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Legal Counsel - Privacy
TRM LabsUnited States4+ years
Apply Build a Safer World.
TRM Labs provides AI-powered intelligence solutions that help public and private sector agencies investigate and disrupt crime. TRM's platforms enable investigators to trace illicit activity, build cases, and construct operating pictures of threat networks. Leading agencies and businesses worldwide rely on TRM to make the world safer and more secure.
Legal Counsel, Privacy will own how TRM keeps Orion compliant with privacy and data-protection laws around the world, partnering directly with Product, Engineering, and GTM so the company can expand into new markets without slowing down. This is a build role: you will stand up the privacy program that lets a public-sector platform operate globally, and your judgment will directly shape what TRM can ship and where it can operate.
The impact you will have:
Determine whether TRM can launch Orion in a new jurisdiction by owning the privacy analysis end-to-end — using AI to draft DPIAs and transfer assessments so decisions land in days, not weeks.
Embed privacy-by-design into Orion's development lifecycle, partnering with Engineering to resolve data-flow and retention questions before they become launch blockers.
Lead and respond to data subject rights requests (DSARs) in coordination with Engineering and Customer Success.
Build and maintain the privacy program's core artifacts — records of processing, DPIA templates, and breach-response playbooks — using AI-assisted workflows so the program scales without adding headcount.
Run first-pass review of data processing agreements with AI, then finalize positions, cutting turnaround time on customer and vendor DPAs.
Design lawful cross-border data transfer mechanisms (SCCs, transfer impact assessments) that let Orion serve international customers with confidence.
Stand up a self-service privacy-review intake, supported by AI triage, so routine questions are answered quickly and only genuinely novel risk reaches deep legal review.
Support the CLO and AGC with clear, business-ready guidance that helps leadership make faster, better-informed decisions on privacy risk.
What we're looking for:
4+ years of privacy and data-protection legal experience, with hands-on work applying GDPR and US state privacy laws to a technology product.
Active US bar admission; JD from an ABA-accredited law school.
Proven AI fluency: you use Claude, Gemini, or equivalent tools in your daily workflow and can design AI-assisted privacy processes — not just use AI for one-off research.
Experience counseling Product and Engineering teams on privacy-by-design, DPIAs, and data flows.
Familiarity with cross-border transfer mechanisms (SCCs, transfer impact assessments, adequacy analysis).
A collaborative, business-minded approach: you explain privacy risk in plain terms and work with partners to find a path forward rather than defaulting to no.
Comfort operating with ownership and limited oversight in a fast-moving environment.
About the Team:
TRM Legal is a lean, high-trust team that operates with high ownership and minimal hierarchy; each counsel owns their domain and is expected to advise proactively.
The Financial Times recently recognized the team as one of the "Most Innovative In-House Legal Teams" in North America, and the team is led by TRM's CLO, a former senior DOJ official.
AI tool adoption is a shared expectation — the team actively uses the Claude suite and similar tools to operate with the leverage of a much larger team.
Legal partners with Product, Engineering, and GTM as a business accelerator, not a bottleneck; you will be in the room shaping decisions early, not looped in after the fact.
Team Operating Rhythms:
The team is distributed across US time zones with core overlap during standard business hours; primary communication is async-first via Slack, with key decisions documented in Notion — distributed, not distant.
Weekly Legal team sync for cross-functional coordination; regular 1:1s with the AGC for prioritization and privacy program advisory.
TRM operates a high-transparency culture — program status and obligations are tracked in shared workspaces accessible to partner teams.
Learn about TRM Speed in this position:
Within the first 30 days, complete a full privacy assessment of an Orion feature and give Engineering a clear, actionable path to ship on schedule.
Within 60 days, stand up reusable DPIA and records-of-processing templates that cut time-to-first-draft on privacy artifacts by more than half.
Within 90 days, deliver a jurisdiction-readiness analysis that unblocks Orion's expansion into a new market.
Life at TRM
We are building a safer world. That promise shows up in how we work every day.
TRM moves quickly. We are a high velocity, high ownership team that expects clarity, follow-through, and impact. People who thrive here are energized by hard problems, experimentation, and continuous feedback. If something takes months elsewhere, it will ship here in days.
