Director of Legal, Redpanda Data

• A JD from an accredited law school and active membership in at least one US state bar
• 5+ years of legal experience across law firm and/or in-house roles, with significant experience drafting, negotiating, and closing commercial agreements for technology companies
• A demonstrated track record of independently owning complex commercial negotiations end to end
• Working knowledge of privacy and data protection laws (GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, and other US state and international privacy laws) and experience negotiating DPAs
• Experience building and improving contracting processes, templates, and playbooks — a builder's mindset, not just a reviewer's
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to turn complex legal analysis into practical business guidance for non-legal stakeholders
• A generalist's curiosity and flexibility: comfort taking on unfamiliar legal areas, learning quickly, and operating with autonomy in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment

Desirable

• Redpanda is hiring a Director of Legal to join as the second member of our legal team, reporting directly to the VP, General Counsel
• This is a high-impact role for a business-minded attorney who wants real ownership: you'll be the point person for our commercial transactions, driving deals from first draft to signature while owning and building the forms, playbooks, and processes that let our contracting function scale with the business
• This isn't a narrow specialty seat. While commercial transactions are the core of the role, you'll be a true partner to the VP, General Counsel across everything the company touches — including privacy, product counseling, compliance, employment, and corporate — stepping in wherever the workload demands and learning whatever the moment requires
• The ideal candidate is pragmatic, self-directed, and energized by helping build a legal function from the ground up in a fast-moving startup environment
• Serve as the point person for commercial transactions: draft, negotiate, and close customer, partner, and vendor agreements, driving negotiations to quick, successful completion
• Own and build Redpanda's contracting infrastructure: create and maintain templates, forms, negotiation playbooks, and approval workflows, and operationalize legal tech and AI tools that make contracting faster and more scalable
• Partner closely with Sales, Customer Success, Product, Security, and Finance to structure business-aligned agreements and translate complex legal concepts into clear, actionable guidance
• Advise on privacy and data protection matters, and help the business navigate the evolving AI regulatory landscape
• Provide practical, business-oriented advice on legal risk across the full range of issues facing a high-growth enterprise software company
• Support the VP, General Counsel on strategic initiatives in new legal domains as the company grows