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Director Of Legal Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Redpanda

Director of Legal

Austin, TX · On-site +1

$265K - $275K/yr

Redpanda is hiring a Director of Legal to join as the second member of our legal team, reporting directly to the VP, General Counsel. This is a high-impact role for a business-minded attorney who ...

Courier Health

Director of Legal

New York, NY · On-site

$190K - $240K/yr

The Opportunity As Director of Legal, you will be Courier Health's first dedicated legal hire, reporting directly to the CFO. You will build the legal infrastructure that lets a high-growth Series B ...

Gruve

Director of Legal

Redwood City, CA · On-site

About the Role We are seeking a Director of Legal with 4-7 years of legal experience to join our growing tech services startup. As an early member of the legal team, you will gain broad exposure to ...

Gorilla Commerce

Director of Legal

Norwalk, CT · On-site

Position Snapshot We are looking for a Director, Legal to serve as the senior in-house legal ... D. degree required * 7-10+ years of legal experience, with the majority in an in-house role at a ...

Gruve

Director of Legal

Redwood City, CA · On-site

$140K - $190K/yr

About the Role We are seeking a Director of Legal with 4-7 years of legal experience to join our growing tech services startup. As an early member of the legal team, you will gain broad exposure to ...

PointFive

Director of Legal

Manhattan, NY · On-site

$190 - $240/hr

We're hiring a Director of Legal to serve as PointFive's first in-house legal counsel and build the legal function from the ground up. This is a broad, high-ownership role: you'll cover the full ...

Courier Health

Director of Legal

New York, NY · On-site

$190K - $240K/yr

The Opportunity As Director of Legal, you will be Courier Health's first dedicated legal hire, reporting directly to the CFO. You will build the legal infrastructure that lets a high-growth Series B ...

Gorilla Commerce

Director of Legal

Norwalk, CT · On-site

Position Snapshot We are looking for a Director, Legal to serve as the senior in-house legal ... D. degree required * 7-10+ years of legal experience, with the majority in an in-house role at a ...

NACBA

Director of Legal Strategy

Madison, WI · On-site

$130 - $150/hr

The Director of Legal Strategy leads Clean Wisconsin's Legal Department, serves as the organization's senior legal strategist and counsels the President & CEO on legal strategy decisions made on ...

NACBA

Director of Legal Services

Evanston, IL · On-site

$110 - $160/hr

Moran Center for Youth Advocacy's Director of Legal Services provides strategic leadership and oversight for the organization's legal programs and initiatives. The Director is responsible for ...

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Director Of Legal information

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$76.5K

$139.4K

$225K

How much do director of legal jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 25, 2026, the average yearly pay for director of legal in the United States is $139,444.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $109,000.00 and $160,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a director of legal do?

A Director of Legal oversees the legal affairs of an organization, ensuring that the company complies with all laws and regulations. They provide legal advice to senior management, manage in-house legal teams, and coordinate with external legal counsel when necessary. Their responsibilities often include drafting and reviewing contracts, handling litigation, managing risk, and developing company policies to mitigate legal exposure. The Director of Legal plays a crucial role in guiding strategic decisions and protecting the company’s interests.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a director of legal?

To thrive as a Director of Legal, you need deep expertise in corporate law, regulatory compliance, and risk management, typically supported by a Juris Doctor (JD) degree and significant legal practice experience. Familiarity with contract management software, legal research databases, and e-discovery platforms is often required. Strong leadership, strategic thinking, and excellent negotiation and communication skills set top performers apart in this role. These abilities ensure effective legal oversight, minimize organizational risk, and support business objectives through sound legal counsel.

How does a director of legal typically collaborate with other departments within an organization?

A Director of Legal frequently works cross-functionally with departments such as Human Resources, Finance, Compliance, and Operations to ensure legal considerations are integrated into business decisions. This collaboration involves providing guidance on regulatory compliance, contract negotiations, risk management, and dispute resolution. Regular meetings and strategic planning sessions are common, allowing the Director of Legal to proactively address legal risks while supporting organizational goals. Effective communication and a broad understanding of the business are essential for success in this collaborative environment.

What is the difference between Director Of Legal vs Legal Counsel?

