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OpenAI's Legal team supports the company's mission by addressing complex legal issues arising from AI development and deployment. We are seeking an experienced, hands-on lawyer to serve as Senior Counsel for France, providing broad legal support for our local office with a primary focus on regulatory and policy legal matters affecting OpenAI's products, operations and business.
In this role, you will advise on French and EU regulatory developments, develop practical legal positions and recommendations, and support OpenAI's engagement with French regulators and policymakers. Working closely with EMEA and global legal colleagues, as well as policy and regulatory affairs teams, you will take ownership of assigned French matters, translate complex legal questions into actionable advice and help ensure that our approach in France is consistent with OpenAI's wider legal positions. Alongside your primary focus, you will also provide broader French country legal support, coordinating with specialist teams on local business and operational matters.
Key responsibilities include:
- Advising on regulatory developments and their business implications by assessing existing and emerging French and EU laws, enforcement developments and policy proposals affecting OpenAI. You will develop legal positions and practical recommendations, working with Government Affairs, Policy, Regulatory, Product, Privacy and other legal teams to translate requirements into action.
- Serving as a trusted legal partner to local leadership and business teams on the establishment, expansion and day-to-day operation of the French presence. You will identify legal dependencies early and translate them into practical options and implementation plans.
- Supporting regulatory and policy engagement by partnering with Government Affairs, Policy and legal colleagues to prepare for and participate in engagements with French and EU regulators, policymakers and local government. You will develop legal analysis, briefing materials, consultation responses and legal input into policy positions.
- Supporting French business initiatives by advising on local partnerships, research and university collaborations, marketing, events and other commercial initiatives, working with Commercial, Product, IP, Privacy and Regulatory Legal as appropriate.
- Providing coordinated French country legal support on French business and operational matters, including local governance, office development, employment and workplace compliance. You will identify legal requirements, involve appropriate specialist teams and help take agreed actions through to implementation.
You will manage a varied workload, prioritize according to business needs and legal risk, and maintain dependable coverage of French operational and business matters while progressing other assigned work. You will work closely with EMEA and global legal colleagues, applying established specialist guidance, approval processes and escalation routes.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Law degree (Master 2 in Law, Bac+5, or equivalent) and substantial experience advising on French law, with breadth to identify and manage issues across commercial, employment, corporate and operational matters.
- Relevant in-house and/or law firm, government or institutional legal experience, including work on regulatory engagement, policy development or enforcement matters.
- Experience interpreting complex legislation and policy proposals, developing clear legal recommendations, and preparing persuasive submissions, consultation responses or briefing materials.
- Ability to combine regulatory judgment with practical country-level legal support, working across specialist teams and helping the business move from legal analysis to decisions and implementation.
- Sound judgment in unfamiliar areas, ability to distinguish material risks from issues that can be managed within established guidance, and knowing when to involve specialist colleagues.
- Fluent communication and negotiation in French and English, with ability to explain complex legal issues clearly to business stakeholders and senior leaders.
- Ability to manage varied workload, prioritize according to business needs and legal risk, and maintain dependable coverage of French operational and business matters.
- Interest in AI and emerging technologies, comfort working through uncertainty and ability to develop expertise as products, markets and legal requirements evolve.
