Lead Counsel, Privacy

Location: Remote - USA

Department: Legal

About the Role

HubSpot is the leading CRM platform powering inbound marketing, sales, and customer service for thousands of growing businesses worldwide. As Lead Counsel, Privacy, you will play a pivotal role in our Legal team, ensuring our innovative products remain compliant and trustworthy as we scale. In this high-impact position, you'll partner closely with product managers, engineers, marketers, and executives to embed privacy into our CRM, marketing automation, and customer data platforms, all while thriving in our transparent, HEART-powered culture of growth and innovation. Your core focus will be providing expert counsel on global privacy regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and emerging U.S. state laws, conducting impact assessments for new features, and leading our privacy program amid rapid product evolution. You'll advise on data processing in inbound marketing campaigns, CRM integrations, and AI-driven personalization, mitigating risks while enabling customer-centric growth. From drafting data processing agreements to managing incident response, you'll deliver practical, business-aligned solutions that protect HubSpot and delight our customers. We seek a strategic leader passionate about privacy in the martech space, with deep experience in SaaS environments. Join our collaborative Legal team in Cambridge, MA (or remote) to shape privacy strategy at a company redefining customer relationships. At HubSpot, you'll grow your career with unlimited PTO, robust benefits, and a culture that celebrates wins, learns from failures, and prioritizes your professional development.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the lead privacy counsel, providing strategic advice on global privacy compliance for HubSpot's CRM and inbound marketing products
• Advise product, engineering, and marketing teams on privacy-by-design principles for new features and data processing activities
• Conduct privacy impact assessments (PIAs), data protection impact assessments (DPIAs), and risk evaluations for CRM integrations and customer data handling
• Develop and maintain HubSpot's privacy program, including policies, procedures, and response plans aligned with GDPR, CCPA, and other regulations
• Manage privacy incident response, investigations, and notifications in coordination with security and legal teams
• Draft and negotiate privacy terms in customer contracts, vendor agreements, and data processing addendums
• Support inbound marketing initiatives by ensuring compliant use of customer data for personalization and lead nurturing
• Collaborate with global teams to navigate cross-border data transfers and localization requirements
• Monitor evolving privacy laws and represent Legal in company-wide growth initiatives
• Lead privacy training and awareness programs to foster a culture of compliance in HubSpot's high-growth environment
• Partner with Compliance and Ethics teams on audits and regulatory inquiries

Required Qualifications

• J.D. degree from an accredited law school and active membership in at least one U.S. state bar
• 8+ years of relevant legal experience in privacy law, with significant time at a top-tier law firm or in-house at a tech company
• Deep expertise in global privacy laws including GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, and emerging U.S. state privacy regulations
• Proven track record advising on data privacy matters in SaaS, CRM, or marketing technology environments
• Strong understanding of inbound marketing data flows, customer data platforms, and CRM integrations
• Experience managing privacy compliance programs, risk assessments, and incident response
• Ability to collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, product, sales, and marketing teams
• Excellent judgment and ability to provide practical, business-oriented legal advice

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with AI/ML privacy implications and automated decision-making regulations
• Prior in-house experience at a high-growth SaaS company in the martech space
• Familiarity with HubSpot's ecosystem, including CRM, marketing automation, and customer data management
• Advanced certifications such as CIPP/US, CIPP/E, or CIPM
• Experience leading privacy training programs and vendor risk management
• Knowledge of international data transfers and adequacy mechanisms

Required Skills

• Expert knowledge of GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, and global privacy frameworks
• Proficiency in privacy risk assessment methodologies
• Strong understanding of CRM data architectures and inbound marketing data pipelines
• Excellent legal research and writing skills
• Analytical thinking for complex data privacy scenarios
• Cross-functional collaboration and influence without authority
• Business acumen to balance legal risks with growth objectives
• Communication skills for explaining privacy concepts to non-legal stakeholders
• Project management for leading compliance initiatives
• Attention to detail in policy drafting and contract review
• Adaptability to fast-paced, high-growth tech environment
• Judgment in high-stakes privacy decision-making
• Familiarity with martech tools and SaaS privacy challenges
• Incident response and crisis management experience
• Training and presentation skills for awareness programs

Benefits

• Unlimited PTO and flexible work-from-anywhere policy to support work-life harmony
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance with generous company contributions
• 401(k) matching and employee stock purchase plan for long-term financial growth
• Professional development stipend and access to HubSpot Academy for continuous learning
• Parental leave, fertility benefits, and family-forming support
• Wellness programs including mental health resources and gym reimbursements
• HubSpot swag, team offsites, and culture events in our HEART-based growth environment
• Transparent career growth paths with regular feedback and promotion opportunities

HubSpot is an equal opportunity employer.