Our work sits at the intersection of AI, national security, and fighting crime. The problems are complex, the stakes are real, and the environment evolves quickly. The pace and intensity of the work reflect the importance of the mission. As a result, the way we operate requires a high level of ownership, adaptability, collaboration, and creative problem-solving.
At TRM, you should expect:
Priorities and targets to change quickly as we experiment and iterate
Work that often requires operating with a high degree of ambiguity
A high level of personal ownership and accountability
Close collaboration across teams and functions
Frequent, high-touch communication
Creative problem solving and out-of-the-box thinking
A pace that rewards urgency, adaptability, and outcomes
This environment is energizing for people who enjoy building, solving hard problems, and making progress in situations that are not always fully defined. It also requires comfort navigating ambiguity, adjusting course as new information emerges, and maintaining focus and positivity in a fast-moving and intense environment.
We also recognize that this style of operating is not for everyone. If you are primarily optimizing for predictability or a consistently balanced workload, we encourage you to use the interview process to pressure test whether this environment is truly the right fit. We want teammates who thrive here, not just survive here.
At the same time, many people find this work deeply rewarding. If you are excited by meaningful problems, motivated by ambitious goals, and energized by working alongside mission-driven colleagues, there is a good chance you will find TRM to be an exceptional place to grow and contribute. Learn more: Interviewing at TRM: How We Hire and What Success Looks Like
AI Fluency at TRM
AI fluency is a baseline expectation at TRM.
We believe AI meaningfully changes how top performers operate. We expect every team member to use AI to accelerate and reimagine their craft, not just automate surface tasks.
At TRM, AI fluency means you are among the top 10 percent of operators in your function in how you apply AI to:
Accelerate repeatable workflows
Structure and solve problems
Improve output quality
Increase speed and leverage
You will be evaluated on applied AI fluency during the interview process.
Leadership Principles
We hire and grow against three leadership principles. They’re the standards for how we operate, treat each other, and make decisions.
Impact-Oriented Trailblazer: We put customers first and move with speed, focus, and adaptability. We treat every plan like an experiment – test, ship, measure, and iterate quickly.
Master Craftsperson: We care deeply about our craft. We balance speed with high standards, own outcomes end‑to‑end, and invest in getting better everyday.
Inspiring Colleague: We add clarity and energy, not noise. We bring humility, candor, and a one‑team mindset — giving and receiving feedback to make the team stronger.
Join our Mission
At TRM we care deeply about our craft. We are looking for individuals who want their work to matter, who experiment with speed and rigor, and who take pride in building a safer world for billions of people. If you’re excited by TRM’s mission but don’t check every box, we encourage you to apply — we hire for slope, judgment, and the will to learn fast.
TRM is a Series C company with $220M in total funding, backed by Blockchain Capital, Goldman Sachs, Bessemer, Y Combinator, Thoma Bravo, and others. Headquartered in San Francisco, TRM operates as a distributed-first company with hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Washington D.C., London, and Singapore.
Privacy Policy and Additional Information
By submitting your application, you agree to allow TRM Labs to process your personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
We collect the information you provide (such as your resume, work history, and contact details) solely for the purpose of evaluating your candidacy for current and future roles at TRM.
Because our hiring cycles for certain positions may span 24 to 36 months, we retain your personal information for up to 36 months from the date of your application. After that period, your data is deleted unless a different retention period is required or permitted by law.
If you are located in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or another jurisdiction with applicable data protection laws, you have the right to access, correct, or request deletion of your personal data at any time before that period ends. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@trmlabs.com.
To notify TRM Labs that you believe this job posting is non-compliant, please submit a report through this form. No response will be provided to inquiries unrelated to job posting compliance.
The use of AI tools of any kind (including but not limited to notetakers, interview assistants, and real-time coaching tools such as Otter.ai, Fireflies, Fathom, Cluey, or similar) during TRM interviews is not permitted without prior approval from TRM. TRM uses its own internal tools for note-taking to ensure a consistent and confidential experience for all candidates.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, and requests can be made via this form.
Recruitment agencies
TRM Labs does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to TRM employees. TRM Labs is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes and will not pay fees to any third-party agency or company without a signed agreement.