Legal Director

Manychat; Austin (TX); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual professional development

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vis

Hybrid work options

In-office meals and snacks

Team offsites and activities

Job summary

Manychat, based in Austin, Texas, seeks a Director, Legal to lead end-to-end legal work and serve as a hands-on strategic partner to teams across the company, including privacy, data protection, IP, employment, and product counseling.

Reporting to the General Counsel, you will own matters and relationships, navigate ambiguity, and help build Manychat's AI governance framework while guiding outside counsel in a fast-paced multinational tech setting.

Qualifications

• US-licensed, active bar in good standing.
• Track record of owning legal matters end-to-end.
• Strong, business-calibrated judgment and clear communication.
• Excitement about building a dynamic legal function for a fast-moving tech company.

Responsibilities

• Run legal workflows and projects from intake to resolution.
• Provide practical, business-oriented legal advice to diverse teams.
• Manage outside counsel relationships efficiently.
• Drive governance on AI-related product, vendor questions, and regulatory matters.

Skills

Strategic legal advisor

Cross-functional partnership

Clear communication

Judgment and risk assessment

AI governance experience

Education

J.D. from ABA-accredited US law school

Job description

WHO WE ARE

Creating content that resonates is great; turning that attention into growth is even better. That's what Manychat does.

Our AI-powered automations help creators and brands engage audiences across Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and TikTok — at the right moment, with the right message, minus the manual work.

We're 400+ people across three continents behind the leading platform for conversational growth, with AI skills shaping how we build, how we work, and how we grow.

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR

We're looking for a Director, Legal to drive key legal matters end-to-end and be a hands‑on strategic partner to teams across the company.

Reporting directly to the General Counsel, you'll own a broad, generalist scope — fielding complex questions from business partners and delivering clear, practical guidance in a fast‑paced, multinational tech setting.

You take real ownership of the matters and relationships you run, with the judgment to know when to dig deeper and when to elevate.

You're intellectually curious, adaptable, comfortable with ambiguity, and excited by dynamic environments — a proactive self‑starter who thrives as the person a fast-moving business counts on to move quickly and safely.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Run legal work end-to-end

• Own and execute key legal workflows and projects from intake through resolution.
• Take on substantive, high‑impact matters — navigating complex organizational needs, legal nuances, and competing priorities — and deliver practical guidance your stakeholders can easily understand and act on.
• Build and improve the processes, playbooks, and templates that let the business move quickly and safely.
• Help build and evolve Manychat's approach to AI governance — including responsible AI use, AI‑related product and vendor questions, and emerging regulatory requirements — as the field develops.

Be a trusted legal advisor to a global technology company

• Be a go‑to legal partner for teams across product, partnerships, finance, marketing, and people, providing subject matter expertise across a wide range of legal issues such as privacy and data protection, platform and regulatory compliance, IP, employment, and product counseling.
• Build trusted, durable stakeholder relationships through responsiveness, clarity of advice, and a team‑oriented approach to solving business issues.
• Operate with curiosity and a proactive, self‑starter mindset, seeking out areas of risk and finding ways to mitigate them and help the business reach its goals safely.

Manage outside counsel

• Own outside counsel relationships and manage them efficiently and effectively.

Exercise sound judgment

• Know when to drive an initiative forward on your own, when to dig deeper, and when to raise it with leadership.
• When escalating something to leadership, particularly novel, high‑stakes, or sensitive issues, ensure that leadership has the appropriate context, legal analysis, and recommendation on a path forward to make an informed decision.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

• You move matters forward with speed, sound judgment, and a practical, business‑oriented touch.
• You're a trusted partner who builds strong relationships across the business. Teams should want to bring Legal in earlier and more often because they see how much including you early unlocks their ability to move fast, make informed decisions, and reach their goals in the best way.

TO SHINE IN THIS ROLE

You’ll Need:

• US‑licensed, active bar in good standing; JD from an ABA‑accredited US law school.
• A track record of owning legal matters end‑to‑end, and genuine excitement about owning both the work and the relationships that come with it.
• Strong, business‑calibrated judgment and clear, direct communication that earns trust with non‑lawyers across the business.
• Excitement about being part of a sharp team building a dynamic legal function to support a fast‑moving business at a genuinely exciting time.
• Intellectual curiosity and adaptability — you want new areas, new experiences, and new responsibilities, and you dig into them with confidence.Experience using AI tools to work more effectively — and the judgment to use them responsibly.

It would be great if you have:

• Litigation and/or regulatory background.
• In‑house experience at a technology or SaaS company (strong firm experience, including Big Law, is a plus).
• Platform/marketplace ecosystem exposure (Meta, TikTok, or comparable).
• Privacy or data‑protection experience (e.g., CIPP/E, CIPP/US a plus).
• Experience working on cross‑border issues with a global mindset.
• A generalist orientation — you enjoy working across areas and learning new ones.

WHAT WE OFFER

We care deeply about your growth, well‑being, and comfort:

• Annual professional development reimbursement for conference tickets, online courses, and other relevant resources to help you grow.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents.
• Hybrid work and generous leave options to prioritize your work‑life balance.
• In‑office perks, including free meals and snacks.
• Company‑funded sport activities, annual offsites and team‑building events.

Manychat is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. We do not discriminate against qualified employees or applicants because of race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, sexual preference, sexual identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, military status, or any other characteristic protected by local law or ordinance.

This commitment is also reflected through our candidate experience. If you have individual needs that may require an accommodation during the interview process, please indicate this in your application. We will do our best to provide assistance throughout your interview process to ensure you’re set up for success.

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