Job description

About Emergence

Emergence is a thematic holding company supported by the Pritzker Organization dedicated solely to acquiring and growing category-defining software enterprises. The company employs focused portfolios and specialized operational groups with strong domain expertise and proven strategies. Its approach blends operational precision with a growth equity mindset to foster sustainable Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) growth, improve profits, and deliver superior customer results.

Position Overview

This newly created role marks Emergence's inaugural dedicated legal hire. The Director of Legal will establish and lead the organization's daily legal operations, acting as the key legal contact across all portfolio companies. The role involves close collaboration with a fractional General Counsel and a group of external specialized counsel to handle complex legal matters.

Key Responsibilities

Manage legal inquiries across portfolio companies utilizing an AI-enhanced intake and triage system.
Create and maintain essential legal infrastructure, including centralized matter tracking, legal playbooks, escalation policies, and portfolio-wide legal reporting.
Oversee contract template management by coordinating collection, implementation, and ongoing administration alongside senior legal leaders and outside experts.
Develop and maintain the panel of outside counsel, coordinating matter delegation, monitoring performance, and ensuring favorable pricing and engagement terms.
Conduct reviews and negotiations of standard vendor and customer contracts within approved guidelines and escalation limits.
Administer entity and subsidiary governance within the holding company structure.
Support post-acquisition legal processes including intake coordination, issue tracking, and escalation to leadership or relevant stakeholders.
Establish standardized post-acquisition legal integration procedures across the portfolio.
Identify and forward specialized legal issues (M&A, IP, labor and employment, litigation, tax, regulatory compliance) to appropriate external counsel.
Exercise sound judgment in escalation decisions and outside counsel engagement.
Collaborate with Human Resources on employment-related legal matters, ensuring documentation, approvals, and compliance.

Qualifications

Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school with an active bar license in at least one U.S. state.
Between 3 to 5 years of legal experience, preferably including roles at smaller firms or early-stage in-house legal teams rather than large law firms or corporate legal departments.
Proven ability to create legal processes and playbooks from scratch rather than executing established ones.
Strong aptitude for commercial contract analysis and the discernment to determine when matters are routine versus requiring escalation or external counsel.
A pragmatic, risk-aware approach that enables business progress without compromising legal integrity.
Capacity to judiciously apply legal knowledge across diverse industries without deep specialization in each regulatory domain.

Preferred Experience

Previous involvement in building legal functions or processes within smaller or evolving legal teams.
Experience managing legal affairs across multiple business divisions or subsidiaries simultaneously.
Expertise in coordinating with outside counsel on equity matters, incentive compensation, or corporate governance.
Familiarity with legal operations tools such as matter management, contract lifecycle management, intake systems, or AI-assisted platforms.

Compensation and Benefits

This position offers a competitive salary range of $275,000 to $375,000 annually, complemented by performance-based bonuses and equity options. Compensation placement is determined by factors such as experience, skills, qualifications, and geographic location. A comprehensive benefits package is included.

Work Location

This is a remote position within the United States, with preference given to candidates located near New York or San Francisco.

Director of Legal