houzz - Senior Counsel

• Our legal team operates as embedded business partners. We advise on AI products, SaaS software, marketplace issues, payments, advertising, privacy, consumer protection, and emerging technologies. Lawyers here have unusually broad exposure and meaningful ownership across the business. As a member of a small, collaborative legal team, you will support a broad range of legal matters across the company: • Counsel product, sales, and engineering teams on a variety of features, including providing practical guidance on consumer protection, advertising, subscriptions, payments, privacy, AI, and regulatory compliance; • Support strategic legal initiatives, including litigation, intellectual property, regulatory matters, and other company priorities as needed, taking ownership of legal matters from intake through resolution, proactively driving work forward, coordinating stakeholders, and identifying issues requiring escalation; • Drive legal review of marketing copy, promotions, sweepstakes, customer-facing disclosures, and go-to-market initiatives; • Support strategic legal initiatives across litigation, intellectual property, regulatory matters, and other company priorities as needed; • Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements, including technology agreements, vendor contracts, data processing agreements, and other commercial arrangements; • Partner cross-functionally to resolve customer escalations and disputes; • Lead routine privacy reviews and partner on complex privacy matters. • Depending on your interest and experience, you will take on increasing responsibility for AI-enabled products, technology governance, privacy-by-design, and emerging technologies. Over time or as based on experience, you will become the day-to-day legal partner for these initiatives by: • Advising on AI-enabled product launches and technology implementation; • Translating technical architecture and data flows into practical legal guidance; • Identifying legal and regulatory risks associated with new technologies; • Building AI-enabled legal workflows and improving legal processes; and • Escalating novel or high-risk issues while independently managing routine technology counseling. • ## At a Minimum, We’d Like You to Have • At least 5-7+ years of relevant experience, including startup or other in-house experience, preferably at a technology company, or experience in a technology transactions, product, IP, or privacy practice at a law firm; • Flexibility in adjusting to a fast-paced and ever-changing environment – no day will look the same!; • Interest in working in a collaborative environment, including through regular video meetings with team members and partners; • Comfortable operating in ambiguity and making judgment calls with incomplete information; • Curiosity about technology and a demonstrated interest in AI-enabled products, data governance, privacy and emerging technologies; • An aptitude for understanding technical concepts and partnering effectively with multiple teams; • Demonstrated growth mindset, intellectual curiosity, and willingness to seek and incorporate feedback while developing increasing independence and judgment. You must be comfortable working collaboratively with senior legal leaders while progressively developing the judgment and independence expected of an in-house counsel; • Strong communication skills – verbally and in writing. That means you can speak and write in plain English, not only legalese (and think strategically about your use of AI); • Excellent legal and analytical skills, as well as soft skills such as negotiation and presentation skills; • An understanding of and enthusiasm for the Houzz Pro platform; and • A JD and admission to a state bar. • ## Ideally, You’ll Also Have • Experience with SaaS, B2B, or tech companies preferred • Experience advising cross-functional business teams on product, commercial, technology, or regulatory matters • Familiarity with AI governance, privacy-by-design, enterprise software, APIs, cloud technologies, or data governance concepts. • Houzz is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. When applying for a role at Houzz, we guarantee your application will be considered regardless of your sex; race; color; gender; national origin; height or weight; ancestry; physical or mental disability; medical condition; genetic information; marital status; registered domestic partner status; age; sexual orientation; military and veteran status; or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law or ordinance or regulation. • We embrace and celebrate the value that diversity brings to an organization. Diverse backgrounds and different points of view help Houzz provide the best experience for our community. Houzz is committed to fostering an inclusive environment through projects and initiatives, such as employee resource groups, that support Houzzers’ efforts to be themselves and share their lives at work. • If you would like assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please email us at [email protected]. This information will be treated as confidential and used only for determining an appropriate accommodation for the interview process.