Director of Legal, Modular

• J.D. from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar
• 8+ years of legal experience, including time at a top-tier law firm and in-house at a high-growth technology startup
• A problem-solving mindset. You find ways to get to "yes" while managing risk, rather than defaulting to "no." You're energized by ambiguity and comfortable navigating rapid change in a fast-moving industry
• A builder mentality. You're excited to create processes, templates, and infrastructure from scratch, not just maintain existing systems
• Deep expertise in technology transactions, commercial contracts, and enterprise software/SaaS deals
• Strong background in corporate governance, venture financing, and M&A
• Experience with intellectual property strategy, particularly in software and open-source contexts
• Demonstrated ability to operate as a strategic business partner, not just a legal advisor
• Excellent judgment, communication skills, and ability to distill complex legal concepts for technical and non-technical audiences
• Willingness to be hands-on. Comfortable rolling up your sleeves while also setting long-term strategy

Desirable

• We are looking for our first Director of Legal to build and lead Modular's legal function from the ground up
• In this role, you will be a strategic partner to leadership, providing legal counsel across all aspects of our rapidly scaling business
• You'll navigate the complex legal landscape of AI infrastructure, open-source software, enterprise sales, and international expansion—all while helping us move fast and maintain our commitment to building AI for everyone
• This is a foundational leadership role reporting directly to the VP of Finance and working closely with Finance, People, Product, and Engineering leadership
• You'll have the opportunity to shape legal strategy during a transformative period as we scale from a high-growth startup to an industry-defining AI infrastructure company
• Serve as the primary legal advisor to the executive team and Board of Directors on corporate governance, risk management, and strategic initiatives
• Build and scale the legal function, including hiring, managing external counsel relationships, and developing internal processes and playbooks
• Partner with leadership to enable rapid decision-making while appropriately managing legal and business risk
• Lead commercial legal strategy for enterprise deals, including negotiating complex agreements with cloud providers, hardware partners, and Fortune 500 customers
• Develop and maintain scalable contract frameworks, templates, and processes for sales, partnerships, procurement, and vendor relationships
• Support revenue recognition decisions, pricing structures, and deal structuring for complex, high-value engagements
• Manage corporate governance matters, including Board meetings, equity administration, and entity management across jurisdictions
• Lead legal work streams for financing rounds, M&A activities, and strategic transactions
• Oversee cap table management, stock option programs, and equity-related communications in partnership with Finance and People teams
• Develop and execute IP strategy to protect Modular's innovations in AI infrastructure, compilers, and programming languages
• Navigate open-source licensing considerations across our products (including Mojo and MAX) and contributions
• Manage patent portfolio strategy, trademark filings, and IP-related commercial terms
• Monitor and advise on evolving AI regulations, export controls, and data privacy requirements across global markets
• Ensure compliance with relevant frameworks (GDPR, CCPA, SOC 2, etc.) in partnership with Security and Engineering teams
• Develop policies and training programs to embed legal and ethical considerations into product development
• Partner with the People team on employment matters, including policy development, equity administration, international hiring, and immigration
• Advise on employee relations matters, performance management, and workforce planning