Senior Legal Counsel (Regulatory and Data Privacy)

JobsCloseBy Editorial Insights

JetBrains is seeking a Senior Legal Counsel focused on regulatory and data privacy to own privacy-by-design initiatives across global operations, balancing compliance with speed of innovation. You will translate GDPR and privacy requirements into actionable guidance for engineering, AI, security teams, shape cross-border transfer mechanisms (DPAs, SCCs), draft and maintain policies and data processing agreements, map data flows, and push automation to streamline legal workflows. The ideal candidate has extensive in-house privacy experience in tech, proven GDPR implementation, a law degree, and fluent English, with a proactive, collaborative approach and the ability to translate legal jargon into practical solutions. When applying, showcase GDPR deployments, privacy-by-design projects, data-flow mappings, DPAs and collaboration with product and engineering.

You’re a privacy expert who knows how to navigate global regulations without slowing down innovation. You thrive on translating dense legal frameworks into practical guidance for technical teams. If you want to build scalable data protection strategies that actually make sense, this is for you.

About JetBrains

We create intelligent software development tools for developers and teams. More than 15 million users, over 300,000 companies, and 88 of the Fortune Global Top 100 rely on our products to solve real, complex problems. Our mission is simple: make development teams more productive and AI adoptable at scale.

What you’ll do

As data privacy and AI regulations rapidly evolve, ensuring our tools and operations remain compliant is more critical than ever. In this role, you’ll take ownership of our privacy-by-design initiatives, shaping how we handle data across our international operations. You will influence how product features are built and how cross-border data transfers are structured, ensuring we meet regulatory standards without adding unnecessary friction. Working closely with engineering, AI, security, and HR teams, you’ll turn legal requirements into actionable advice. As Senior Legal Counsel on our Regulatory and Data Privacy team, you’ll be instrumental in modernizing our compliance frameworks and finding ways to use automation to make our legal processes smarter and more predictable.

Day to day, you will:

• Advise cross-functional groups (including AI, security, HR, and engineering) on data privacy and regulatory compliance.
• Evaluate product features, global data governance, and cross-border transfer mechanisms (like DPAs and SCCs) for privacy-by-design compliance.
• Draft, review, and maintain internal and external data protection agreements, privacy policies, and terms of service.
• Map our data flows and technical operations to ensure they fit within a coherent global regulatory framework.
• Research international regulatory shifts and prepare clear, structured legal memos and comparative analyses.
• Build and improve legal templates, guidance, DSAR processes, and knowledge databases.
• Spot and assess legal risks related to new technology laws, technical product design, and data processing.
• Drive process improvements within the team to boost efficiency, incorporating AI and automation tools where appropriate.

What you’ll bring

• A high degree of adaptability when dealing with novel technical concepts and evolving foreign laws.
• The ability to translate complex legal jargon into clear, practical advice that engineers and product teams can easily use.
• A lateral, creative approach to problem-solving, backed by thorough research and critical thinking.
• A proactive mindset and the ability to navigate complex environments and independently manage competing priorities.
• A strong interest in optimizing processes and exploring how automation can improve legal workflows.
• Transparency, honesty, and a collaborative approach to working within a global team.

What you’ll need

• Extensive experience acting as in-house counsel, advising on privacy, data protection, and digital regulatory compliance within an international tech environment.
• A proven track record of successfully implementing EU data protection regulations (GDPR, ePrivacy) into company processes.
• A completed university-level degree in law.
• Professional fluency in written and spoken English.
• The ability to draft clear, legally sound privacy policies, terms of service, and regulatory risk assessments.

What success looks like

Success in this role means earning the trust of product and engineering teams by giving them clear, actionable legal guidance that helps them move forward. You will have successfully streamlined our data privacy compliance processes, leaving systems better and more automated than you found them. Ultimately, you’ll ensure that JetBrains continues to innovate rapidly while maintaining a robust, compliant, and globally scalable data governance framework.

Why join JetBrains? 

• Strong base salary. We offer competitive pay that reflects your skills and experience.
• Flexible work location. Enjoy the freedom to work from home or from the office.
• Remote work. Spend up to 30 days per year working remotely from abroad.
• Extra time off. More days to relax, recharge, and do the things you love.
• Medical insurance allowance. Enjoy peace of mind for you and your family
• Learning and development opportunities. Access to conferences, courses, and language classes.
• Language classes. Pick up the local language or sharpen your English skills.
• Fuel your day. Enjoy a hot meal or receive a lunch allowance on workdays.
• Mental health support. To help you feel your best, we provide easy access to professional mental health services.
• Sports benefit. Enjoy an on-site gym or sports club stipend.
• Internal events. Join company-wide celebrations and team gatherings.

*Some benefits may vary depending on location.

If this sounds like you, we invite you to apply.
#LI-HYBRID
#LI-TA2