Corporate Legal Director (R6494)

The role

This role leads legal work for Hivemind and Shield AI's other software, including product counseling, marketing, AI governance and privacy, and open source and technology compliance. It also covers employment matters, litigation with outside counsel, and mentoring legal staff. The job is based on-site at a Shield AI office.

What you will do

• Serve as primary legal partner to Product, Engineering, Program Management, Customer Success, Information Security and Business Development on Hivemind and other software.
• Structure, draft and negotiate software license, SDK, end user, partner and data-sharing agreements.
• Provide fast legal review of marketing, communications, campaigns, product claims and public content.
• Help lead the AI governance program and maintain the AI use-case risk rubric and inventory.
• Run privacy program elements such as privacy reviews, notices, data processing agreements and data subject requests.
• Build and scale the open source software compliance program, including license review and SBOM tooling with Engineering and Security.
• Develop and roll out AI, acceptable use and technology policies.
• Support public-company readiness, including controls and certifications such as SOX ITGC, ISO 27001 and CMMC.
• Partner with PX and outside counsel on employment matters and manage litigation and disputes.
• Support corporate projects such as M&A due diligence, post-close integration and partnerships.

Required qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school and active membership in at least one U.S. state bar.
• 12+ years of legal experience, including substantial in-house experience as product counsel at a high-growth technology, software, AI, aerospace or defense company.
• Deep experience in product counseling and technology transactions, including software licensing across on-premises, SaaS, embedded, OEM and channel models.
• Demonstrated experience building or running privacy and AI governance programs, with working knowledge of GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, the EU AI Act and the NIST AI RMF.
• Hands-on experience building or running an open source software compliance program and drafting technology policies such as acceptable use and AI use policies.
• Experience advising marketing and communications teams on advertising, promotions and public claims.
• Working knowledge of employment law and experience managing litigation and disputes with outside counsel.
• Executive presence and communication skills to advise C-suite executives and represent the company with external partners and customers.
• Highly action-oriented, with a track record of managing many projects at once and delivering on shifting priorities.
• Comfort operating at strategic and tactical levels in a lean, high-tempo environment with a practical, risk-based approach.

Nice to have

• Experience supporting a large, fast-growing private company through late venture to public company or larger private company maturity.
• Experience in AI/ML, autonomy, robotics, aerospace/aviation or dual-use technologies, and familiarity with ITAR/EAR, DFARS data rights, FedRAMP and CMMC.
• Privacy or AI governance certification such as CIPP/US, CIPP/E or AIGP.
• Experience with M&A due diligence and post-close integration.
• Experience with international operations across Europe, the Middle East or Asia-Pacific.
• Experience building and mentoring legal teams and deploying AI-enabled legal tools and processes.

Benefits

• Bonus for full-time regular employees.
• Benefits for full-time regular employees.
• Equity for full-time regular employees.
• Temporary benefits package for temporary employees, applicable after 60 days of employment.

Before you apply

• All offers are contingent on a cleared background check and possible reference check.
• Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits.

About the company

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company that builds intelligent systems to protect service members and civilians. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation technologies.