Director, Data and Privacy - Legal

At Forge (NYSE: FRGE), we know our team is our greatest asset. As technology innovators in the private market, our vision is to deliver a richer future for everyone. We live that vision through our values of being bold, humble and accountable. We experience the value that our vision brings to the world every day, helping the teams behind the greatest innovations of our generation, from space travel to planet-saving, plant-based nutrition and more.

Our mission is to empower more people to exercise ownership in the world’s leading private companies via a world-class technology platform with access to the largest network of buyers and sellers in the world. With liquidity solutions, exclusive data and insights, a custody offering, and a vibrant marketplace, Forge’s goal is to build the best-in-class technology infrastructure to power a global private market that is transparent, accessible and seamless for companies, their employees and investors. Through Forge, employees can sell their private shares, employers can reward shareholders with pre-IPO liquidity and individual and institutional investors can participate in private unicorn growth.

Forge's differentiated global marketplace addresses rising demand among individual and institutional investors for exposure to private company stocks and it is building a growing network effect with defensible competitive advantages. The Forge marketplace has over 440,000 registered users and private shares have traded in more than 500 companies since inception, representing over $12 billion in volume across over 21,000+ transactions.

Our ability to offer these powerful financial solutions has generated incredible interest from investors, demand from customers, and a need to grow our team to meet the needs of more companies, teams and innovators in this way. You can learn more about Forge in the following video: “The private market future starts now”.

The Role:

As the [Senior] Director, Data and Privacy - Legal you will serve as the primary coverage for our growing Forge Data business. You will work closely with the business and other internal stakeholders to advise on specific market data products and services, and related legal and regulatory requirements. You will also advise on data protection, governance and privacy issues and work with InfoSec, Compliance and other internal stakeholders and outside counsel to ensure compliance with privacy and data protection laws while enabling data-driven innovation. The ability to think and act both strategically and tactically will be vital for this individual with respect to the needs and objectives of our business while ensuring that the company remains compliant with various data protection and other laws and regulations as well as industry best practices in data and financial services.

Location: 

This is a hybrid role that requires you to work in New York City office 2-3 times a week.

Responsibilities:

• Provide legal support for Forge Data business, collaborating with product and engineering teams on new data products, and advising on market data, index and/or other data products in financial services relating to trading and investment services
• Negotiate and manage various licensing, distribution, and other agreements, ensuring consistent legal guidance and risk alignment.
• Stay current with regulatory developments, updating policies and agreements, and advising on data privacy and financial services compliance.
• Identify and address new privacy and data law requirements, providing guidance on data anonymization, AI capabilities, and data analytics.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders on global privacy analysis and control design for Forge’s data environments.
• Support additional legal areas such as IP, HR, litigation, and vendor agreements, participating in cross-functional initiatives and special projects as needed.

Required Qualifications: 

• 5+ years of direct experience working and advising on Financial Data Products (market data, indices, analytics, etc.) and collaborating directly with Product Management, Data Engineer, and Software Engineering teams
• Comprehensive understanding of applicable legal and regulatory frameworks, including federal and state financial regulations, data products, analytics, indices, and data governance.
• Proficient knowledge of US privacy laws and hands-on experience implementing privacy programs in growing companies; familiarity with foreign privacy regimes and the ability to adapt quickly.
• Proven experience drafting and negotiating a broad range of commercial contracts and advising internal stakeholders.
• Support other areas such as general corporate, HR, and litigation, with the ability to quickly take ownership of diverse areas and projects.
• Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school and licensed to practice law ideally with a mix of law firm and in-house experience.

For residents of New York, NY or San Francisco/Bay Area, CA the annual salary range for this role is $200,000- $240,000 + bonus. Final offers may vary from the amount listed based on geography, candidate experience and expertise, bonus, and other factors

Forge implements a mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy, which applies to all employees. All employees covered by this policy are required to be fully vaccinated as a term and condition of employment at Forge. Employees are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after completing primary vaccination with a COVID-19 vaccine, with, if applicable, at least the minimum recommended interval between doses. Employees must provide truthful and accurate information about their COVID-19 vaccination status, and, if applicable, their testing results as of the first date of their employment.

Employees may request an exception from this mandatory vaccination policy if the vaccine is medically contraindicated for them or medical necessity requires a delay in vaccination. Employees also may be legally entitled to a reasonable accommodation if they cannot be vaccinated because of a disability, or if the provisions in this policy for vaccination conflict with a sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance. All such requests will be handled in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Forge is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.