Associate General Counsel

Associate General Counsel Position Overview: The Associate General Counsel will serve as a strategic legal advisor and key member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) for a rapidly growing global SaaS organization headquartered in the United States. Reporting directly to the CFO, this role is designed for a business-minded legal leader who can help guide company strategy, identify and mitigate enterprise risk, and support organizational growth across a broad range of legal and regulatory matters. Location: Cary, NC or Greater Boston, MA Area (onsite) Experience: 8-10 years of legal experience, including significant in-house experience within a SaaS or technology company. Responsibilities: Strategic Legal Leadership & Business Partnership Serve as a trusted advisor to the executive leadership team on legal, regulatory, governance, and business risk matters. Participate in strategic planning and organizational decision-making as a member of the Senior Leadership Team. Support international expansion initiatives and global operational strategies. Privacy, Data Protection & Data Rights Lead the development and execution of the company's global privacy and data protection strategy in compliance with applicable privacy and data protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, HIPAA, and other global frameworks. Establish governance frameworks surrounding data ownership, retention, usage rights, and cross-border data transfers. Embed privacy-by-design principles into products, AI initiatives, and data platforms. Oversee data subject rights programs, breach response processes, and regulatory inquiries. Intellectual Property & Data Asset Strategy Advise on the protection, management, and commercialization of intellectual property assets, including software, proprietary technologies, algorithms, data assets, trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights, and patents. Partner with Product and Engineering teams to define ownership structures and usage rights for internally developed and third-party intellectual property. Provide legal guidance related to artificial intelligence, machine learning models, AI-generated outputs, training data ownership, and data-derived insights. Support development of strategies governing data licensing, monetization, reuse, and commercialization opportunities. Collaborate with external counsel on intellectual property portfolio management and risk mitigation initiatives. Compliance & Regulatory Strategy Design and oversee enterprise-wide compliance programs across privacy, data governance, AI governance, cybersecurity, employment practices, and digital regulations. Translate legal and regulatory obligations into scalable operational policies, procedures, and controls. Lead regulatory change management efforts across the business. Serve as a key point of contact for regulatory examinations, audits, external reviews, and compliance inquiries. Risk Management & Governance Conduct and oversee legal, privacy, data governance, AI, intellectual property, employment, and cybersecurity risk assessments. Establish governance structures for emerging technologies, AI systems, data management, and information security programs. Lead legal support for incident response efforts involving data breaches, cybersecurity incidents, regulatory investigations, employment matters, or intellectual property disputes. Provide regular reporting and recommendations to executive leadership regarding enterprise risk posture and mitigation strategies. Mergers, Acquisitions & Strategic Growth Support mergers, acquisitions, strategic investments, partnerships, and other corporate transactions. Lead legal due diligence activities and assess transactional risks. Advise leadership on integration planning, regulatory considerations, intellectual property ownership, privacy implications, and organizational risk associated with acquisitions. Partner with Finance and Corporate Development teams to evaluate strategic growth opportunities. Employment Law & Human Capital Support Provide legal guidance on employment law matters in partnership with Human Resources leadership. Support policy development, employee relations matters, workplace investigations, workforce compliance initiatives, and global employment practices. Coordinate with outside counsel on specialized employment law matters as needed. Cross-Functional Leadership Serve as a strategic advisor to Product, Engineering, Data Science, Security, Compliance, Finance, Sales, and Operations teams. Enable responsible innovation by translating legal requirements into practical business and technology solutions. Partner closely with Information Security and IT teams on cybersecurity, governance, and risk management initiatives. Support contract template updates and aid in customer negotiation. Policy, Training & Culture Develop and maintain enterprise policies governing privacy, data governance, intellectual property protection, AI governance, ethics, compliance, and risk management. Lead employee training and awareness programs related to legal compliance, privacy, data stewardship, AI governance, and intellectual property protection. Promote a culture of accountability, responsible innovation, and proactive risk management throughout the organization. Required Skills & Education: Education Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school. Active membership and good standing with at least one U.S. State Bar. Experience 8-10 years of legal experience. Significant in-house legal experience within a SaaS, software, cloud technology, or technology-enabled business environment is required. Prior law firm experience strongly preferred before transitioning in-house. Demonstrated experience supporting executive leadership and influencing business strategy. Experience with global operations and multinational legal matters. Experience supporting M&A transactions, integrations, and corporate growth initiatives. Exposure to privacy, compliance, AI governance, intellectual property, employment law, and enterprise risk management. Skills Strong business acumen and executive presence. Ability to balance legal risk with commercial objectives. Deep understanding of SaaS business models and technology company operations. Knowledge of privacy laws, AI governance, intellectual property, cybersecurity, employment law, and regulatory compliance. Strong leadership, stakeholder management, and communication skills. Ability to influence senior leaders and drive cross-functional initiatives. Proven ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.