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Cognition, an applied AI lab building end-to-end software agents (makers of Devin, the first AI software engineer), is seeking an exceptional operator to design and build an AI-native legal function. This is a strategic role focused on reimagining how Legal operates at a high-growth AI company, not a traditional legal operations position.
You will own the design of Legal's operating model, identifying which work should be handled by lawyers, automated, or eliminated entirely. You'll build intelligent intake, triage, workflow, and knowledge systems that resolve routine legal questions quickly while escalating complex problems appropriately. Working with technical teams, you'll experiment aggressively with Devin and AI agents to fundamentally rethink legal processes rather than simply automating traditional ones.
Key responsibilities include: designing scalable processes that make it easy for teams across the company (Sales, Product, Engineering, Security, Finance, People, Communications) to get legal answers quickly; owning the legal technology strategy including contracting, knowledge management, matter management, and e-billing systems; and managing the Legal team's budget, outside counsel relationships, vendors, and operational planning. You'll develop deliberate approaches to when to use outside counsel versus building expertise internally, negotiate aggressively on fees, and ensure external lawyers deliver expertise rather than commoditized work.
You'll also help build a legal team culture where exceptional people have high ownership, understand the business, exercise judgment, and use technology to multiply their impact. Success means that within a year, Cognition's legal function looks fundamentally different from traditional legal departments: smaller, faster, more automated, more integrated with the business, and capable of delivering substantially more than headcount would suggest.
You are a strong operator comfortable moving between strategy and execution with significant experience in legal operations, business operations, or similar complex organizational roles. Experience in rapidly growing technology companies is strongly preferred. You understand the mechanics of running a sophisticated legal function but aren't attached to traditional approaches. You're deeply curious about AI and how it changes professional work. You have excellent judgment, bias toward action, clear communication, low ego, and can work effectively across all levels. Most importantly, you're a builder—when you encounter broken processes, your instinct is to fix them, not manage around them. A JD, MBA, or equivalent experience is helpful but less important than what you've built and how you think.
