Legal Systems Engineer

Block; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 171,800 - 257,600; Full time

Job summary

Block in San Francisco is seeking a Legal Systems Engineer to lead the design and evolution of the systems powering Legal. This role combines software engineering and legal domain expertise, focusing on automation and AI solutions.

The ideal candidate will define legal system architecture, improve workflows, and develop AI-powered solutions. Applicants should have 7–10+ years in software engineering, strong programming skills, and experience with eDiscovery and legal workflows. Competitive pay ranges from $171,800 to $257,600.

Qualifications

• 7–10+ years in software engineering, systems engineering, or architecture roles.
• Strong programming skills in Python, JavaScript, or similar languages.
• Hands-on experience with AI tools like Claude, Codex, Copilot.

Responsibilities

• Define and evolve the architecture of legal systems.
• Drive opportunities to improve legal workflows using automation and AI.
• Lead design and implementation of AI-driven solutions.

Skills

Software engineering

Systems engineering

Programming (Python, JavaScript)

AI tools experience

Experience integrating SaaS platforms

eDiscovery

Legal workflows understanding

Tools

Databricks

Snowflake

DocuSign CLM

Job description

Block is one company built from many blocks, all united by the same purpose of economic empowerment. The blocks that form our foundational teams — People, Finance, Counsel, Hardware, Information Security, Platform Infrastructure Engineering, and more — provide support and guidance at the corporate level. They work across business groups and around the globe, spanning time zones and disciplines to develop inclusive People policies, forecast finances, give legal counsel, safeguard systems, nurture new initiatives, and more. Every challenge creates possibilities, and we need different perspectives to see them all. Bring yours to Block.

The Role

As a Legal Systems Engineer, you will lead the design and evolution of the systems that power Legal, combining software engineering, system architecture, and legal domain expertise. This role is responsible for shaping how Legal leverages automation, data, and AI to operate more effectively at scale. You will work across a complex technology landscape — including ELM, eDiscovery, CLM, and AI platforms — to define and implement solutions that connect systems, improve workflows, and enable more intelligent ways of working. A core focus of this role is to design, build, and deploy AI-driven solutions, while also enabling all of the Legal to develop, adopt, and scale their own AI-powered workflows. This position requires a high degree of ownership, technical expertise, and adaptability. The ideal candidate must proactively identify strategic opportunities, and develop solutions that align immediate needs with the long-term architectural vision.

You Will

• Define and evolve the architecture of legal systems, ensuring they are scalable, cohesive, and adaptable over time
• Identify and drive high-impact opportunities to improve legal workflows through automation, integration, and AI
• Apply a strategic and creative approach to solving complex legal and operational challenges
• Lead the design and implementation of solutions leveraging AI (Claude, Harvey, internal LLM platforms)
• Translate legal team experimentation into scalable, reliable, and production-ready solutions, establishing patterns, best practices, and guardrails that allow Legal to safely and effectively leverage AI.
• Build and oversee integrations across DocuSign CLM, Brightflag, Tonkean, and AODocs and other Legal tools
• Develop APIs, automations, and data pipelines to connect systems and reduce manual effort
• Leverage Databricks/Snowflake and internal data platforms for analytics and AI workflows
• Provide technical leadership for eDiscovery and Information Governance workflows
• Operate as a hands‑on technical lead, building and guiding long‑term evolution
• Influence how Legal approaches technology with balance of innovation and risk
• Adapt to evolving priorities while maintaining long‑term system design

You Have

• 7–10+ years in software engineering, systems engineering, or architecture roles
• Strong programming skills (Python, JavaScript, or similar)
• Experience integrating SaaS platforms and APIs
• Hands‑on AI tools experience (Claude, Codex, Copilot, etc.)
• Ability to operate autonomously in ambiguous environments
• Deep ELM/eBilling experience (Brightflag preferred)
• Strong eDiscovery experience (EDRM lifecycle)
• Understanding of legal workflows (contracts, billing, discovery)
• Experience with data platforms (eg. Databricks, Snowflake)

Block is an equal opportunity employer evaluating all employees and job applicants without regard to identity or any legally protected class. We will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records for employment in accordance with state and local laws and “fair chance” ordinances. We believe in being fair, and are committed to an inclusive interview experience, including providing reasonable accommodations to disabled applicants throughout the recruitment process. We encourage applicants to share any needed accommodations with their recruiter, who will treat these requests as confidentially as possible.

Pay ranges (USD): Zone A: $171,800 – $257,600; Zone B: $159,800 – $239,600; Zone C: $151,200 – $226,800; Zone D: $142,600 – $213,800.