Legal Advisor / Legal Counsel (Compliance & Privacy)

About Canonical

Canonical is a leading provider of open-source software and operating systems to the global enterprise and technology markets. Our platform, Ubuntu, is widely used in breakthrough enterprise initiatives such as public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation, and IoT. Our customers include the world's leading public cloud and silicon providers, and industry leaders in many sectors. The company is a pioneer of globally-distributed collaboration, with 1200+ colleagues in 80+ countries and very few roles based in offices. Teams meet two to four times yearly in person, in interesting locations around the world, to align on strategy and execution. The company is founder-led, profitable, and growing. We are privately held with the intention to list on a public exchange.

The Role Entails

• Drafting and reviewing corporate policies, spearheading process change and deploying controls to meet compliance regulatory requirements globally.
• Helping develop, maintain, and scale global privacy programs. This includes conducting PIAs, ROPAs, and supporting operational initiatives.
• Working cross-functionally to evaluate the impact of privacy and data protection laws and regulations, including AI regulations.
• Providing legal support to various internal clients across the company, including Canonical’s product teams.
• Working with local counsel in many countries to seek and implement advice.

What We Are Looking For

• An exceptional academic track record from both high school and university.
• A degree in law, JD, or equivalent, and an active license to practice law or current progress towards that.
• Drive and a track record of going above-and-beyond expectations.
• Professional written and spoken English with excellent drafting and presentation skills.
• Confidence to respectfully speak up, exchange feedback, and share ideas without hesitation.
• Appreciative of diversity; polite and effective in a multicultural, multinational organization.
• Ability to stay organized, proactive, and efficient.
• Ability to demonstrate good commercial judgment.
• Ability to travel twice a year for company events up to two weeks long.

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Experience in compliance, data privacy, or product development.
• Leadership and the ability to influence others to embrace new ideas or practices.
• Understanding of the open-source software community and values.
• Understanding of the technology industry (silicon, data centers, PCs, connected devices, and software).
• Experience working on an in-house legal team and/or law firm.

What We Offer Colleagues

We consider geographical location, experience, and performance in shaping compensation worldwide. We revisit compensation annually (and more often for graduates and associates) to ensure we recognize outstanding performance. In addition to base pay, we offer a performance-driven annual bonus or commission. We provide all team members with additional benefits which reflect our values and ideals. We balance our programs to meet local needs and ensure fairness globally.

• Distributed work environment with twice-yearly team sprints in person.
• Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year.
• Annual compensation review.
• Recognition rewards.
• Annual holiday leave.
• Maternity and paternity leave.
• Team Member Assistance Program & Wellness Platform.
• Opportunity to travel to new locations to meet colleagues.
• Priority Pass and travel upgrades for long-haul company events.

About Canonical

Canonical is a pioneering tech firm at the forefront of the global move to open source. As the company that publishes Ubuntu, one of the most important open-source projects and the platform for AI, IoT, and the cloud, we are changing the world of software. We recruit on a global basis and set a very high standard for people joining the company. We expect excellence; in order to succeed, we need to be the best at what we do. Most colleagues at Canonical have worked from home since our inception in 2004. Working here is a step into the future and will challenge you to think differently, work smarter, learn new skills, and raise your game.

Canonical is an equal opportunity employer. We are proud to foster a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and background create a better work environment and better products. Whatever your identity, we will give your application fair consideration.