Product Counsel
OpenAI
Summary
As a member of our Product Counsel team, you will advise on a broad range of issues arising from hardware products and technologies, with a focus on software that power them. You’ll work closely with software engineering, product, design, and business teams from development through launch and ongoing support. This is a unique opportunity to engage directly with the forefront of AI legal issues. This role reports to our DGC of Hardware.
Job description
About the Role
As a member of our Product Counsel team, you will advise on a broad range of issues arising from hardware products and technologies, with a focus on software that power them. You’ll work closely with software engineering, product, design, and business teams from development through launch and ongoing support. This is a unique opportunity to engage directly with the forefront of AI legal issues. This role reports to our DGC of Hardware.
This role is based in San Francisco, CA. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance to new employees.
In this role, you will:
- Work closely with product and engineering teams, participate in architecture and product reviews, and advise throughout development, launch, and ongoing support.
- Support software and firmware licensing, open-source, compatibility and ongoing device support.
- Provide broad product counseling on consumer experiences, user terms, disclosures, marketing claims, consumer protection and regulatory requirements.
- Advise and coordinate on product, commercial, IP, privacy, security, competition, and regulatory legal issues so product decisions and external commitments are consistent.
- Build practical guidance and review processes, adapt support to changing priorities, and take ownership of emerging issues across teams.
You might thrive in this role if you:
- Have 7+ years of relevant legal experience, including substantial product counseling for consumer devices, software embedded in hardware, gained in-house, at a technology-focused law firm, or both.
- Can work with engineers on embedded software and firmware, hardware dependencies, and translate that understanding into practical advice.
- Have experience with software licensing and the legal issues that arise when device software, apps, and connected services work together.
- Build trusted cross-functional relationships and explain complex issues clearly, balancing legal risk with product goals and responsible development.
- Take ownership and bring an adaptable, collaborative working style: shift priorities, learn unfamiliar issues, and move between strategic advice and hands-on problem solving while knowing when to involve specialists.
- Have a JD and license or qualification to practice in CA.
Requirements
- 7+ years of relevant legal experience
- Substantial product counseling for consumer devices, software embedded in hardware
- Experience in-house or at a technology-focused law firm
- Ability to work with engineers on embedded software and firmware, hardware dependencies
- Experience with software licensing and legal issues for device software, apps, and connected services
- Build trusted cross-functional relationships and explain complex issues clearly
- Adaptable, collaborative working style
- JD degree
- License or qualification to practice law in CA
Benefits
- Medical insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Health savings accounts
- Health FSA
- Dependent care FSA
- Commuter expenses
- 401(k) retirement plan
- Paid parental leave
- Paid medical leave
- Paid caregiver leave
- Flexible PTO
- Paid company holidays
- Paid sick time
- Mental health support
- Life insurance
- Disability coverage
- Learning and development stipend
- Daily meals
- Relocation support
- Charitable donation matching
- Wellness stipends
Company overview
OpenAI is an artificial intelligence research laboratory and company based in San Francisco, California. Founded in 2015 by Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, Wojciech Zaremba, and John Schulman, OpenAI initially operated as a non-profit research organization before transitioning to a capped-profit model. The company's mission is to ensure that artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits all of humanity. OpenAI has developed groundbreaking AI technologies including GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) models, DALL-E for image generation, and Codex for programming assistance. Their most notable product, ChatGPT, has revolutionized human-AI interaction and brought large language models to mainstream audiences. OpenAI conducts cutting-edge research in machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and reinforcement learning, while also developing practical AI applications that are transforming industries worldwide.