Principal Counsel

Inspired by our belief that anyone can learn anything and powered by our own curiosity, we build the smartest tools we can imagine to help students learn.

Quizlet is the popular, global learning platform and app that millions of students, teachers and everyday people use to study any subject imaginable for school, work or as part of their personal interests -- including two-thirds of high school students and half of all college students in the US. Combining cognitive science and machine learning, Quizlet guides students through adaptive study activities to confidently reach their learning goals. Were on track to become the undisputed leader in user-generated learning content and engagement, at the scale of YouTube.

Valued at $1 billion, Quizlet has raised over $60 million in venture capital from investors including Icon Ventures, Union Square Ventures, General Atlantic, Costanoa Ventures, Owl Ventures, and Altos Ventures.

To serve our global community of learners, our teams tackle lofty technical challenges and design for use cases across cultures and languages. We work hard, act like owners, and collaborate every chance we get. Were energized by the potential to power more learners through multiple approaches and various tools.

On Quizlets Legal team, we view ourselves as trusted advisors, thought partners, and fellow problem solvers with all of our cross-functional teams. Our clients value our thoughtful, business-oriented approach, whether were helping our product development teams to innovate while managing risk, or providing high-quality deal support to our commercial teams to drive transaction wins. We operate at the exciting intersection of cutting edge product development, rapidly evolving laws in privacy and copyright, and a company mission that positively impacts millions of students worldwide.

Our new Principal Counsel will join us as our third in-house attorney and play a critical role in building out Quizlets Legal function. As a service-oriented team player, you will provide sound legal advice and use excellent business judgment to support Quizlets product development, commercial operations, and regulatory compliance initiatives. In your role as an experienced, trusted advisor, you will analyze legal risks and develop creative solutions in partnership with your cross-functional stakeholders throughout the company.

This is a hybrid role based out of our New York or San Francisco office.

Note: This role will report into the General Counsel

In this role, you will:

• Provide timely legal and strategic business guidance to all internal teams, including Product, Engineering, Design, Data Science, Ads, Marketing, User Operations, and Trust & Safety
• Conduct legal analyses of applicable laws, regulations and industry guidance, particularly in the areas of privacy and copyright, and emerging legal considerations in AI
• Support Quizlets launch of new, best in class, AI-enhanced study experiences by providing risk-calibrated guidance to the Product, Engineering, Design, and Data Science teams throughout the entire product development lifecycle
• Partner with our Ads team to: (1) review, draft, and negotiate commercial, revenue-generating agreements, data privacy agreements, and vendor agreements, (2) provide guidance to evolve our ads infrastructure given changing privacy requirements and industry practices
• Develop and improve standard form agreements, contracting guidelines, and scalable outbound contract processes. Provide training to internal clients on same
• Partner with functional owners to develop and evolve privacy, data governance, and data security policies, ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations, and managing associated risks
• Create and deliver ongoing legal and compliance training to internal teams

What you bring to the table:

• JD admitted to practice in California or New York
• Minimum of 10+ years of relevant law firm and/or in-house experience, ideally with 3+ years in-house
• Significant privacy subject matter expertise, including CCPA and GDPR
• Significant experience with ad sales contract review, drafting, and negotiation
• Experience in the consumer tech industry and/or with consumer tech industry clients.
• Experience with copyright law matters
• Excellent business judgment and ability to assess and manage risk effectively
• Excellent communication skills and ability to provide actionable legal advice for complex, nuanced issues
• Strong curiosity and ability to master new areas of tech and law
• Demonstrated ability to handle ambiguity and challenges with humility and a sense of humor

Bonus points if you have:

• Experience with AI-generated, consumer-facing digital products or services
• Experience with patent and trademark work

Compensation, Benefits & Perks:

• Quizlet is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Salary transparency helps to mitigate unfair hiring practices when it comes to discrimination and pay gaps. Total compensation for this role is market competitive, including a starting base salary of $230,000 - $280,000, depending on location and experience, as well as company stock options
• Collaborate with your manager and team to create a healthy work-life balance
• 20 vacation days (and we expect you to take them!)
• Competitive health, dental, and vision insurance (100% employee and 75% dependent PPO, HMO, VSP Choice)
• Employer-sponsored 401k plan with company match
• Access to LinkedIn Learning and other resources to support professional growth
• Paid Family Leave, FSA, HSA, Commuter benefits, Wellness benefits
• 40 hours of annual paid time off to participate in volunteer programs of choice

We work to create a holistic interview process, where both Quizlet and candidates have an opportunity to view what it would be like to work together, in exploring a mutually beneficial partnership.

We provide a transparent setting, that gives a comprehensive view of who we are!

We hope you are excited about everything you read so far. We highly encourage you to apply for this position, even if you feel you do not meet all the requirements. Quizlet is always looking for amazing folks that believe in our mission and can contribute to our team in various ways - not merely candidates that fit a certain mold.

We have a bias for action, take initiative, and take pride in delivering results. We make informed decisions whenever possible but are unafraid to take calculated risks on great ideas to promote learning. We embrace challenges and see effort as the path to mastery. Were constantly seeking opportunities to learn and we embrace curiosity. Quality matters at Quizlet, and we hold the bar high on everything we do.

We treat each other with honesty and respect, encourage vigorous debate, and seek critical feedback. We value diversity, humility, transparency, and collaboration as the best paths to our success as individuals, as a team, and as a company.

Quizlets success as an online learning community depends on a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are actively working to build a team that is representative of the diverse communities we serve, and an open, inclusive work environment where all employees can thrive. As an equal opportunity employer and a tech company committed to societal change, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds. Women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. Come join us!

At this time Quizlet does not accept unsolicited agency resumes and/or profiles.

Please do not forward unsolicited agency resumes to our website or to any Quizlet employee. Quizlet will not pay fees to any third-party agency or firm nor will it be responsible for any agency fees associated with unsolicited resumes. All unsolicited resumes received will be considered the property of Quizlet.