Deputy General Counsel, Corporate

Affirm is reinventing credit to make it more honest and friendly, giving consumers the flexibility to buy now and pay later without any hidden fees or compounding interest.

Affirm, Inc., seeks a hands on and talented attorney to join its lean and mighty Legal team as Deputy General Counsel, Corporate. Based in San Francisco, this individual will report to the Chief Legal Officer, and oversee the Corporate Governance, Employment and M&A functions. Come join us in our mission to change consumer finance through better technology, lower costs, and increased transparency while providing the best customer experience!

What you’ll do

• Lead the corporate, employment and ethics functions within the legal department.
• Provide strategic advice to the senior management on legal issues related to corporate governance & structure.
• Establish and run stockholder meeting processes, assisting with corporate compliance and governance practices, including development of materials for Board and Board committee meetings and drafting minutes of Board and Board committee meetings
• Oversee corporate governance for domestic and international subsidiaries
• Own equity plan administration, managing outside counsel and supporting special projects and finance operations as needed.
• Support our M&A, investment and other corporate development activities, including the due diligence process, negotiation of term sheets and definitive transaction agreements and M&A playbooks and related support projects.
• Provide oversight and guidance regarding employment law related matters.
• Develop strategies to scale legal support as the business grows
• Serve as a leader and mentor throughout the legal and compliance organization.
• Be a trusted advisor and leverage subject matter knowledge to drive value added dialogue and informed risk based decisions related to Affirm’s corporate governance, structure, potential M&A activity and employment related matters.
• Coordinate as appropriate with management and in-house and outside counsel in the handling of issues of governance, structure and other matters
• Identify and evaluate business and legal risks, and find creative ways to mitigate them while achieving business goals.
• Work across a spectrum of complex legal, business, and strategic issues.
• Coordinate with the Intellectual Property department to ensure that negotiated documents are sufficiently protective of Company IP.
• Assist with special projects as needed.
• Other responsibilities could include reviewing, drafting, negotiating and interpreting a wide variety of commercial and finance contracts, leading or assisting in strategic transaction negotiations, managing litigation counsel, and assisting in HR and employment matters.

What we look for

• J.D. degree and a state bar member in good standing
• 15+ years of legal experience related to corporate law, fintech, financial services
• Proven experience as a key contributing member of a high performing team
• Inquisitive and proactive in identifying legal issues & risks and proposing creative and effective solutions
• Proven track record of fostering relationships across all levels and operating through influence, with the confidence to formulate, advocate and drive ideas forward
• Proven ability to build, develop and/or enhance all types of corporate governance and policy management systems
• Experience in developing and delivering well-designed executive presentations
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to negotiate, compromise and demonstrate diplomacy in sensitive situations, and to interact effectively with senior management
• Highly disciplined, able to make independent decisions and work with limited supervision while excelling in a fast-paced, dynamic and demanding environment
• Inquisitive nature and comfort challenging current practices
• Experience in leading and delivering cross-functional initiatives, with the ability to collaborate with business and functional experts to provide risk assessment guidance, recognize risks and design enhancements
• Strong people management and leadership skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to present sophisticated issues in a clear and persuasive manner
• Passion for improving consumer credit products and customer experiences

Location

We’re excited to announce that Affirm is now a remote-first company! This role can be located anywhere in the U.S. and Canada (with the exception of Quebec). Remote based employees may occasionally travel to an Affirm office for meetings or team building events. Our offices in San Francisco, New York City, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Salt Lake City will remain operational and accessible for anyone to use on a voluntary basis.