collaboration, directness, kindness, diversity, inclusion and belonging, boring solutions, and quirkiness. If these values match your personality, work ethic, and personal goals, we encourage you to visit our primer to learn more. Open source is our culture, our way of life, our story, and what makes us truly unique.

Top 10 Reasons to Work for GitLab:

  1. Mission: Everyone can contribute
  2. Results: Fast growth, ambitious vision
  3. Flexible Work Hours: Plan your day so you are there for other people & have time for personal interests
  4. Transparency: Over 2,000 webpages in GitLab handbook, GitLab Unfiltered YouTube channel
  5. Iteration: Empower people to be effective & have an impact, Merge Request rate, We dogfood our own product, Directly responsible individuals
  6. Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging: A focus on gender parity, Team Member Resource Groups, other initiatives
  7. Collaboration: Kindness, saying thanks, intentionally organize informal communication, no ego
  8. Total Rewards: Competitive market rates for compensation, Equity compensation, global benefits (inclusive of office equipment)
  9. Work/Life Harmony: Flexible workday, Friends and Family days
  10. Remote Done Right: One of the world's largest all-remote companies, prolific inventor of remote best practices

See our culture page for more!

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