Lead Counsel, Product and Intellectual Property

Lead Counsel, Product and Intellectual Property Come join our legal team to work on the most exciting legal, policy, and operational issues at the leading edge of AI. We're seeking strong product lawyers with specialized expertise in intellectual property law. As product counsel, you will advise on all legal aspects of product development, launch, and operations—including regulatory compliance, user terms, and risk management—while bringing deep expertise in your specialized legal area. The ideal candidate will have deep subject matter expertise in intellectual property law, a technology background, and a demonstrable history of providing practical product counsel to solve complex, time‑sensitive problems in close partnership with cross‑functional teams. This role reports to the Associate General Counsel, IP & Product. You will: Strategic Product Advice: Lead IP strategy for product development, embedding IP protection into the full product lifecycle from conception to commercialization, while also advising on related product and regulatory matters in collaboration with the broader legal team. Cross‑Functional Collaboration: Partner with Research, Product, Engineering, Operations, Communications, and Marketing teams to mitigate IP risks in product development, data licensing, and open‑source governance. IP Counsel: Support management of Scale's worldwide IP portfolio including patents and trademarks; assist with patent prosecution and trademark registration and enforcement. Risk Mitigation: Advise on third‑party, synthetic, and open‑source data and models, ensuring compliance with licensing requirements; design open‑source governance policies. Agreements: Support drafting and negotiation of commercial agreement provisions involving intellectual property. Specialized Expertise: Provide counsel on machine learning, robotics, and other technical areas, with ability to engage effectively with technical teams on complex engineering and product issues. Training: Develop and deliver IP and data licensing training to enhance Scale's compliance culture. Ideally you'd have: Experience: 5+ years in intellectual property law at a top‑tier law firm and/or in‑house legal department (ideally product counseling within a high‑growth technology company). Experience advising on broader product or regulatory matters is a plus. Education: JD and active membership in at least one U.S. state bar (California preferred) in good standing. Strategic Thinking: Ability to think strategically at a high level and from deep in the details to drive complex problem‑solving and develop creative, business‑forward solutions. Risk Calibration: Ability to calibrate risk, distinguish business from legal risk, and communicate it clearly to executive, business, and technical audiences. Collaboration: Roll‑up‑your‑sleeves attitude to tackle projects large and small with a low‑ego, collaborative approach across the organization. Agility and Organization: Ability to think quickly in a fast‑paced environment with excellent organizational and communication skills. Technical Fluency: Deep interest in artificial intelligence, generative AI, and machine learning technology, with the ability to engage effectively with technical teams. Compensation packages at Scale for eligible roles include base salary, equity, and benefits. The base salary range for this full‑time position in San Francisco, New York, and Seattle is $227,200–$284,000 USD. Scale employees in eligible roles are also granted equity‑based compensation, subject to Board of Director approval. You will receive benefits including, but not limited to, comprehensive health, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, a learning and development stipend, and generous PTO. Additional benefits may include a commuter stipend. We believe that everyone should be able to bring their whole selves to work, which is why we are proud to be an inclusive and equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability status, gender identity or Veteran status. We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and mental disabilities. We comply with the United States Department of Labor's Pay Transparency provision. #J-18808-Ljbffr Scale AI