Product Counsel

Why this role is on the menu

Instacart's product portfolio is expanding rapidly — into new international markets, physical hardware like Caper carts, and retailer-facing platforms like Storefront Pro. Without a dedicated attorney embedded in these initiatives, legal complexity becomes a bottleneck that slows product teams down. We’re hiring a Product Counsel to serve as the strategic legal partner who keeps momentum high while navigating complex and evolving regulatory landscapes. This role sits at the intersection of law, technology, and e-commerce, and the person who fills it will have direct impact on how Instacart’s most ambitious bets come to life.

What you’ll cook up in your first year

• Product teams launching in new international markets have a trusted legal partner who cleared the path — jurisdiction-specific risks identified early, with scalable compliance frameworks that don’t need to be rebuilt for each new market.
• Caper cart and Storefront Pro initiatives ship with confidence because legal requirements are synthesized into clear, actionable guidance that product, engineering, and design teams can act on — not walls they have to work around.
• Cross-functional legal processes are measurably more efficient — you’ve identified leverage points, introduced AI-assisted workflows, and reduced time-to-answer for recurring legal questions across Product, BD, and Operations.
• Instacart’s exposure across consumer protection, payments, privacy, and commercial compliance is well-mapped and proactively managed, with documented risk frameworks and clear escalation paths.
• Business partners across the company describe Legal as an enabler, not a gatekeeper — and you’re the reason why.

The secret ingredients we’re looking for

Must-have pantry staples (Minimum Qualifications)

• J.D. from a top-tier law school with active bar membership in at least one U.S. state
• 5+ years of legal experience at a leading law firm or in-house legal department
• Familiarity with legal issues in Internet and e-commerce spaces (copyright, privacy, advertising, payments, SaaS)
• Ability to provide clear, concise legal advice and drive results cross-functionally
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities across multiple teams in a fast-paced environment
• Comfort working with AI tools to drive efficiency and streamline legal processes

Optional garnishes (Preferred Qualifications)

• In-house experience at a tech company or retailer, directly or via secondment
• Experience with technology platforms
• Background in corporate, pharmaceutical, alcohol, or privacy/data security law (including GDPR and US-EU Privacy Shield)