Lead Employment Counsel

Visa Hunt; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

ElevenLabs is seeking an experienced Lead Employment Counsel to join the Legal Team. You will partner with the People team to advise on global employment law across the full lifecycle of employment relationships and develop policies to support scaling as the company grows.

You’ll work with global colleagues and outside counsel to manage risk across multiple jurisdictions. The role emphasizes practical, business-focused advice, proactive policy development, and leadership in a fast-moving,

Qualifications

• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Advise the People team and stakeholders on employment law matters across jurisdictions.
• Provide pragmatic, business-focused legal advice.
• Develop employment policies and procedures to support scaling.
• Manage and coordinate with outside counsel globally.
• Stay current on global employment laws and recommend updates.

Skills

Communication skills

Stakeholder management

Problem-solving

Legal experience

Education

J.D. and bar admission

Law degree

Job description

About ElevenLabs

ElevenLabs is an AI research and product company transforming how we interact with technology.

We launched in January 2023 with the first human-like AI voice model. Today, we serve millions of users and thousands of businesses - from fast-growing startups to large enterprises like Deutsche Telekom and Meta. Our investors are some of the world's most prominent, including Andreessen Horowitz, ICONIQ Growth and Sequoia. We've raised $781M in funding and our last valuation was $11B - multiples of 11, always.
We have expanded from voice into three main platforms:

• ElevenAgents enables businesses to deliver seamless and intelligent customer experiences, with the integrations, testing, monitoring, and reliability necessary to deploy voice and chat agents at scale.

• ElevenCreative empowers creators and marketers to generate and edit speech, music, image, and video across 70+ languages.

• ElevenAPI gives developers access to our leading AI audio foundational models.

Everything we do is the result of the creativity and commitment of our team - builders doing the best work of their lives. We are researchers, engineers, and operators. IOI medalists and ex-founders. If you want to work hard and create lasting positive impact, we want to hear from you.

How we work

• High-velocity: Rapid experimentation, lean autonomous teams, and minimal bureaucracy.

• Impact not job titles: We don’t have job titles. Instead, it’s about the impact you have. No task is above or beneath you.

• AI first: We use AI to move faster with higher-quality results. We do this across the whole company—from engineering to growth to operations.

• Excellence everywhere: Everything we do should match the quality of our AI models.

• Global team: We prioritize your talent, not your location.

What we offer

• Innovative culture: You’ll be part of a generational opportunity to define the trajectory of AI, surrounded by a team pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

• Growth paths: Joining ElevenLabs means joining a dynamic team with countless opportunities to drive impact - beyond your immediate role and responsibilities.

• Learning & development: ElevenLabs proactively supports professional development through an annual discretionary stipend.

• Social travel: We also provide an annual discretionary stipend to meet up with colleagues each year, however you choose.

• Annual company offsite: Each year, we bring the entire team together in a new location - past offsites have included Croatia and Italy.

• Co-working: If you’re not located near one of our main hubs, we offer a monthly co-working stipend.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Lead Employment Counsel to join our Legal Team. In this role, you’ll partner with the People team and other stakeholders to advise on global employment law issues spanning the full lifecycle of employment relationships. You’ll also develop employment policies and procedures to support the company as we continue to scale. You’ll work closely with global colleagues to provide practical, business-oriented advice while managing risk across multiple jurisdictions.

Responsibilities

• Advise and collaborate with the People team and other stakeholders on a range of employment law matters in various jurisdictions, including contract negotiation, onboarding, performance management, and termination.

• Offer clear, pragmatic, business-focused legal advice.

• Devise and manage employment practices, policies, and procedures that can be executed efficiently in a growing global company and reduce employment-related legal risk.

• Manage and work with outside counsel across the globe.

• Stay current on global employment laws and regulations, advise the Company on applicable changes, and propose updates as necessary.

Who You Are

• Curious about the future of AI and emerging technologies, have a strong sense of ownership with enthusiasm for applying your legal expertise in a cutting-edge, global company.

• Experienced in navigating fast-paced, high-growth environments, with the ability to manage ambiguity and make informed, timely decisions.

• Comfortable working independently while collaborating effectively with cross-functional and global colleagues, as well as working with outside counsel across jurisdictions.

• Proactive, business-minded, and committed to delivering practical solutions that support both compliance and company success.

• Hunger to be exceptional at your job.

Required Qualifications

• J.D. and active membership in at least one U.S. State Bar or law degree and qualification to practice law in an EMEA jurisdiction.

• 6+ years of relevant post-qualification employment law experience, with experience in-house at a fast-paced, global company.

• Experience building employment-related processes and procedures, partnering with a people/HR team on onboarding and offboarding, and handling complex employment litigation matters.

• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills.

• Comfort in fast-paced environments with shifting priorities and tight deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a high-growth, emerging technology company.

• Experience negotiating complex employment contracts and termination agreements.

• Experience partnering with teams and outside counsel across the globe.

• Law firm experience.

Location

This role is remote-first and can be executed in the United States (Eastern Time Zone) or EMEA. If you prefer, you can work from our offices in New York or London.

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability or other legally protected statuses.