Legal Director

Job Description:

Join us as we scale our business by building on our tremendous success around the world. The massive database market is going to double over the next few years (the IDC estimates it to be $119B+ by 2025) and TiDB is a global player positioned as a major disruptor with TiDB Database and Database as a Service offering. TiDB is an open-source, cloud-native, distributed SQL database for elastic scale and real-time analytics. Large and high-growth organizations in markets as varied as financial services, logistics, gaming, e-commerce and software as a service have successfully deployed and expanded their TiDB footprint on mission-critical applications. Our strong open-source community roots (37,000+ stars on GitHub), innovative products and inclusive culture draw passionate and dedicated people to our company. Learn more about TiDB careers and join our team to be at the forefront of innovation and growth.

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This position requires candidates to be located in the West Coast time zone.

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Role Overview:

We are seeking an exceptional Legal Director to lead TiDB’s legal function worldwide. You will oversee commercial, compliance, and product-embedded legal strategies that enable TiDB to scale across North America, EMEA, and APAC. This role requires hands-on leadership, deep SaaS/infra experience, and operational agility to support a fast-growing global company.

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Responsibilities:

• Lead negotiations for complex global SaaS and infrastructure deals (>$1M).
• Manage simultaneous compliance requirements across U.S., EU, and APAC (GDPR, CCPA, China DSL, PIPL, etc.).
• Negotiate cloud hyperscaler agreements (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Structure open-core monetization models across Cloud and On-Premise offerings.
• Apply hands-on commercial expertise across at least two of three regions: U.S., EMEA, and APAC.
• Accelerate GTM execution by enhancing customer trust, reducing sales contract cycles, and structuring scalable partner ecosystem contracts.
• Provide legal insights on competitive landscapes that influence business strategy.
• Partner with Product to co-design data product terms and conditions, and develop scalable open-source compliance engines.
• Lead distributed legal teams across three or more time zones; implement “follow-the-sun” legal operations.
• Scale legal output efficiently with limited headcount growth using tools like CLM automation.
• Resolve complex multi-jurisdictional incidents and risks with speed and precision.
• Demonstrate a growth mindset by upskilling the legal team on emerging technologies and new business models.
• Navigate cross-cultural dynamics across the U.S. and Asia; adapt leadership style for Sales, Product, and Engineering teams.
• Exhibit proactive ownership—crafting and executing a global legal roadmap that aligns with business scaling needs.
• Maintain strong professional standing with Bar admission and participation in relevant legal associations.

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Qualifications:

• 12+ years of progressive legal experience, with at least 5 years in leadership roles within SaaS, infrastructure, or high-tech companies.
• Proven track record negotiating high-value SaaS/infra contracts, cloud hyperscaler agreements, and structuring open-core models.
• Deep knowledge of global compliance frameworks (GDPR, CCPA, China DSL, PIPL) and experience managing cross-border compliance simultaneously.
• Experience managing distributed global legal teams and implementing operational systems to scale efficiency.
• Strong commercial acumen with experience embedded in GTM and Product functions.
• Crisis management expertise, handling multi-jurisdictional risks and incidents.
• Exceptional communication and cross-cultural collaboration skills.
• Active Bar membership.

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The annual anticipated base salary range for U.S. candidates for this role is USD $195,000 to $275,000K. Four zones are applied with different levels of the pay range. More details of the Geo Differential Pay Policy will be discussed during the HR conversation. The actual individual base pay will depend on various factors such as the complexity and responsibility of the role, work locations, job levels, and relevant experience and skills. This role is also eligible to participate in TiDB's Bonus and Equity Plan, as well as our Sales Compensation Plan if it is a sales role. In order to comply with local legislation and provide greater transparency to candidates, we share base salary ranges on all US job postings regardless of desired hiring location. Please note that actual salaries may vary and fall outside of this range depending on factors such as a candidate's qualifications, geographic location, skills, experience, and competencies. Other benefits include health insurance, flexible vacation time, paid holidays, and parental leave. Salaries for candidates outside the U.S. will vary based on local compensation structures.