General Counsel / Head of Legal

Our legal questions have outgrown the way we handle them, and several programs we want to run are waiting on answers we can’t get quickly today. We want someone who can work through thorny and novel legal questions with leadership and help us decide what to pursue and how. You would be our first in-house lawyer, with substantial autonomy to shape the role and the legal function as we grow. The role could lean toward a broad General Counsel remit or toward the hardest strategic questions, depending on your strengths. 

• Own legal strategy and risk. Be a thought partner to leadership, weighing legal risk against mission. Scope initiatives before launch: exposure, likelihood, cost, and the structure that keeps the upside.
• Answer thorny or novel questions fast. For example: Can our US team draft bill text at a legislator’s request without it counting toward our lobbying limits? Should a new program sit inside LawAI, under fiscal sponsorship, or as its own entity? If a funder wants us to commission law firms and professors to publish answers to open legal questions about AI safety, how do we keep it public analysis rather than legal advice, and who carries the liability?
• Structure new programs and grants. Help design a planned grants program funding academics and new organizations, including teaching buyouts and open calls for proposals. Depending on your interests, the role could also expand into commissioning specialist legal research from law firms on important AI governance questions.
• Structure and compliance. How our US, UK and EU entities relate and share costs, including the build-out of our UK entity; entity governance; 501(c)(3) lobbying compliance as our US team drafts legislation and advises legislators and agencies.
• Contracts and people. Agreements for publications, research partnerships, law firms, events and fellowships, including authorship and IP licensing; employment, contractor and visa questions for staff and fellows employed through an employer of record (EOR).
• Build the function. Templates, policies and rules of thumb so staff can handle routine questions themselves. Decide what stays in-house and what goes out, and get faster, better answers from the firms we use.

Compensation 

The salary range is $260,000 to $350,000+, depending on experience and location. Candidates with exceptional qualifications may be eligible for higher compensation.

Start date

We’re ideally looking for someone who can start as soon as possible, but we’re open to waiting for the right candidate.

Time zones and location 

This is a full-time, permanent position with flexible working hours. 0.8 FTE is also possible, and we’re open to creative arrangements for the right person.

Visas: We may be able to support visa applications in some instances for this role, though individual eligibility is not within our control.

Benefits

Our benefits include:

• Flexible working hours, with in-person work encouraged from our offices in Cambridge, UK, or Washington, DC
• 5 weeks of PTO recommended per year, plus public holidays
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave that can be taken prior to birth or adoption and during the first year, with the option to take additional unpaid leave
• Employer pension or matching 401(k) contribution up to 4% of your salary
• Health insurance for employees residing in countries without nationalized healthcare
• Generous annual reimbursement funds, including:
  • $5,000 for productivity and professional development
  • $5,000 for mental health support
  • $2,500 for equipment and office supplies
• Supportive team culture: a friendly, open work culture that encourages feedback and close collaboration, and a team that appreciates the contributions of all team members.
• Networking & career support: through our work at the intersection of AI, law, and policy, employees gain exposure to an exceptional network of team members and partners in the US and EU policy spaces, along with opportunities for career development and external collaborations.
• Social connection: even as a remote-first team, we create opportunities for casual interaction and collaboration, including an annual team retreat, so you can connect with team members beyond the work itself.

Diversity

We aim to employ people with many different experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who share our mission. We are committed to creating an environment where all employees have the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their race, religion, disability, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation.

If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, or have any other questions about applying, please contact: hiring@law-ai.org.

Referrals

This position is eligible for LawAI’s referral program, which offers $5,000 to eligible individuals who refer a candidate we hire. Full terms are here.

Please consider applying ahead of the deadline, as we review applications on a rolling basis. The role will close for applications on November 1, 2026.