Director of Legal and Compliance

About the role

• Director of Legal & Compliance
• Company: Synquery
• Location: Nashville, TN (on-site)
• Reports To: Chief Executive Officer
• Employment Type: Full-Time

The Opportunity

Synquery is seeking a Director of Legal & Compliance to build and lead the company's legal and compliance function. This is a rare opportunity for an entrepreneurial-minded lawyer to join a company at a formative stage, working directly with the CEO to establish the frameworks, policies, and agreements that will govern how Synquery operates as it scales. You will wear multiple hats - advisor, negotiator, program-builder, and strategic partner to leadership - in an environment where your decisions will have immediate impact.

What You'll Do

• Lead compliance strategy: Design, implement, and manage comprehensive compliance programs covering Synquery's internal personnel as well as the network of experts who engage with the platform.
• Build the compliance infrastructure: Establish policies, training, and monitoring processes to ensure adherence to relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards (e.g., expert network compliance norms, confidentiality and information barriers, data privacy).
• Negotiate key agreements: Draft, review, and negotiate client agreements, partner agreements, expert agreements, vendor contracts, and other core business documents.
• Manage legal risk: Identify, assess, and mitigate legal and regulatory risks across the business, including those specific to AI-enabled products and services.
• Advise leadership: Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO and broader leadership team on legal, regulatory, and compliance matters affecting business strategy and operations.
• Shape company policy: Help define internal governance practices, employment policies, and operational procedures as the company scales.
• Manage outside counsel: Engage and coordinate with external law firms on specialized matters as needed, while keeping day-to-day legal work in-house.
• Support corporate matters: Assist with corporate governance, entity management, and other general corporate legal needs as they arise.

What You'll Bring

• J.D.: from an accredited law school; active bar membership in good standing.
• 3+ years: of experience as a corporate lawyer or in-house counsel, ideally with exposure to contract negotiation and compliance programs.
• Strong drafting and negotiation skills across commercial agreements (client, partner, and vendor contracts).
• Familiarity with compliance frameworks relevant to regulated information services, data privacy, or expert networks (preferred, not required).
• A builder's mindset - comfortable creating structure and process.
• Sound judgment and the ability to balance legal risk with business pragmatism in a fast-moving environment.
• Excellent communication skills and the confidence to advise senior leadership directly.
• Self-starter energy: this role has significant autonomy and will require someone who is comfortable defining their own scope as the company's needs evolve.