About X
X is Alphabet’s moonshot factory with a mission of inventing and launching moonshot technologies that could someday make the world a radically better place. We are a diverse group of inventors and entrepreneurs who build and launch technologies that aim to improve the lives of millions, even billions, of people. Our goal: 10x impact on the world’s most intractable problems, not just 10% improvement. We approach projects that have the aspiration and riskiness of research with the speed and ambition of a startup. As an innovation engine, X focuses on repeatedly turning breakthrough-technology ideas into the foundations for large, sustainable businesses.
About the Team
The X Legal team works on the most exciting legal issues since our moonshots require creative and proactive guidance. We challenge ourselves to think big and differently in providing solutions and strategies for our clients—at X, the legal team can be audacious too! Our team aims to accelerate X while demonstrating values of respect, wellbeing, creativity, integrity, and continued development.
About the Role
X is looking for a hybrid Commercial, Product, and Employment Counsel. In this unique role you will serve as a versatile legal partner to world-class innovators, facilitating partnerships while managing the human capital risks essential to building a company. You will support the entire lifecycle of a moonshot—from initial product development and early commercialization to navigating complex labor issues as projects prepare to become independent businesses. You will draft and negotiate non-standard agreements for disruptive technology while providing strategic employment guidance to our People Operations teams.
How You Will Make 10X Impact:
- Commercial and Product: Draft, review, and negotiate a variety of complex agreements independently, including inbound services, licenses, and collaboration agreements.
- Product Counseling: Advise Project Leadership and Product Managers on legal risks, IP strategy, privacy, and data security related to "10x" technologies.
- Employment Strategy: Provide pragmatic solutions for a broad range of employment issues, including HR policies, personnel actions, wage and hour compliance, and contingent workforce needs.
- Dispute and Risk Management: Manage general and employment-related disputes, supervise outside counsel, and lead internal investigations concerning code of conduct or company policy.
- Process Innovation: Support the continuous improvement of legal processes and standard form agreements to help X projects move faster and scale efficiently.
- Strategic Advisory: Foster client awareness of legal issues via counseling and strategic education, ensuring compliance with U.S. and international laws, including privacy, data security, and employment laws and regulations.
What You Should Have:
- Juris Doctor (JD): Degree with a strong academic record.
- Bar Admission: Admitted to the California Bar and in good standing (or authorized to practice as registered in-house counsel).
- Experience: 5+ years of relevant legal experience, including a mix of commercial transactions, product counseling, and labor/employment law (law firm and/or in-house).
- Labor and Workplace Compliance: Working knowledge of federal and California employment laws (Title VII, FMLA, ADA, NLRA) and experience providing advice to HR and management on a broad range of employment legal issues.
- Commercial Counseling Experience: Demonstrated experience with complex commercial agreements and related IP provisions, including related to AI/ML and software technologies
- Product Counseling: Demonstrated experience advising product and engineering teams through the full development lifecycle, including areas related to AI/ML, licensing, regulations, privacy by design, and data security.
- Operational Excellence: Ability to prioritize and manage numerous simultaneous projects under deadline pressure in a high-ambiguity environment and ability to work outside business hours when needed
- Communication: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate complex legal concepts for non-legal stakeholders.
- AI Literacy: Ability and enthusiasm to leverage cutting-edge developments in AI to enable smarter and more efficient work processes.
It’d Be Great If You Also Have These:
- Direct or indirect (e.g., via a secondment) in-house experience
- Ability to establish and maintain strong relationships within the organization's legal department and across business units
- In-house experience managing general litigation matters
- Desire to find flexible, creative solutions to complex and difficult challenges, and work in a high-ambiguity, high-change environment
- Experience handling international employment or immigration law matters
The US base salary range for this full-time position is $210,000 - $300,000 + bonus + equity + benefits. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.
Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include bonus, equity, or benefits.
Skills Required
- Juris Doctor (JD) degree with a strong academic record
- Admission to the California Bar and in good standing (or authorized to practice as registered in-house counsel)
- 5+ years of relevant legal experience including commercial transactions, product counseling, and labor/employment law
- Working knowledge of federal and California employment laws (Title VII, FMLA, ADA, NLRA)
- Experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex commercial agreements and related IP provisions, including AI/ML and software technologies
- Experience advising product and engineering teams through the full development lifecycle, including AI/ML, licensing, privacy by design, and data security
- Ability to prioritize and manage numerous simultaneous projects under deadline pressure in a high-ambiguity environment and work outside business hours when needed
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate complex legal concepts for non-legal stakeholders
- Ability and enthusiasm to leverage cutting-edge developments in AI to enable smarter and more efficient work processes
- Direct or indirect in-house experience (e.g., via secondment)
- In-house experience managing general litigation matters
- Experience handling international employment or immigration law matters
- Ability to establish and maintain strong relationships within legal department and across business units
- Desire to find flexible, creative solutions and work in a high-ambiguity, high-change environment
X, The Moonshot Factory Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about X, The Moonshot Factory and has not been reviewed or approved by X, The Moonshot Factory.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered competitive for core technical and senior roles, with employer-posted ranges and clear statements that total compensation includes base, bonus, equity, and benefits. Feedback suggests posted bands and explicit structure provide clarity on how pay is constructed.
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Parental & Family Support — Family support is described as generous, including paid parental leave, baby bonding, and transitional support for parents returning to work. Fertility treatments and maternity care are also covered, indicating depth in family-focused provisions.
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Retirement Support — Retirement programs include a 401(k) with a notable company match and immediate vesting of matched funds. Additional financial supports such as student loan reimbursement and coaching strengthen long-term financial security.
X, The Moonshot Factory Insights
What We Do
We create breakthrough technologies to help solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Born at Google, we got our start creating self-driving cars and smart glasses. Since then, we’ve continued to bring sci-fi ideas into reality.
