Director, Legal - Employment

GitLab is the intelligent orchestration platform for DevSecOps. GitLab enables organizations to increase developer productivity, improve operational efficiency, reduce security and compliance risk, and accelerate digital transformation. More than 50 million registered users and more than 50% of the Fortune 100* trust GitLab to ship better, more secure software faster. The same principles built into our products are reflected in how our team works: we embrace AI as a core productivity multiplier, with all team members expected to incorporate AI into their daily workflows to drive efficiency, innovation, and impact. GitLab is where careers accelerate, innovation flourishes, and every voice is valued. Our high-performance culture is driven by our values and continuous knowledge exchange, enabling our team members to reach their full potential while collaborating with industry leaders to solve complex problems. Co-create the future with us as we build technology that transforms how the world develops software. * Fortune 500® is a registered trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, used under license. Claim based on GitLab data. Fortune 100 refers to the top 20% ranked companies in the 2025 Fortune 500 list, published in June 2025. Fortune and Fortune Media IP Limited are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or services of GitLab. An overview of this role This position is remote and based in the United Kingdom or Ireland. This is an individual contributor role with no direct reports at this time. You'll own matters end to end rather than manage a team. As Director, Legal – Employment, you will own GitLab’s matters spanning the full employment relationship in EMEA, from recruiting and onboarding through compensation, performance, leave management, separation, and, when necessary, litigation. You will independently lead complex employment law matters end-to-end, including representing GitLab before works councils and labor courts, as well as setting the strategy for managing employment risk in the region. You will also build scalable legal processes to meet the business needs across a globally-distributed, all-remote organization, while sharing subject-matter expertise and mentoring legal colleagues and cross-functional partners. What you’ll do Provide senior, practical employment-law advice to team members and stakeholders across GitLab, balancing legal risk, business objectives, and GitLab’s values, serving as a subject-matter resource for legal colleagues and cross-functional partners. Directly manage matters across the employment lifecycle, including recruiting and onboarding, compensation, performance management, leave management, employee relations, works council processes, organizational changes, separation, and post-employment issues. Directly negotiate and engage with works councils and employee representative bodies across EMEA jurisdictions, and lead consultation processes for organizational change. Represent GitLab in, or directly manage outside counsel appearances for, labor courts, employment tribunals, and agency investigations, including case strategy, fact development, witness preparation, and settlement decisions. Counsel People Business Partners, Team Member Relations partners, and business leaders on complex and sensitive team-member relations concerns. Draft, review, negotiate, and maintain employment agreements, separation agreements, policies, templates, and related documentation across multiple jurisdictions. Own employment compliance across EMEA and incorporate outside-counsel input into strategies that match the business. Monitor and analyze changes in employment, privacy, and related laws; identify legal risks; and translate developments into practical recommendations and implementable guidance. Lead the development and continuous improvement of scalable employment-law processes, systems, playbooks, templates, and supporting documentation for the Legal and People teams. Provide employment advice in regions outside EMEA as needed. Use GitLab to collaborate transparently and work effectively in an asynchronous, globally distributed environment. What you’ll bring A Juris Doctor (JD), Bachelor of Laws (LLB), or local equivalent, admitted to practice in at least one EMEA jurisdiction. Substantial, firsthand experience advising a multinational company with works councils across EMEA, including direct hands-on negotiation and consultation experience. A demonstrated track record of advocating or