Senior Counsel, France

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company building general-purpose AI systems designed to benefit humanity. The Legal team tackles complex legal challenges that arise from developing and deploying AI at scale, drawing on expertise across commercial, corporate, employment, privacy, intellectual property, regulatory and litigation matters. They work closely with product, policy and business teams across the organization to navigate legal risk and opportunity.

This Senior Counsel position is based in Paris as a hybrid role, serving as OpenAI's primary legal advisor for France. You'll own regulatory and policy matters affecting the company's products and operations in the country, while also providing broader legal support for the local office. This is a hands-on role that requires you to translate complex legal questions into practical business advice and help shape how OpenAI engages with French regulators and policymakers.

What you'll do

• Monitor French and EU regulatory developments, enforcement actions and policy proposals that impact OpenAI's business. Develop clear legal positions and recommendations in partnership with policy, product, privacy and regulatory teams, then communicate these to local leadership.

• Prepare for and support regulatory engagement with French and EU authorities. Draft legal analysis, briefing materials and consultation responses. Coordinate with EMEA and global legal colleagues to ensure consistency in OpenAI's approach.

• Advise on local business initiatives including partnerships, research collaborations, university relationships, marketing and events. Work with commercial, product, IP and regulatory teams to identify and manage legal requirements.

• Serve as the point person for French operational and business legal matters. Handle local governance, office development and employment compliance. Flag legal dependencies early, involve the right specialist teams and see projects through to completion.

What you'll bring

• A Master 2 in Law or equivalent qualification, plus substantial experience advising on French law across commercial, employment, corporate and operational areas.

• Background in in-house counsel, law firm, government or institutional legal roles with exposure to regulatory engagement, policy development or enforcement work.

• Strong ability to interpret complex legislation and policy proposals, then distill them into clear recommendations and persuasive written materials.

• Fluency in both French and English, with the skill to explain intricate legal issues to business leaders and senior executives.

• Proven judgment in unfamiliar terrain. You know when to escalate to specialists and when to manage issues within established frameworks.

• Comfort with ambiguity and emerging technology. You're interested in AI, can work through uncertainty and are willing to develop expertise as products and regulations evolve.

Nice to have

• Experience balancing multiple priorities and maintaining consistent coverage of operational matters while progressing other work.