Senior Counsel
Credit Karma
Credit Karma is a mission-driven company, focused on championing financial progress for our more than 110 million members in the U.S., Canada and U.K. While we're best known for pioneering free credit scores, our members turn to us for tips as they work on their financial goals, including helping them monitor their credit, identity monitoring, searching for credit cards, shopping for loans (car, home and personal), and growing their savings* -- all for free. Credit Karma has grown significantly through the years: we've added more than 70 million members in the last five years alone and now have more than 1,100 employees across our offices in Oakland, Charlotte, Los Angeles and London.
*Banking services provided by MVB Bank, Inc., Member FDIC
The Credit Karma Legal Department is looking for a Senior Counsel to join our Commercial Legal team. As Senior Counsel, you will be a critical member of a smart, collaborative, tech-forward team who handle the review and negotiation of all of Credit Karma’s contracts. You will own and lead the buy-side of this practice group. This includes not only partnering with internal clients like procurement, engineering, and security to successfully negotiate a wide variety of vendor agreements, but also relentlessly pursuing process efficiency and innovation in our vendor contracting lifecycle. The role requires a self-motivated and highly productive individual with excellent interpersonal skills who excels in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
What You'll Do:
- Lead a team of 1-2 people who negotiate Credit Karma’s vendor agreements within established risk parameters while achieving business objectives and maintaining deal velocity.
- Work closely with procurement and other internal clients as well as adjacent functions involved in third-party risk management, including security, privacy, and compliance, to optimize the end-to-end vendor contracting process leveraging our technology.
- Advise on and align with internal clients on comprehensive negotiation strategies designed to achieve key legal and business objectives.
- Independently lead and manage Commercial Legal team efforts on complex vendor transactions from start to finish.
- Supervise team members as they draft, review, and negotiate vendor agreements , including procurement, technology, facilities, professional services and event agreements.
- Proactively flag privacy, security, compliance, employment and other legal and regulatory risk to subject matter experts in adjacent functions.
- Collaborate with other members of the Legal team and internal stakeholders on ad-hoc projects.
What's Great About It:
- A satisfying mission, working to make financial progress possible to everyone.
- A dynamic work environment with a team of smart, fun, collaboration-minded legal professionals who enjoy learning from each other.
- A chance to grow with the company as Credit Karma progresses on its mission, including an established internal framework for career advancement.
Minimum Basic Requirement:
- J.D. from an accredited law school and admitted to practice in at least one US jurisdiction (NC or CA preferred)
- 7+ years post law school experience, with at least 3 years in-house experience
- Experience owning and managing the entire end-to-end vendor contracting processes, with a strong preference for those who have successfully led comprehensive cross-functional design/build/implement/optimize initiatives leveraging people, processes and technology to create an efficient, innovative vendor contracting function operating at “contracting center of excellence” standards.
- Experience managing or mentoring junior team members
- Excellent skills in drafting, reviewing and negotiating a wide variety of vendor contracts in a knowledge-based industry, specifically including complex, high-value, mission-critical agreements, and successfully achieving legal and business objectives.
- Demonstrated ability to establish, nurture and leverage exceptional relationships with internal clients to minimize cross-functional friction, accelerate deal velocity and consistently meet or exceed client expectations.
- Excellent communication skills and ability to articulate legal terms and risks to leadership, and good judgment and the ability to think through legal risk in practical, real-world terms
- Ability to lead and work in cross-functional project teams
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in Fintech or other highly regulated industry and expertise in technology contracting strongly preferred.
- Knowledgeable in Fintech- related regulatory issues, compliance requirements, and information security and data privacy/protection issues.
- Adept at moving quickly in a fast-pace, dynamic environment -- leveraging technology in communication and contract negotiations.
Benefits at Credit Karma includes:
- Medical and Dental Coverage
- Retirement Plan
- Commuter Benefits
- Wellness perks
- Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick, Baby Bonding, Cultural Observance, & More)
- Education Perks
- Paid Gift Week in December
Pay Transparency Notice: Credit Karma’s mission of championing financial progress for all starts from within. That’s why we implemented role-based compensation, which ensures people who are in the same role receive the same pay with variations for geographic location only. It’s all part of a more comprehensive DEI strategy that helps level the playing field. The base salary range for this role is $184,000 to $215,438, plus equity and benefits.
Equal Employment Opportunity:
Credit Karma is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We welcome all candidates without regard to race, color, religion, age, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition), sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, veteran or military status, disability (physical or mental), genetic information or other protected characteristic. We prohibit discrimination of any kind and operate in compliance with applicable fair chance laws.
Credit Karma is also committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment because it is the right thing to do. We believe that such an environment advances long-term professional growth, creates a robust business, and supports our mission of championing financial progress for everyone. We offer generous benefits and perks with a single eye to nourishing an inclusive environment that recognizes the contributions of all and fosters diversity by supporting our internal Employee Resource Groups. We’ve worked hard to build an intensely collaborative and creative environment, a diverse and inclusive employee culture, and the opportunity for professional growth. As part of the Credit Karma team, your voice will be heard, your contributions will matter, and your unique background and experiences will be celebrated.
Privacy Policies:
Credit Karma is strongly committed to protecting personal data. Please take a look below to review our privacy policies: