Lead Employment Counsel, EMEA (Remote, UK or Ireland) — GitLab
About GitLab
GitLab is the intelligent orchestration platform for DevSecOps — trusted by more than 50 million registered users and over 50% of the Fortune 100. The same principles built into its products shape how the team works: an all-remote, high-performance culture driven by values, transparency, and continuous knowledge exchange.
The Opportunity
GitLab is looking for a Lead Legal Counsel, Employment to serve as a senior legal advisor across the full employment relationship — from recruiting and onboarding through compensation, performance, leave, separation, and litigation when needed. This is a remote role, ideally based in the United Kingdom or Ireland, supporting a globally distributed organization.
What You'll Do
- Provide senior, practical employment-law advice that balances legal risk, business objectives, and GitLab's values
- Advise across the employment lifecycle: compensation, performance management, employee relations, works councils, organizational changes, and post-employment matters
- Counsel People Business Partners and business leaders on complex, sensitive team-member relations concerns
- Draft, review, and negotiate employment and separation agreements, policies, and templates across multiple jurisdictions
- Advise on EMEA employment compliance, coordinating with local counsel where needed
- Monitor changes in employment and privacy law (including GDPR) and translate them into actionable guidance
- Support employment litigation, tribunal claims, agency investigations, and disputes
What You Bring
- Significant experience as an employment lawyer, ideally in-house or in a firm with international exposure
- Strong judgment, practical business focus, and the ability to lead complex matters independently
- Experience in a distributed or remote-first environment is a plus
- A collaborative style — you mentor colleagues and share expertise willingly
Why GitLab?
All-remote flexibility, a values-driven culture that accelerates careers, and the chance to shape employment practice for one of the world's most recognized software companies. If you're an employment counsel who thrives on complexity, this is your stage.
🚀 Ready to Apply?
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