Head of Legal, US

YouGov; New York (NY); Remote; USD 193,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity awaits as a Legal Director in a dynamic Governance department. This role involves providing crucial legal counsel to support sales and product development in the US market. You will lead a team of lawyers, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations while protecting the company's intellectual property and data rights. As part of a fast-growing, data-driven business, you will collaborate with senior governance professionals and contribute to strategic legal projects. Join a forward-thinking organization that values innovation and offers flexible working arrangements, competitive compensation, and comprehensive benefits.

Benefits

Paid vacation, holidays and sick days

Flexible working arrangement available

Group medical, dental and vision insurance

Company-paid life and disability insurance

Paid parental leave

401(k) with company match

Qualifications

• Qualified attorney licensed to practice in any US state.
• Significant experience in-house on commercial and IP matters.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal counsel to support sales and product development.
• Manage a team of lawyers and ensure compliance with regulations.

Skills

Commercial Law

Intellectual Property Law

Data Privacy

Stakeholder Management

Legal Document Drafting

Team Management

Regulatory Compliance

Education

Law Degree

J.D. or equivalent legal qualification

Job description

YouGov has an exciting opportunity for a Legal Director to join our US business. Reporting directly to the company’s General Counsel in London, this is a new role in our Legal and Data team, which forms part of our dynamic Governance department.

The Purpose of the Legal & Data team is to help deliver long term shareholder value by:

1. Supporting Growth
2. Understanding our markets & product
3. Developing our IP
4. Protecting our people, assets & reputation; and
5. Operating in an effective, ethical and lawful way in all ways, at all times and in all places.

The Purpose of this role is to ensure that our US Business has the Legal counsel it needs to support its sales and product development work in this market and to ensure that an effective and efficient legal service is available at all times.

What will I be delivering?

Advice

Support the leadership teams in our US market with such local legal advice as they may require, working closely with other relevant functions as necessary.

Provide commercial and IP advice to US colleagues on the scope, meaning and interpretation of laws, regulations and guidance that are relevant to these markets.

Working closely with our Global DPO, ensure our US data is protected, and US data rights are respected.

Develop a good awareness of how we use copyright assets in our business and ensure we have methodologies in place for protecting those we create and use ourselves and clearing those that belong to third parties before we use them.

Deal Negotiation and support

Provide a fully scoped commercial law advisory service to our Sales teams, including contract drafting and negotiation and, when necessary, dispute resolution. Ensure that all our sales agreements reflect the commercial parameters of each deal, including ensuring the scope of the license granted reflects (a) the law (b) the price and (c) our future use of any relevant IP. Further ensure that all sales and supplier contracts are concluded in a way that is consistent with all YouGov policies and approval thresholds.

Legal Ops

Work with the General Counsel and colleagues from other markets to ensure the provision of a smooth and efficient legal service, including good matter management and the collection and curation of all business documents and records, ensuring the ongoing and increasing integration of the way YouGov receives legal advice and support across all products and regions.

Team Management

Work with the General Counsel to lead, manage and develop a team of lawyers to support the delivery of the advice and support our US business. Take responsibility for the day-to-day supervision of in-house lawyers in your region, ensuring they discharge their duties in accordance with their regulatory responsibilities and that they receive appropriate ongoing professional development.

Ensure your work and that of your team is at all times conducted in accordance with YouGov values and our team Purpose.

Governance Support

Provide legal input and expertise to other members of the Governance department as requested on all matters relating to Company Secretarial, Compliance, Communications Information Security, and M&A activity. This may include reviewing and advising on due diligence for target companies and / or vendors, supporting post-acquisition integration work or providing specialist input into projects, audits or other work streams as requested.

Training

Develop, deliver and maintain an appropriate suite of training resources so that relevant colleagues in the organisation know and understand how to manage and protect our people, assets and revenue.

Outside Counsel

Support the General Counsel with the management of our US external advisors. This includes ensuring they know and understand our evolving business needs and strategy, that we know and understand the costs associated with their work at any one time and that there are good personal relationships between each firm and the members of the Legal & Data team. Proactively advise the General Counsel if there is a need to change or retain additional US counsel.

Other

• Provide reports and updates as may be required by the General Counsel or Chief Governance and Compliance Officer from time to time
• Continually monitor new legislation and regulatory trends and developments in markets and areas relevance to your role
• Be an ambassador for YouGov within the global legal and data communities, attending events and contributing to discussion in such fora as are approved by the General Counsel

What’s in it for me?
As a member of the YouGov Governance department you will be part of an international business, developing and applying legal expertise and commercial skills across the global group. You will:

• Champion all aspects of IP, data privacy and legal practice within the YouGov group globally
• Work on strategic legal, privacy, compliance and governance projects with the opportunity to input into emerging areas of strategy and product development in the space where traditional IP and Data laws met
• Support the department with the roll-out and adoption of policy and process
• Have opportunity to work closely with YouGov’s senior governance professionals, including the General Counsel, Group Data Protection Officer, and Chief Governance & Compliance Officer
• Be part of a fast-growing, data-driven business
• Ability to work remotely

Qualifications

What do I need to bring with me?

• Qualified attorney and licensed to practise in any US state.
• Must have significant knowledge and experience working in-house in an international teamon commercial and IP matters.
• Experience in managing a legal team
• Experience of providing legal and contractual advice to senior management in a large global organisation.
• Must demonstrate passion and interest for IP and Data law and a willingness to continue to develop professional expertise in these areas to a high standard
• Excellent academics, including a law degree, j.d. or equivalent legal qualification
• Experience in an intellectual property or data centric business such as marketing, media, tech, advertising and/or publishing industry
• Some experience in drafting legal documents and reviewing commercial contracts to identify compliance risks
• A pragmatic and process driven approach to tasks and reporting
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
• A commitment to YouGov values.

For roles based in California, New York, Colorado or Washington State, the base salary hiring range for this position is $193,000 - 220,000 USD.

Compensation offered will be determined by multiple factors including location, job-related knowledge, skills and experience.

Certain roles may be eligible for incentive compensation and additional benefits. All US based full time employees are eligible for the following benefits:

• Paid vacation, holidays and sick days
• Flexible working arrangement available
• Group medical, dental and vision insurance
• Company-paid life and disability insurance
• Paid parental leave
• 401(k) with company match