About the Role
Houzz is seeking a Senior Counsel to join its Legal team as we help shape the next generation of AI-enabled products and technology! This is a rare opportunity to work across product, privacy, engineering, AI governance, commercial transactions, and consumer technology, while serving as a trusted legal partner to teams throughout the company. You'll have meaningful ownership from day one, broad exposure across the business, and the opportunity to help define how legal enables innovation at a fast-moving technology company.
What You’ll Do
Our legal team operates as embedded business partners. We advise on AI products, SaaS software, marketplace issues, payments, advertising, privacy, consumer protection, and emerging technologies. Lawyers here have unusually broad exposure and meaningful ownership across the business. As a member of a small, collaborative legal team, you will support a broad range of legal matters across the company:
Counsel product, sales, and engineering teams on a variety of features, including providing practical guidance on consumer protection, advertising, subscriptions, payments, privacy, AI, and regulatory compliance;
Support strategic legal initiatives, including litigation, intellectual property, regulatory matters, and other company priorities as needed, taking ownership of legal matters from intake through resolution, proactively driving work forward, coordinating stakeholders, and identifying issues requiring escalation;
Drive legal review of marketing copy, promotions, sweepstakes, customer-facing disclosures, and go-to-market initiatives;
Support strategic legal initiatives across litigation, intellectual property, regulatory matters, and other company priorities as needed;
Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements, including technology agreements, vendor contracts, data processing agreements, and other commercial arrangements;
Partner cross-functionally to resolve customer escalations and disputes;
Lead routine privacy reviews and partner on complex privacy matters.
Depending on your interest and experience, you will take on increasing responsibility for AI-enabled products, technology governance, privacy-by-design, and emerging technologies. Over time or as based on experience, you will become the day-to-day legal partner for these initiatives by:
Advising on AI-enabled product launches and technology implementation;
Translating technical architecture and data flows into practical legal guidance;
Identifying legal and regulatory risks associated with new technologies;
Building AI-enabled legal workflows and improving legal processes; and
Escalating novel or high-risk issues while independently managing routine technology counseling.
At a Minimum, We’d Like You to Have
At least 5-7+ years of relevant experience, including startup or other in-house experience, preferably at a technology company, or experience in a technology transactions, product, IP, or privacy practice at a law firm;
Flexibility in adjusting to a fast-paced and ever-changing environment – no day will look the same!;
Interest in working in a collaborative environment, including through regular video meetings with team members and partners;
Comfortable operating in ambiguity and making judgment calls with incomplete information;
Curiosity about technology and a demonstrated interest in AI-enabled products, data governance, privacy and emerging technologies;
An aptitude for understanding technical concepts and partnering effectively with multiple teams;
Demonstrated growth mindset, intellectual curiosity, and willingness to seek and incorporate feedback while developing increasing independence and judgment. You must be comfortable working collaboratively with senior legal leaders while progressively developing the judgment and independence expected of an in-house counsel;
Strong communication skills – verbally and in writing. That means you can speak and write in plain English, not only legalese (and think strategically about your use of AI);
Excellent legal and analytical skills, as well as soft skills such as negotiation and presentation skills;
An understanding of and enthusiasm for the Houzz Pro platform; and
A JD and admission to a state bar.
Ideally, You’ll Also Have
Experience with SaaS, B2B, or tech companies preferred
Experience advising cross-functional business teams on product, commercial, technology, or regulatory matters
Familiarity with AI governance, privacy-by-design, enterprise software, APIs, cloud technologies, or data governance concepts.
