Legal Counsel

Join to apply for the Legal Counsel role at Diligent About Us Diligent is the AI leader in governance, risk and compliance (GRC) SaaS solutions, helping more than 1 million users and 700,000 board members to clarify risk and elevate governance. The Diligent One Platform gives practitioners, the C‑Suite and the board a consolidated view of their entire GRC practice so they can more effectively manage risk, build greater resilience and make better decisions, faster. At Diligent, we’re building the future with people who think boldly and move fast. Whether you’re designing systems that leverage large language models or part of a team reimagining workflows with AI, you’ll help us unlock entirely new ways of working and thinking. Curiosity is in our DNA; we look for individuals willing to ask the big questions, experiment fearlessly, and embrace change as an opportunity. The future belongs to those who keep learning, and we are building it together. Position Overview Diligent is seeking a qualified lawyer for an in‑house Legal Counsel position with an emphasis on drafting, negotiating, and structuring a wide range of commercial and technology agreements. The role will partner closely with global business stakeholders to support commercial objectives while managing legal risk. The ideal candidate is a proactive and business‑minded lawyer with strong transactional experience, excellent communication skills, and the ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, high‑growth environment. Key Responsibilities Draft, review and negotiate a wide range of domestic and international commercial agreements, including SaaS/subscription agreements, technology licenses, partnership contracts, data processing agreements. Act as a proactive legal partner to internal teams – Sales, Customer Success, Deal Desk, and Product – providing pragmatic, solutions‑oriented advice with a focus on transactions in the UK, Ireland, the Middle East and Africa. Advise on legal issues related to product development, feature launches, and integrations. Ensure compliance with relevant global regulatory frameworks, including data privacy, intellectual property and emerging technology laws (e.g., EU Data Act, EU AI Act). Drive continuous improvement of legal operations by revamping contract templates, updating playbooks and implementing scalable processes. Provide timely legal support and sound business judgment on a variety of commercial matters to help the legal team achieve its key objectives. Required Experience & Skills Qualified lawyer in England and Wales (or equivalent) with an active bar/SRA membership. 3–5 years of post‑qualification experience, with in‑house experience at a SaaS company strongly preferred. Demonstrable experience drafting and negotiating complex commercial and technology contracts with excellent attention to detail. Strong knowledge of legal frameworks governing the technology sector, particularly data privacy laws (UK GDPR, EU GDPR), intellectual property and emerging technology laws (EU AI Act, EU Data Act). A highly motivated and strategic professional who thrives in a fast‑paced, high‑volume environment. Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships and collaborate across all levels of a global business. Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word and Outlook). Additional highly desirable: fluency in additional languages (especially Arabic); experience with quarterly SaaS sales cycles; experience advising on product development and AI‑related legal matters. What Diligent Offers You Creativity is ingrained in our culture – we thrive on exploring new approaches both internally and for our clients. Flexible work environment, global days of service, comprehensive health benefits, unlimited meeting‑free days, generous time‑off policy and wellness programs. Teams all over the world, with office hubs in Washington D.C., Vancouver, London, Galway, Budapest, Munich, Bengaluru, Singapore and Sydney. Diversity is a top priority – we foster and encourage diversity through Employee Resource Groups and resources for education and dialogue. Diligent has created the modern governance movement to empower leaders with the technology, insights and connections they need to drive greater impact and accountability – to lead with purpose. Our employees are passionate, smart and creative people who want to build the software company of the future and make the world a more sustainable, equitable and better place. Headquartered in New York, Diligent has offices in Washington D.C., London, Galway, Budapest, Vancouver, Bengaluru, Munich, Singapore and Sydney. To foster strong collaboration and connection, this role will follow a hybrid work model. If you are within a commuting distance of one of our Diligent office locations, you will be expected to work onsite at least 50% of the time. We are a drug‑free workplace. Diligent is a proud equal‑opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, colour, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, pregnancy, childcare, physical or mental disability, age, military status, veteran status, marital status, domestic partnership, gender identity or expression, medical condition, genetic information or sexual orientation in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. See Diligent’s EEO policy and Know Your Rights. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at recruitment@diligent.com. To all recruitment agencies: Diligent does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our job alias, Diligent employees or any other organization location. Diligent is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes. Seniority level: Not Applicable Employment type: Contract Job function: Legal Industries: Software Development Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Diligent by 2x. #J-18808-Ljbffr