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We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Director of Legal in the US to join our team at Vay. This role focuses on the intersection of remote driving and mobility, specifically in the areas of product liability and launch preparation for our commercial service in the upcoming months. This role will report directly in to our CEO whilst working very closely with our General Manager in the US.

As a Director of Legal at Vay, you will provide expert legal guidance to our business and cross-functional teams on a wide range of issues. This may include advising on product liability matters, navigating complex regulatory landscapes, structuring agreements and approval processes, establishing company policies and procedures, addressing intellectual property concerns, and developing negotiation strategies.

You will have the opportunity to work on diverse and captivating legal challenges related to remote-operated vehicles. This role demands creative and proactive legal leadership, and you will lead a dynamic and innovative in-house legal team. The projects you undertake will push the boundaries of conventional thinking and require you to approach them with a fresh perspective.

Collaboration is key in this role, as you will partner with teams across the organization, including our partnerships team, supply chain team, and engineering team. Your contributions will have a direct impact on shaping and influencing all aspects of our business.

This position offers an extraordinary chance to be at the forefront of emerging technology and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of transportation. If you possess a true passion for both technology and the law and are seeking a challenging and rewarding career in a fast-paced, high-growth environment, we encourage you to seize this opportunity and join our team.

The responsibilities:

• Advise business and cross functional stakeholders on legal issues that may include product liability, regulatory issues, agreement structures and approval processes, company policies and procedures, IP, and negotiation strategy.
• Ownership over leadership topics and challenges across both the US and European operations
• Respond promptly to legal requests from product, engineering, sourcing, business development, finance, marketing, and other clients, summarizing and communicating legal concepts in a clear and concise manner.
• Support the continuous improvement of Vay and the legal department by identifying and implementing improvements in processes, forms and operations.
• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a wide range of commercial contracts, including licensing, development, supplier, collaboration, and services agreements, with a particular focus on technology (both software and hardware)
• Drafting and maintaining precedents
• Designing and implementing policies and procedures
• Managing external counsel
• Cross-functional collaboration and training
• Risk and compliance support

The profile:

• 5+ years experience in the automotive sector in the US
• Member of the bar in a US jurisdiction (NY, and CA preferential)
• Strong technical, drafting, and research skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and an ability to explain complex matters in clear, accessible language
• Strong commercial/business acumen and judgment to allow effective evaluation of legal risk in the context of the wider commercial strategy
• Ability to work autonomously, take initiative and be proactive in addressing new matters or challenges
• Well-developed prioritization skills and ability to deal with multiple projects and internal clients
• Willingness to get stuck in and work hard to help develop the legal team and support the business as it scales
• Good sense of humor and the ability to collaborate with colleagues across teams and jurisdictions

Our values:

• We pioneer change: At Vay, we’re doing work that has never been done before. This comes with challenges, frustrations and failures along the way. We embrace these challenges through perseverance and innovation, delivering creative solutions to overcome them.
• We fuel collaboration: At Vay, we work as a team and strive for a common goal. We celebrate diversity and encourage different opinions. Our teams and partners communicate and collaborate openly. Together we build, improve, and grow.
• We drive action: At Vay, everyone takes pride and commitment in their role for every task and every challenge. We are biassed towards action and get behind the steering wheel, even when there is none. We are empowered to take initiative and drive it to completion.
• We build trust: At Vay, we consistently do the right thing, and follow through on our commitments to stakeholders, users and society. We understand their expectations and always respond in a way that feels human and respectful. We always put safety first and safety second.
• We create magic: At Vay, we don’t just make things that work, we build products people love. We create unexpected and delightful moments for our riders. We design end-to-end experiences that leave a lasting expression.

Additional benefits:

• You’ll be joining a highly committed, experienced, fun, and international team from over 30 countries. The team has previously worked at companies such as Tesla, Google, Waymo, Zoox, Byton, Argo, Amazon, Uber as well as Audi, BMW, and Daimler and has founded various companies before
• You would be a part of solving transportation in metropolitan areas all over the world
• Company ESOP (stock options)
• We organise thoughtful & fun team events throughout the year
• Free German classes
• Home office budget
• Fully remote role
• Subsidised gym/transport/co-working benefits