Director, Legal - Employment

GitLab is seeking a Director, Legal - Employment to oversee employment matters across the EMEA region. This role involves providing strategic legal guidance on employment issues, managing the full employment lifecycle, and ensuring compliance with regional laws. The position is remote, based in the United Kingdom or Ireland, and reports to the Senior Director, Legal.

Key responsibilities include offering senior employment-law advice to team members and stakeholders, managing matters such as recruiting, compensation, performance management, leave, and separation. The role also involves negotiating with works councils and employee representative bodies, representing GitLab in labor courts and employment tribunals, and developing scalable legal processes for the organization. Additionally, the Director will counsel People Business Partners and business leaders on complex employment matters and draft and maintain employment agreements and policies across multiple jurisdictions.

Candidates should possess a Juris Doctor (JD), Bachelor of Laws (LLB), or equivalent, with admission to practice in at least one EMEA jurisdiction. Substantial experience advising multinational companies with works councils across EMEA is required, along with a deep understanding of employment compliance requirements in the region. The ideal candidate will have experience in negotiating with works councils, managing outside counsel in labor courts, and drafting employment-related documents. Fluency with GDPR and other local privacy requirements related to employee data is essential.

GitLab offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health coverage, flexible paid time off, equity compensation, and parental leave. The company supports a remote, globally distributed, and asynchronous work environment, emphasizing collaboration and transparency.

GitLab fosters a high-performance culture driven by its values and continuous knowledge exchange. The company embraces AI as a core productivity multiplier, encouraging team members to incorporate AI into their daily workflows to drive efficiency, innovation, and impact. This role provides an opportunity to lead complex employment law matters and contribute to the development of scalable legal processes in a dynamic, all-remote organization.