Senior Product Counsel

ABOUT SLATE

At Slate, we’re building safe, reliable vehicles that people can afford, personalize and love—and doing it here in the USA as part of our commitment to reindustrialization. The spirit of DIY and customization runs throughout every element of a Slate, because people should have control over how their trucks look, feel, and represent them.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Slate is hiring a Senior Product Counsel to support go-to-market for Slate. Reporting to Slate’s Deputy General Counsel, you will advise on consumer and B2B/fleet transactions and customer agreements, marketing and advertising, service and customer escalations, consumer and commercial finance, and optional products.

We care more about how you think than what you’ve already done. The subject matter here spans commercial contracts, advertising and consumer protection law, finance, and licensing — and it will keep shifting as Slate’s go-to-market model evolves. What we’re really looking for is a legal athlete: someone who has repeatedly shown they can absorb a new area of law quickly, ask the right questions of subject-matter experts, and turn ambiguity into a workable, business-ready answer. Prior experience in the areas below is a real plus, but adaptability, judgment, and adapting with a fast learning curve matter more to us than a perfect resume match.

WHAT YOU GET TO DO

Consumer & Fleet Transactions

• Draft, negotiate, and maintain customer-facing agreements for direct-to-consumer sales and fleet transactions, including terms of sale, fleet purchase agreements, and related order and delivery documentation

• Advise on go-to-market structuring for consumer and fleet channels, including pricing, promotions, and program terms

• Partner with sales teams to structure and document commercial vehicle sales

• Support the legal aspects of Slate’s direct sales model, including e-commerce terms of use, purchase agreements, and required disclosures

• Advise on know-your-customer (KYC), anti-money laundering, and other applicable transaction-level legal and regulatory requirements for consumer and fleet sales

Digital Retail Systems Support

• Partner with Product, Engineering, and E-Commerce teams to build and maintain the legal framework behind Slate’s digital retail platform, including checkout flows, configurators, and online disclosures

• Advise on, and review and update, terms of use, e-signature and electronic contracting processes, and point-of-sale disclosures embedded in the digital purchase journey

• Advise on legal requirements for online payment processing, e-signature validity, and recordkeeping across digital retail and finance workflows

• Support testing and rollout of new or updated digital retail features, flagging legal and compliance considerations early in the product cycle

• Troubleshoot legal issues arising from digital retail system changes in partnership with IT, Product, and outside vendors

Marketing & Advertising Support

• Review and clear marketing, advertising, and promotional materials across digital, social, print, and dealer/partner channels for legal and regulatory compliance

• Advise on FTC, state consumer protection, and advertising substantiation requirements applicable to vehicle marketing claims (range, pricing, incentives, financing offers, features)

• Support influencer, sponsorship, and co-marketing arrangements with OEM and other partners

• Provide fast-turn legal review that keeps pace with a marketing team that moves quickly

Service & Customer Escalations

• Advise service and customer support teams on customer complaints, escalations, and pre-litigation disputes

• Support the development of service policies, warranty terms, and customer-facing communications

• Partner with product defense counsel and customer support teams on escalation paths and playbooks for at-risk customer matters

• Build scalable, non-lawyer-friendly guidance so frontline teams can resolve issues confidently and consistently

Consumer & Commercial Finance and Optional Products

• Advise on consumer and commercial financing programs, including retail installment contracts, leasing, and other financing structures offered to consumers and fleet customers

• Support the design, documentation, and compliance review of optional products (e.g., extended service contracts, GAP, and other insurance-adjacent products) offered at point of sale

• Monitor compliance with consumer finance laws (e.g., TILA/Regulation Z, state retail installment sales acts) applicable to Slate’s finance and optional-product offerings

• Partner with Finance, Insurance, and third-party providers on program design and contract terms

Dealer, Financial Services & Insurance/Optional Products Licensing

• Support dealer licensing strategy and compliance across state motor vehicle dealer laws, including franchise and direct-sales considerations

• Support licensing of Slate’s financial services and insurance/optional-products offerings, including entity, agent, and producer licensing as applicable

• Track state-by-state licensing requirements, applications, and renewals, partnering with Compliance and outside counsel to keep Slate’s licensing footprint current as the company expands

• Build repeatable processes and trackers for licensing obligations tied to new states, products, and channels

Other

• Other duties as assigned, as Slate’s go-to-market legal needs evolve

WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TEAM

• J.D. and active license to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction

• 8+ years of relevant experience, in-house and/or at a law firm, with meaningful exposure to any combination of commercial contracts, marketing/advertising law, consumer finance, or licensing/regulatory compliance — automotive or OEM experience is a plus, not a requirement

• A demonstrated track record of picking up new legal subject matter quickly and running with it, rather than deep experience in only one narrow area

• Experience with consumer transactions, retail or e-commerce terms, and/or marketing review is helpful; experience with dealer, finance, or insurance licensing is a plus

• Comfort advising on — and helping build — process where no playbook exists yet, in a fast-moving startup

• Excellent judgment translating business and marketing objectives into legal risk, and legal risk back into practical, actionable guidance

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to advise executives and guide non-lawyers alike

• A genuine appetite for learning new areas of law on the job and stepping into whatever the business needs next

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Fast, disciplined self-teaching — comfortable becoming the go-to expert in a new legal area within weeks, not years

• Sound legal judgment under ambiguity and time pressure

• Ability to build scalable process and systems where none exist

• Strong cross-functional relationship-building across Legal, Sales, Marketing, Service, Finance, and Compliance

• Practical, business-minded counseling style

• Discretion and composure handling customer-facing and reputationally sensitive matters

SALARY RANGE

The compensation for this position is the range Slate reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for the position taking into account the wide variety of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including job-related knowledge; skillset; experience, education and training; certifications; work location; and other relevant business and organizational factors.

Annual Base Pay Range:  $144,122 - $285,319

ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Slate offers a wide range of competitive benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, vacation, and 401k. The successful candidate may also be eligible to participate in the equity program and/or a discretionary annual incentive program, subject to the rules governing such programs.

WORK AUTHORIZATION REQUIREMENT

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis.  We are unable to offer visa sponsorship at this time.

WHY JOIN TEAM SLATE?

At Slate, we’re fueled by grit, determination, and attention to detail. The start-up spirit of ingenuity and resourcefulness move our business forward. Team Slate fosters a culture of excellence, innovation, and mutual respect, and is motivated by shared principles.

• Safety First

• Delight Customers

• One Team

• Relentless Improvement

• Fast, Frugal, and Scrappy

• Respectful Collaboration

• Positive Legacy

WE WANT TO WORK WITH PEOPLE THAT REFLECT THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE OPERATE.

Slate is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, marital status, parental status, cultural background, organizational level, work styles, tenure and life experiences. Or for any other reason.

Slate is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at

[email protected].