Director, Legal - Employment

GitLab is seeking a Director, Legal - Employment to own matters spanning the full employment relationship in EMEA.

As Director, Legal – Employment, you will own GitLab’s matters spanning the full employment relationship in EMEA, from recruiting and onboarding through compensation, performance, leave management, separation, and, when necessary, litigation.

Responsibilities:

• Provide senior, practical employment-law advice to team members and stakeholders across GitLab
• Directly manage matters across the employment lifecycle
• Directly negotiate and engage with works councils and employee representative bodies across EMEA jurisdictions
• Represent GitLab in, or directly manage outside counsel appearances for, labor courts, employment tribunals, and agency investigations
• Counsel People Business Partners, Team Member Relations partners, and business leaders on complex and sensitive team-member relations concerns
• Draft, review, negotiate, and maintain employment agreements, separation agreements, policies, templates, and related documentation across multiple jurisdictions
• Own employment compliance across EMEA and incorporate outside-counsel input into strategies that match the business
• Monitor and analyze changes in employment, privacy, and related laws; identify legal risks; and translate developments into practical recommendations and implementable guidance
• Lead the development and continuous improvement of scalable employment-law processes, systems, playbooks, templates, and supporting documentation for the Legal and People teams
• Provide employment advice in regions outside EMEA as needed
• Use GitLab to collaborate transparently and work effectively in an asynchronous, globally distributed environment.

Requirements:

• A Juris Doctor (JD), Bachelor of Laws (LLB), or local equivalent, admitted to practice in at least one EMEA jurisdiction
• Substantial, firsthand experience advising a multinational company with works councils across EMEA
• A demonstrated track record of advocating or managing outside counsel in labor courts, employment tribunals and analogous proceedings
• Deep knowledge of employment compliance requirements across EMEA, with the judgment to identify when advice from local counsel is needed
• Experience counseling People Business Partners, Team Member Relations partners, and business leaders on sensitive and complex employment matters
• Experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating employment agreements, separation agreements, policies, templates, and related documentation across multiple jurisdictions
• Fluency with GDPR and other local privacy requirements related to team-member data
• Experience building or significantly improving legal processes, systems, playbooks, templates, and documentation that produce consistent outcomes at scale
• Strong issue-spotting, risk-assessment, and judgment skills, with the ability to provide clear recommendations and practical solutions
• The ability to manage a high volume of complex legal matters independently and bring them to resolution
• Clear communication and relationship-building skills, including the ability to serve as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders across Legal, People, and the business
• A practical and creative approach to problem-solving, sound business judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to work across functions, time zones, and cultures
• Comfort working in a remote, globally distributed, asynchronous environment; willingness to learn and use GitLab in your day-to-day work.

Benefits:

• Benefits to support your health, finances, and well-being
• Flexible Paid Time Off
• Team Member Resource Groups
• Equity Compensation & Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Growth and Development Fund
• Parental Leave