Lead Counsel, Engineering & Product
New Yesterday
Join to apply for the Lead Counsel, Engineering & Product role at Docusign
Company Overview
Docusign brings agreements to life. Over 1.5 million customers and more than a billion people in over 180 countries use Docusign solutions to accelerate the process of doing business and simplify people’s lives. With intelligent agreement management, Docusign unleashes business-critical data that is trapped inside of documents. Until now, these were disconnected from business systems of record, costing businesses time, money, and opportunity. Using Docusign’s Intelligent Agreement Management platform, companies can create, commit, and manage agreements with solutions created by the #1 company in e-signature and contract lifecycle management (CLM).
What you'll do
At Docusign, as we lead the Intelligent Agreement Category, we are looking for a skilled and technically fluent Lead Counsel for our Engineering & Product Legal team. This isn't your typical in-house role; we need you to act as an embedded legal advisor to our engineering and product teams in a dynamic AI enterprise SaaS environment.
This role supports our engineering teams from a truly unique position. You will work directly with Docusign's engineering teams who are developing unmatched solutions, driven by proprietary data and insights, built from over 20 years of eSignature leadership. As a steward of this trust, you will drive innovation that reshapes legal technology and the practice of law, upholding our brand while building the next generation of intelligent agreement solutions.
This role offers the opportunity to craft innovative legal solutions at the intersection of emerging technology and product development, with a particular focus on AI integration. The ideal candidate will serve as a hands-on legal partner, deeply involved from the ideation phase through product launch. You will be crucial in shaping technical capabilities, supporting the development of intelligent agreement solutions, and ensuring compliance with evolving regulatory frameworks.
Responsibilities
Serve as the core legal partner to engineering, product, and data science teams, providing practical, technically sharp advice from concept ideation through product launch and post-launch iteration
Inform on a wide range of IP issues, including patent and licensing strategy (especially for third-party and open-source software, and AI models), and trade secret protection
Analyze license terms and ensure compliance for all software and AI model usage
Identify and address legal risks associated with new product features and technologies including advising on AI-specific issues such as data sets, AI model training, data governance, and the ethical use of AI
Collaborate closely with privacy teams to ensure product compliance with relevant data privacy and security laws and regulations, and counsel on consumer protection and digital marketplace compliance
Act as a critical liaison, effectively connecting the dots between engineering/product teams and other legal subject matter experts (e.g., litigation, privacy, regulatory)
Serve as a subject-matter expert for core teams and leadership, proactively guiding product decisions
Assist in the drafting, maintenance, and training on internal policies and frameworks related to AI and technology which involves creating playbooks for engineering teams and establishing internal best practices, and building privacy-by-design and compliance-by-design frameworks
Requirements
J.D. Degree from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing with a U.S. state bar
Minimum of 12+ years of relevant legal experience, ideally with a blend of in-house and technology-focused law firm roles
Bachelor's degree in an engineering field (e.g., Computer Science, Electrical Engineering) or significant professional experience supporting software development, AI/ML, and SaaS platforms
Experience with software, AI/ML concepts, neural networks, and the underlying technology of SaaS and cloud services
Experience in counseling on intellectual property and contract issues specific to technology, with particular emphasis on open source and AI
Experience as a SaaS product counsel or extensive commercial contracting expertise, coupled with a solid understanding of data governance and modern technology stacks
Preferred Qualifications
Proven ability to provide practical, technically driven advice and effectively balance legal risks with strategic business goals
Experience in regulated and product compliance, particularly in domains analogous to Health Life Sciences (HLS), Financial Technology (FinTech), or other highly regulated industries
Demonstrated ability to clearly and concisely translate complex legal concepts to both technical and non-technical teams
A track record of thriving in fast-paced environments, managing multiple high-priority projects simultaneously, and taking initiative to learn new technologies and legal areas
Strong ability to build trust and work effectively with a diverse array of internal stakeholders, including engineering, product, sales, and security teams
Familiarity with intellectual property law as it relates specifically to software, cloud, and digital technology
Demonstrated interest in legal technology and its potential to transform industries
Experience in contract templatization, automation, and contract theory across various industries
Specialization in AI, IP, privacy, data rights, and critical regulatory frameworks (e.g., EU AI Act, CPRA, GDPR)
Strong business acumen with the ability to effectively translate complex legal concepts for business stakeholders
Wage Transparency
Pay for this position is based on a number of factors including geographic location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
Benefits
Global benefits provide options for the following:
Paid Time Off: earned time off, as well as paid company holidays based on region
Paid Parental Leave: take up to six months off with your child after birth, adoption or foster care placement
Full Health Benefits Plans: options for 100% employer paid and minimum employee contribution health plans from day one of employment
Retirement Plans: select retirement and pension programs with potential for employer contributions
Learning and Development: options for coaching, online courses and education reimbursements
Compassionate Care Leave: paid time off following the loss of a loved one and other life-changing events
Equal Opportunity Employer
Docusign is an Equal Opportunity Employer and makes hiring decisions based on experience, skill, aptitude and a can-do approach. We will not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, physical or mental disability, registered domestic partner status, caregiver status, marital status, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected category.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
- Location:
- San Francisco, CA, United States
- Salary:
- $200,000 - $250,000
- Job Type:
- FullTime
- Category:
- Engineering