Assistant General Counsel

Job Description

About Altruist

Altruist is transforming the multi-trillion dollar wealth management industry by building an AI platform for wealth professionals. We partner with financial advisors nationwide, empowering them to grow, optimize time and resources, and deliver superior outcomes for their clients.

We’re looking for exceptional talent to help us achieve our mission of making financial advice better, more affordable, and accessible to all. If you’re passionate about challenging the status quo and want to do the most important work of your life, we’d love to meet you!

But first, our values

Kindness - Kindness doesn’t just equal niceness. We listen to understand. We embrace, and encourage healthy debate and diverse perspectives. We approach conflict openly, honestly, and respectfully.

Brilliance - Humility is the skill we’re most proud of and possessing a growth mindset is always top of mind. We take ownership in everything we touch; regularly using our unique superpowers to reach a common goal as a team. We succeed and fail as one.

Grit - When challenges arise, we stay laser focused on achieving our mission and finding a way forward, even when it’s hard. We are nimble and maintain a sense of urgency, swiftly adapting to change and overcoming obstacles.

The opportunity

We are looking for an Assistant General Counsel to join our Legal and Compliance team. This role is a key partner to our Product, Engineering, and Commercial teams as we design, build, and scale investment and brokerage products for independent advisors and their clients. You will help shape how new products are structured, documented, and brought to market. You will also be a primary point of contact for commercial negotiations that support those products. This role is ideal for a lawyer who enjoys translating complex regulations into practical guidance, working closely with builders, and operating in a collaborative, low-ego environment.

This is a hybrid role based in Los Angeles (Culver City) or the San Francisco Bay Area, with an expectation of being in the office at least three days per week.

Your impact

• Advise Product and Engineering on the design and launch of new investment and brokerage features, balancing innovation with regulatory obligations and operational realities
• Structure and document new products and programs, including advisor-facing tools, custodial features, trading and investment products, and related terms, disclosures, and policies
• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements that support the platform, including: SaaS, data, and technology licenses; Brokerage, distribution, and partnership agreements; NDAs, MSAs, and statements of work
• Develop and maintain templates, playbooks, and fallback positions to help the business move quickly while managing legal and regulatory risk
• Partner closely with Compliance to ensure product designs and commercial arrangements align with SEC, FINRA, and other applicable rules and guidance
• Support regulatory interactions, including exams, inquiries, and informal outreach, by preparing responses, reviewing communications, and ensuring we can clearly explain and defend our legal positions
• Provide day-to-day counseling to cross-functional partners (Product, Engineering, Operations, GTM, Finance) on contract, regulatory, and risk questions
• Contribute to team culture and process improvements as Legal scales alongside the business

What you bring

• At least 5 years of post-JD experience at: A major law firm, and/or a federal financial regulator (e.g., SEC, FRB, OCC, CFPB, CFTC), and/or a respected financial services or financial technology company
• Experience advising on products or services in a regulated financial environment (broker-dealer, investment adviser, asset management, payments, or comparable)

Regulatory and product aptitude

• Strong interest in broker-dealer and/or investment adviser regulation, with the ability to quickly go deep on rules that matter to the business
• Demonstrated ability to translate regulations into clear, actionable guidance for Product and Engineering teams
• Comfort working with technical and data-heavy products and curiosity about how systems work under the hood

Commercial and deal skills

• Meaningful experience drafting and negotiating complex commercial contracts, including technology/SaaS, data, financial services, or distribution agreements
• Ability to balance legal risk, regulatory expectations, and business objectives in negotiations

Ways of working

• High ownership mindset and comfort operating in a fast-moving, high-growth environment with evolving priorities
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to tailor advice to engineers, executives, and regulators
• Collaborative, low-ego approach and a view of Legal as an enabler, not a blocker

Bonus points

• Securities regulatory experience advising broker-dealers, investment advisers, or funds on SEC and/or FINRA rules
• Experience working in the SEC’s Division of Trading and Markets, Division of Investment Management, Enforcement, Exams, or comparable regulatory units
• Experience interacting with financial regulators (e.g., responding to SEC or FINRA inquiries, supporting exams, handling enforcement-adjacent matters)
• Prior in-house experience at a fintech, broker-dealer, investment adviser, or other regulated financial institution
• Experience with intellectual property and privacy issues

Los Angeles, CA salary range

$180,000—$235,000 USD

What we bring

Attracting and retaining top-tier talent is a priority. We are proud of the culture we’ve built and are cognizant of the ever-changing professional landscape. Our dynamic offering of perks and benefits are tailored for you to feel your best while doing your best.

• A hybrid work schedule for most positions to promote strong, in-person collaboration.
• Stunning, amenity-filled office spaces in Culver City, CA, San Francisco, CA, and Dallas, TX. Our offices are intentionally designed for comfort, collaboration, and productivity.
• Competitive pay and equity for eligible positions.
• Premium healthcare, dental, and vision insurance plans (HMO and PPO).
• 401k savings plan with a 4% match and immediate vesting.
• 16 week paid parental leave.
• Professional growth and development opportunities including an employee mobility program and an annual L&D budget allocation for each employee.
• Company perks program (includes discounts on pet insurance, fitness, cell phone plans, and travel, etc.).
• Financial guidance program (includes counseling on navigating debt, tracking personal spend, saving and planning goals, home-purchasing preparedness, etc.).
• One month work from anywhere policy (with the exception of a few countries).

Total compensation includes a competitive benefits package, along with equity in the form of Stock Options (ISOs) for eligible roles. For salaried positions, a salary offer will be determined by a number of factors including experience, skill level, internal pay equity, geographic location, and other relevant business considerations. We review all employee pay and compensation programs regularly to ensure fair, equitable, and competitive pay. At Altruist, we are committed to providing fair, equitable, and competitive compensation by leveraging market data to inform our pay bands. Base salaries will be reviewed at regular intervals throughout the year, typically in conjunction with performance review cycles. By evaluating compensation on a regular basis, we are able to reward high performance and ensure all employees have opportunities for growth.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Altruist we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role, but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.