AspectDirector Of LegalLegal Counsel
Required CredentialsJD degree, bar admission, extensive legal experienceJD degree, bar admission, relevant legal experience
Work EnvironmentOversees legal teams, strategic planning, senior managementProvides legal advice, drafts contracts, handles legal issues
Employer & Industry UsageCorporations, large organizations, legal departmentsLaw firms, corporate legal teams, in-house legal departments

The main difference is that a Director Of Legal typically oversees the entire legal department and sets strategic legal direction, while Legal Counsel provides direct legal advice and handles specific legal matters. The Director Of Legal has broader managerial responsibilities, whereas Legal Counsel focuses on legal analysis and support.

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Director Of Legal jobs near you
Infographic showing various Director Of Legal job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 88% Full Time, 11% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 89% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $139,444 per year, or $67 per hour.

Director of Legal

Austin, TX • On-site, Remote

Redpanda
Software Development • 51 - 200 employees
Learn more about Redpandaexternal

$265K - $275K/yr

Full-time

Posted 11 days ago

Job description

Redpanda is the first runtime and control plane for agent-data interaction - a unified platform that combines streaming, SQL analytics, and intelligent connectivity with the governance layer enterprise AI agents need in production.
Built on infrastructure already trusted by Fortune 500 companies and fast-growing startups, Redpanda enforces governance entirely outside the agent's data path, controlling what agents see, limiting what they do, and capturing a tamper-proof record of everything they touch, so organizations never have to choose between innovation and control.
About the Role:
Redpanda is hiring a Director of Legal to join as the second member of our legal team, reporting directly to the VP, General Counsel. This is a high-impact role for a business-minded attorney who wants real ownership: you'll be the point person for our commercial transactions, driving deals from first draft to signature while owning and building the forms, playbooks, and processes that let our contracting function scale with the business.
This isn't a narrow specialty seat. While commercial transactions are the core of the role, you'll be a true partner to the VP, General Counsel across everything the company touches - including privacy, product counseling, compliance, employment, and corporate - stepping in wherever the workload demands and learning whatever the moment requires. The ideal candidate is pragmatic, self-directed, and energized by helping build a legal function from the ground up in a fast-moving startup environment.
The preference is for this to be a hybrid role based in our central Austin office, with a minimum of 3 days/week on-site; however, we will consider remote for the right candidate.
You Will:
  • Serve as the point person for commercial transactions: draft, negotiate, and close customer, partner, and vendor agreements, driving negotiations to quick, successful completion.
  • Own and build Redpanda's contracting infrastructure: create and maintain templates, forms, negotiation playbooks, and approval workflows, and operationalize legal tech and AI tools that make contracting faster and more scalable.
  • Partner closely with Sales, Customer Success, Product, Security, and Finance to structure business-aligned agreements and translate complex legal concepts into clear, actionable guidance.
  • Advise on privacy and data protection matters, and help the business navigate the evolving AI regulatory landscape.
  • Provide practical, business-oriented advice on legal risk across the full range of issues facing a high-growth enterprise software company.
  • Support the VP, General Counsel on strategic initiatives in new legal domains as the company grows.

You Have:
  • A JD from an accredited law school and active membership in at least one US state bar.
  • 5+ years of legal experience across law firm and/or in-house roles, with significant experience drafting, negotiating, and closing commercial agreements for technology companies.
  • A demonstrated track record of independently owning complex commercial negotiations end to end.
  • Working knowledge of privacy and data protection laws (GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, and other US state and international privacy laws) and experience negotiating DPAs.
  • Experience building and improving contracting processes, templates, and playbooks - a builder's mindset, not just a reviewer's.
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to turn complex legal analysis into practical business guidance for non-legal stakeholders.
  • A generalist's curiosity and flexibility: comfort taking on unfamiliar legal areas, learning quickly, and operating with autonomy in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.

Nice to Have:
  • In-house experience at a high-growth enterprise software, data infrastructure, or AI company.
  • Experience as an early legal hire helping build a legal function from the ground up.
  • Hands-on experience with CLM systems and AI-enabled legal workflows.
  • Familiarity with emerging AI regulation.

U.S. base salary range for this role is $265,000 - $275,000 (CA, NY, WA) and $250,000 - $265,000 (other US locations). Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. We strive to consider each candidate's job-related skills, location, experience, relevant education or training to determine individual base salary. Your talent partner will share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process
Join Redpanda if you'd enjoy being part of a fast-moving, diverse, people-first organization with team members around the globe and a culture based on trust, transparency, communication, and kindness. You'll dive into a nimble, high-impact team with the latest AI tools - and the budget to actually use them.

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