Head of Legal

The role

The Head of Legal will build and lead the legal function for a growing, globally distributed technology company. You will partner with executives to manage risk, establish legal priorities, and build scalable processes and teams.

What you will do

• Build and evolve the strategy, priorities, operating model, and team for the legal function.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to executives and cross-functional leaders.
• Help leaders identify material risks and evaluate tradeoffs.
• Partner with Product, Engineering, Security, Sales, Finance, People, Operations, and Marketing teams.
• Advise on corporate governance, product development, IP, privacy, and international operations.
• Build scalable legal processes, policies, and decision-making frameworks.
• Determine internal legal capabilities versus outside counsel needs.
• Hire and empower legal team members.
• Select and manage outside counsel across operating countries.
• Coordinate guidance across jurisdictions and translate local requirements into company practices.

Required qualifications

• Significant legal experience, including meaningful in-house experience within a technology company.
• Track record of helping legal functions scale in startup or high-growth environments.
• A law degree.
• Active membership in at least one applicable bar or equivalent authorization to practice law.
• Progressive growth in the scope, complexity, ownership, and influence of work.
• Broad business judgment.
• Experience advising executives and senior leaders on complex decisions.
• Experience partnering with technical, operational, and commercial teams.
• Familiarity with legal considerations facing a growing software or technology company.
• Experience working with outside counsel.
• Track record of building or improving legal capabilities, teams, or processes.
• Admission and good standing with at least one applicable state, provincial, or other recognized bar association.

Nice to have

• Experience in developer tools, infrastructure, cloud, networking, cybersecurity, data, or technically complex software.
• Experience with open-source software, licensing, developer ecosystems, APIs, integrations, or technology partnerships.
• Product counseling, privacy, data governance, cybersecurity, or intellectual property.
• AI-enabled products or the use of AI within company operations.
• Cloud, on-premises, self-hosted, or hybrid software offerings.
• Data residency, sovereignty, localization, or cross-border data considerations.
• Supporting employees or business operations across multiple countries.
• Corporate governance, financing, strategic transactions, or board-related matters.
• Building or scaling a legal function within a growth-stage company.
• Hiring, developing, or leading in-house legal professionals.

Benefits

• Base salary and equity incentive plan.
• Comprehensive group benefits including health, vision, and dental with no waiting period.
• Remote first environment with corporate co-working program.
• Employer-funded retirement contributions up to 0.75% of eligible compensation.
• Annual company retreat and team off-sites.
• $1500 USD annually for professional development.
• Mentorship, coaching, and internal promotion opportunities.
• Flexible, paid time off program.
• Company-owned laptop and $500 USD for home office customization.
• Monthly home internet reimbursement.
• Paid parental leave: 20 weeks for birthing parents and 16 weeks for non-birthing parents.

About the company

Tailscale delivers software that makes it easy to securely interconnect people and their devices. Founded in 2019, it is a fully distributed company backed by Accel, CRV, Insight, Heavybit, and Uncork Capital.