Corporate Counsel

AppFolio; Santa Barbara (CA); Hybrid; USD 152,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

AppFolio is seeking a Corporate Counsel, Product to partner with Product and Engineering teams, embedding legal guidance into the development lifecycle from concept to launch.

This hybrid role at our Santa Barbara headquarters requires a JD and 5+ years of product counseling experience in tech, with experience in regulated sectors. Relocation assistance may be available; base pay ranges $152,000–$190,000 with comprehensive total rewards.

Qualifications

• JD degree from an ABA-accredited law school and active license in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar.
• 5+ years of sophisticated legal experience, with a primary focus on product counseling within a U.S. technology or SaaS environment.
• Significant experience practicing in heavily regulated U.S. industries (e.g., FinTech, tenant screening, B2C, etc.).
• Willingness to adapt to shifting priorities of the Legal team.

Responsibilities

• Product Development Lifecycle Partnership: Serve as a key legal advisor to Product and Engineering teams from ideation to launch.
• Regulatory Navigation: Stay current with U.S. laws and translate them into actionable product requirements.
• Proactive Problem Solving: Identify legal hurdles early and propose practical solutions.
• Scalable Frameworks: Develop internal playbooks and user terms to scale with product growth.
• Vendor & Partner Strategy: Collaborate with Procurement and Partnerships to negotiate agreements.
• Technical Integration: Advise on data flows and API integrations.

Skills

Product counsel

Regulatory expertise

Contract negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

Legal writing

Education

JD degree + active U.S. state bar

Job description

Description

AppFolio is more than a company. We’re a community of dreamers, big thinkers, problem solvers, active listeners, and multipliers. At every opportunity, we set the pace while delivering innovation built to carry real estate into the future. One in which every experience feels effortless, yet meaningful. Where customers are empowered to take on any opportunity. We show up as one team, connected by our values to be a force for good. Because together, we have the power to create extraordinary outcomes for our customers, our communities, and ourselves.

Description

AppFolio is more than a company. We’re a community of dreamers, big thinkers, problem solvers, active listeners, and multipliers. At every opportunity, we set the pace while delivering innovation built to carry real estate into the future. One in which every experience feels effortless, yet meaningful. Where customers are empowered to take on any opportunity. We show up as one team, connected by our values to be a force for good. Because together, we have the power to create extraordinary outcomes for our customers, our communities, and ourselves.

As Corporate Counsel, Product, you will sit at the intersection of innovation and integrity, helping shape how we build and deliver the next generation of real estate technology. You will be a dedicated legal partner to our Product and Engineering teams, ensuring that legal guidance is embedded into the development lifecycle from concept to launch. Your goal is to enable business velocity by translating complex regulatory requirements into clear, actionable, and simple solutions.

This is an individual contributor role reporting to the Associate General Counsel, Product.

Your impact

• Product Development Lifecycle Partnership: Serve as a key legal advisor to Product and Engineering teams from initial ideation through to launch and beyond.
• Regulatory Navigation: Stay current with the evolving landscape of U.S. laws and regulations applicable to AppFolio’s products and services. Research and translate complex laws and regulations into actionable product requirements, particularly for products in heavily regulated sectors (e.g., consumer protection, AI, tenant screening, etc.).
• Proactive Problem Solving: Identify potential legal and regulatory hurdles early and propose creative, practical solutions that maintain momentum and enable innovation.
• Scalable Frameworks: Develop and maintain internal playbooks, product-specific user terms, and automated processes that allow the Legal team to scale alongside our rapid product growth.
• Vendor & Partner Strategy: Collaborate with Procurement and Partnership teams to negotiate high-stakes agreements and integrations that power our products.
• Technical Integration: Maintain a comprehensive grasp of AppFolio’s technical stack to provide nuanced advice on data flows and API integrations.

Qualifications

• Inquisitive Product Lawyer: You are a talented product lawyer with a familiarity with the product development lifecycle and an innate curiosity for how software is built. You are a self-starter who proactively digs into technical details and cross-functional context, ensuring your legal advice is grounded in a deep understanding of how the product actually functions.
• Thriving in Ambiguity: You excel in a role where there is no pre-defined roadmap. You are energized by issues of first instance and possess the drive to figure things out independently.
• Decision Maker: Proven ability to reach sound, practical, confident decisions and provide clear legal guidance, even when faced with incomplete information or tight deadlines.
• Effective Communicator: Ability to distill complex legal risks into clear, succinct analysis that resonates with product managers and engineers.
• Bias for Simplicity: An individual who demonstrates thought, discipline, and inclination toward simple versus complex solutions.
• Collaborative Spirit: A low-ego team player who thrives on building trust and working cross-functionally to achieve business outcomes.

Must have

• JD degree from an ABA-accredited law school and an active license in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar.
• 5+ years of sophisticated legal experience, with a primary focus on product counseling within a U.S. technology or SaaS environment.
• Significant experience practicing in one or more heavily regulated U.S. industries (e.g., FinTech, tenant screening, B2C, etc.).
• A willingness to adjust your role to the shifting needs of the Legal team and the ability to quickly adapt to the evolving priorities of the organization.

Location

Santa Barbara (Hybrid)

This is a hybrid role based at our Santa Barbara headquarters; competitive relocation assistance may be available for qualified candidates.

Find out more about our locations by visiting our site.

All late-stage candidates complete an in-person meeting with an AppFolian as part of our hiring process.

Compensation & Benefits

The compensation that we reasonably expect to pay for this role is: $152,000 - $190,000[base pay]. The actual compensation for this role will be determined by a variety of factors, including but not limited to the candidate’s skills, education, experience, and internal equity.

Please note that compensation is just one aspect of a comprehensive Total Rewards package. The compensation range listed here does not include additional benefits or any discretionary bonuses you may be eligible for based on your role and/or employment type.

Regular full-time employees are eligible for benefits - see here.

About AppFolio

AppFolio is the technology leader powering the future of the real estate industry. Our innovative platform and trusted partnership enable our customers to connect communities, increase operational efficiency, and grow their business. For more information about AppFolio, visit appfolio.com.

Why AppFolio

Grow

We enable a culture of high performance, where delivering results is recognized by opportunities for growth and compelling total rewards. Our challenging and meaningful work drive the growth of our business, and ourselves.

Learn

We partner with you to realize your potential by investing in you from the start. We're cultivating a team of big thinkers through coaching and mentorship with our best-in-class leaders, and giving you the time and tools to develop your skills.

Impact

We are creating a world where living in, investing in, managing, and supporting communities feels magical and effortless, freeing people to thrive. We do this by innovating with purpose while cultivating a culture of impact. We learn as much from each other as we do our customers and our communities.

Connect

We excel at hybrid work by fostering an environment that feels flexible, personal and connected, no matter where we are. We create space to fuel innovation and collaboration, and we come together to celebrate, connect, and succeed.

Paddle as One.

Learn more at appfolio.com/company/careers

Statement of Equal Opportunity

At AppFolio, we value diversity in backgrounds and perspectives and depend on it to drive our innovative culture. That’s why we’re a proud Equal Opportunity Employer, and we believe that our products, our teams, and our business are stronger because of it. This means that no matter what race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identification, national origin, age, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, or veteran status, you’re always welcome at AppFolio.