Etsy is the global marketplace for unique and creative goods. We build, power, and evolve the tools and technologies that connect millions of entrepreneurs with millions of buyers around the world. As an Etsy Inc. employee, whether a team member of Etsy, Reverb, Depop, or Elo7, you''ll tackle unique, meaningful, and large-scale problems alongside passionate coworkers, all the while making a rewarding impact and Keeping Commerce Human.
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What’s the role?
Etsy’s global Legal team works with every Etsy business unit, across our offices worldwide, to provide timely and business-savvy legal advice. We help teams that design products, we draft contracts and policies, we advise engineers and leadership, advocate externally, and handle disputes to protect Etsy and our users. We meaningfully support Etsy’s growth by delivering legal and business know-how with a great work ethic. We are a global enterprise team that works across all of our marketplaces and offices worldwide so there will be opportunity to partner with and support each of Reverb, Elo7 and Depop as well as Etsy.com.
Etsy is looking for an experienced EU privacy lawyer to join our global legal team. In this role you will gain a comprehensive understanding of Etsy and its subsidiaries’ strategic objectives while partnering with key stakeholders to provide strategic and timely legal advice. This individual thrives in driving structure in ambiguous spaces, working in fast paced environments, and demonstrates the ability to function independently in the face of shifting priorities.
This is a full-time position reporting to the VP & Deputy General Counsel, Litigation, IP, & Privacy Counsel. In addition to salary, you will also be eligible for an equity package, an annual performance bonus, and our competitive benefits that support you and your family as part of your total rewards package at Etsy. For this role, we are considering candidates based in Ireland. You will have the option to work office-based, flex or remotely. Candidates living within commutable distance of the Etsy Brooklyn, Mexico City, and Dublin Office Hubs, or within the Guadalajara and San Francisco areas, may be the first to be considered. Etsy offers different work modes to meet the variety of needs and preferences of our team. Learn more about our flexible work options and workplace safety policies here.
What does the day-to-day look like?
- Counsel product lawyers, product managers, and other business personnel on current and future privacy laws, regulatory guidance, enforcement actions, and other related guidelines as they apply to our business.
- Drive and lead compliance strategies for the GDPR and other European data privacy rules, standards, and regulations governing the collection and use of personal information; help partner teams adapt their products, features, policies and processes in response to new laws and regulations.
- Act as a trusted advisor to key partner teams to ensure that privacy legal requirements are thoughtfully incorporated into product development, business processes and operations, and holistically within our privacy program.
- Prepare materials for and provide updates to Etsy leadership, including our EU board, with respect to data privacy developments and advise on related governance issues.
- Advise and assist business teams with a wide variety of EU privacy issues, such as international data transfers, transfer impact assessments, and marketing-related privacy issues such as consent.
- Advise and collaborate with our Advocacy/Government Relations teams to interpret the evolving regulatory landscape and develop strategy for engaging with lawmakers on proposed legislation and/or regulators.
- Lead or co-lead Etsy’s consumer privacy disclosures, as well as relevant internal and employee-facing policies and procedures.
- Advise partner teams that are accountable for privacy/data operations and governance.
- Of course, this is just a sample of the kinds of work this role will require! You should assume that your role will encompass other tasks, too, and that your job duties and responsibilities may change from time to time at Etsy's discretion, or otherwise applicable with local law.
Qualities that will help you thrive in this role are:
- Qualified lawyer and admitted to practice in Ireland (or another EU jurisdiction)
- Minimum of 10 years’ privacy experience at top law firm or in-house team (in house experience at a technology/marketplace company preferred); certified privacy qualifications (CIPP-E) is a plus.
- Subject matter expertise in privacy laws and regulatory frameworks (in particular with GDPR, ePrivacy Directive, and UK data privacy laws) and adjacent areas, including information security, data governance, and artificial intelligence. Since Etsy is a global company, we require a foundational understanding of other international privacy laws, and a global focus to problem-solving.
- Exceptional communication skills, verbally and in writing. You can speak thoughtfully to engage with and learn from technical experts; you can also explain complex matters to business leaders, using plain English, without legal jargon.
- Demonstrated ability to partner strategically and successfully with product and business leaders at all levels to ensure that regulatory and legal requirements are met while balancing user trust, customer experience, and business objectives.
- Experience advising on privacy related clauses in commercial agreements, including data protection agreements and standard contractual clauses (EU).
- Experience conducting and advising on privacy impact assessments and other GDPR record-keeping requirements; ability to translate and apply privacy-related compliance obligations to a marketplace business model.
- Experience working with government relations teams on prospective legislation and strategy.
- Sound judgment, critical thinking skills, and the ability to operate confidently in ambiguous and unfamiliar situations.
- You are a team player and curious to learn new things. Your instinct when new work comes in is to volunteer to help, you are excited by new projects, you aren’t afraid to ask or answer a question, and you step up when a colleague needs a second set of hands.
- The most important quality for success on the Etsy legal team is good judgment. Knowing when to say “no,“, “yes” or “maybe.” You are mindful that the company is your client, and you advocate for the protection of your client.You could work in many places, but you want to work at Etsy because you recognize that having the chance to contribute impactful work and grow a company with an amazing mission - empowering millions of microentrepreneurs - is a rare opportunity.
Additional Information
What's Next
If you're interested in joining the team at Etsy, please share your resume with us and feel free to include a cover letter if you'd like. As we hope you've seen already, Etsy is a place that values individuality and variety. We don't want you to be like everyone else - we want you to be like you! So tell us what you're all about.
Our Promise
At Etsy, we believe that a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace furthers relevance, resilience, and longevity. We encourage people from all backgrounds, ages, abilities, and experiences to apply. Etsy is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If, due to a disability, you need an accommodation during any part of the interview process, please let your recruiter know. While Etsy supports visa sponsorship, sponsorship opportunities may be limited to certain roles and skills.
