SlipstreamJobs tracks this role from the company's public career site. Apply directly on the employer's site.
Salary: USD 199,000 - 249,000 / annual
Ironclad is seeking a Lead Counsel, Employment and Litigation to serve as the primary employment law advisor and key contributor to the Legal team as the company scales. This role reports to the Deputy General Counsel, Corporate & Employment and works collaboratively across the organization to provide strategic guidance on employment-related legal matters, compliance, and risk management.
Key responsibilities include:
- Serve as the primary point of contact for the People Team on complex employment issues, developing creative solutions aligned with company strategy and values
- Partner with People leadership to establish enterprise policies and scalable processes governing the employment lifecycle (recruitment, compensation, reorganizations, leave management, employee privacy, policy governance)
- Act as trusted advisor to senior leaders on employment law trends, workplace investigations, and complex personnel matters
- Develop and deliver training programs for managers and People Team members on employment law best practices
- Lead employment law strategy for international expansion and corporate initiatives
- Advise on AI technology use in recruiting, hiring, compliance, and employment processes
- Provide guidance on AI tool use and attorney-client privilege preservation in sensitive personnel matters and investigations
- Serve as first-line internal resource for litigation and pre-litigation matters, including triaging demand letters, agency charges, subpoenas, and threatened claims; coordinate litigation holds and manage outside counsel relationships
- Contribute to global compliance program development
- Participate in broader Legal team initiatives including compliance programs, privilege training, escalation frameworks, and legal operations improvements
The role is hybrid based in San Francisco, with required office attendance at least twice weekly (Tuesdays and Thursdays) for collaboration and connection, plus additional days for team or company events.
Qualifications:
- JD from accredited law school and admission to California Bar
- 8+ years legal experience, with minimum 3+ years in-house in tech; strong preference for high-growth B2B company experience
- Proven track record in employment law matters including employee relations, leave administration, pay equity, workplace investigations, performance management, and policy development
- Experience managing or supporting employment-related litigation, pre-litigation disputes, and government inquiries (demand letters, agency charges, subpoenas, litigation holds); comfort coordinating with outside litigation counsel
- Nice to have: prior exposure to regulatory matters or compliance programs
- Intellectual curiosity and willingness to develop expertise in new areas including compliance, regulatory developments, AI governance, and marketing review
- Positive, business-focused attitude with excellent judgment, high integrity, and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
- Ability to quickly assess business challenges and make timely, pragmatic recommendations aligned with company priorities
- Strong communication and collaboration skills with diverse internal and external stakeholders
- In-depth understanding of how legal issues impact different organizational areas; ability to translate complex legal matters clearly
- Strong project management and program-building skills, including international scaling and cross-functional leadership experience
- Deep understanding of modern Legal tech stack and LegalTech ecosystem
