Senior Counsel, Legal, Privacy & Data Strategy

Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery… the stuff dreams are made of.

Who We Are…

When we say, “the stuff dreams are made of,” we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD’s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what’s next…

From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive.

Your New Role

The Privacy Legal team brings together a global team of legal and privacy professionals to drive WBD’s consumer-first global privacy strategy. The Privacy & Data Strategy Legal team helps WBD’s global workforce comply with privacy and data-related legal requirements, provide personalized and innovative consumer experiences that meet business goals, and build consumer trust by embedding privacy-by design into products and initiatives and maintaining transparency, control, and optionality around data use.

The Senior Counsel, Legal, Privacy & Data Strategy advises business, legal, technology stakeholders on a range of consumer privacy and data issues. This candidate will work with issues of first impression, emerging technology, and cutting-edge business models across entertainment, news, sports, games, marketing, and ad-tech.

Candidates for this role must also have knowledge and familiarity with global privacy laws that are relevant to our business such as the California Consumer Privacy Act, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, Video Privacy Protection Act, the EU General Data Protection Regulation, e-Privacy Directive and more, as well as a strong facility with technology, including privacy-enhancing technologies and AI/ML. The candidate will partner with global teams across WBD Legal, Product, Marketing, Ad-Tech, Ad Sales, and Technology. 

Your Role Accountabilities

Privacy and Data Terms for Distribution, Ad Tech, Marketing and Other Commercial Agreements

• Draft, review, and negotiate privacy, security, advertising, and data terms for complex business and transactional agreements, including service/SAAS, ad tech, ad sales, and data sharing agreements as well as contracts with major distributors and bundle partners for WBD’s flagship streaming service (HBO Max) and other products, to align with strategic business objectives and comply with applicable laws.

• Provide advice and guidance that breaks down statutory, regulatory, and contractual obligations into actionable business and technical requirements.

• Develop and maintain global, strategic positions, templates, and documentation for distribution and other agreements, including data terms.

Product Counseling

• Advise on privacy, legal, data strategy, and data security issues for Engineering, Product, Technology, Ad Sales, Ad-Tech, and Digital Marketing teams.

• Work with business stakeholders and technical subject matter experts on complex and innovative ad sales, ad-tech, and digital marketing products, including advanced advertising initiatives, clean rooms, data safe havens, etc.

• Work with stakeholders across WBD on consumer-facing product counseling, digital marketing, advertising, AI/ML, and other data initiatives to provide strategic, creative, and innovative global privacy advice for their own portfolio of high-profile brands, products, and franchises, which could include HBO Max, CNN, Bleacher Report, WB Games, Theatrical/Home Entertainment, Wizarding World/Harry Potter, HGTV, Food Network, etc.

• Provide guidance and support to other Privacy Legal & Data Strategy team members involved in similar projects globally.

• Review, develop, and maintain legal research, analysis, templates, checklists, training, and other materials.

• Help educate stakeholders and others on the Privacy & Data Strategy Team on complex privacy matters related to privacy-enhancing technology and other data-driven privacy initiatives.

• Monitor developments and maintain internal documentation about US privacy laws, requirements, litigation, enforcement actions and priorities, and industry standards and practices.

Data Use Cases

• Collaborate with Product and Engineering teams on data use, data architecture, and other privacy issues.

• Analyze and provide privacy legal requirements for the development and implementation of consent frameworks, data use cases, and privacy controls for end-to-end backend infrastructure supporting HBO Max and other top tier WBD products.

• Provide legal and privacy review of data use cases and conduct Privacy/Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) to maintain legal compliance and enable strategic business goals.

• Make recommendations with respect to legal risk, mitigation, and remediation. Escalate any high-risk issues.

• Analyze, advise, and manage the development of global privacy requirements and documentation for product counseling, user testing, and audits.

• Collaborate with Legal, Privacy Operations, Technology, and other business teams to drive privacy-by-design across consumer-facing products and data-related initiatives.

Information Security

• Draft and review information security policies and incident response plans.

• Prepare for, respond to, and provide advice in connection with a wide range of potential cyber and data security incidents, including by communicating with senior team members and high-level management during potential incidents to provide updates, escalate issues, and align on incident response efforts.

• Coordinate information gathering by security and business teams, oversee internal and external forensic investigations, review reports, recommend potential mitigations and remediations, and participate in post-mortem and table-top exercises.

• Draft data security-related notifications to consumers and regulators and provide legal review of crisis communications.

• Collaborate with Legal and other stakeholders on response to potential government and regulatory investigations.

• Monitor developments and maintain internal documentation about US data security laws, requirements, litigation, enforcement actions and priorities, and industry standards and practices.

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 7 years legal experience in consumer data privacy, information security, and/or data governance.

• Data privacy or information security experience is essential, including experience responding to data security incidents and responding to regulatory inquiries or investigations. Knowledge of commercial contracts or adjacent legal experience is desirable. 

• Experience drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements strongly preferred.

• Technology, computer science, engineering background desirable, and/or experience working closely with engineers and product teams to define technical requirements or implement privacy and/or security program requirements.

• Experience working with senior executives, explaining complex legal concepts in easily understandable terms.

• Experience supervising other privacy professionals.

• Entertainment industry experience a plus.

• Undergraduate degree required.

• JD degree from an accredited law school required.

• Admission to California State Bar in good standing or willingness and qualification to be Registered In-House Counsel required.

• Kind, collaborative, teamwork-oriented approach.

• Ability to work unsupervised on most matters, escalating high risks where appropriate.

• Strong legal judgment and excellent analytical skills, ability to understand and problem solve for complex legal issues, ability to quickly and thoughtfully analyze issues of first impression, practical and creative problem-solving approach.

• Ability to negotiate and draft complex commercial agreements, preferably on data-driven deals.

• Experience documenting and implementing requirements, procedures, controls, and guidelines.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills (legal, business, and technical).

• Strong legal judgment and ability to quickly and thoughtfully analyze issues of first impression.

• Ability to function well under pressure, identify tasks, handle multiple simultaneous projects and stakeholders, prioritize and reprioritize frequently, and deliver results.

• Excellent analytical skills.

• Strong attention to detail.

• Practical and creative problem-solving skills.

How We Get Things Done…

This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com/guiding-principles/ along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.

Championing Inclusion at WBD

Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects a wide array of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law.

If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page for instructions to submit your request.

In compliance with local law, we are disclosing the compensation, or a range thereof, for roles in locations where legally required. Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, location, skill set, experience, and/or performance. Base pay is just one component of Warner Bros. Discovery’s total compensation package for employees. Pay Range: $133,140.00 - $247,260.00 salary per year. Other rewards may include annual bonuses, short- and long-term incentives, and program-specific awards. In addition, Warner Bros. Discovery provides a variety of benefits to employees, including health insurance coverage, an employee wellness program, life and disability insurance, a retirement savings plan, paid holidays and sick time and vacation.If you’re a qualified candidate with an arrest or conviction record, please know that your application will be considered in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.