Graduate Legal Counsel - Tech Sector

Canonical is a leading provider of open source software and operating systems to the global enterprise and technology markets. Our platform, Ubuntu, is very 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 global distributed collaboration, with 1200+ colleagues in 75+ countries and very few office-based roles. 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 expanding our in-house legal team, creating an opportunity for an exceptional recent graduate as junior Legal Advisor or junior Legal Counsel. The successful candidate will be a rigorous and effective practitioner with a track record of academic achievement and social engagement. At Canonical they will have the opportunity to work on a variety of transactional matters in the technology and enterprise software realm, as well as the contracts that underpin global employment, contracting and partnerships. In this appointment we are more focused on ability than experience; the position is open to applicants with a relevant degree, but does not have a requirement for extensive work experience. The successful candidate will work closely with our in-house legal team and colleagues worldwide.

Candidates must be able to demonstrate good commercial judgment as well as being organized, efficient, and capable to provide high quality legal and commercial advice. We are looking for a rigorous work ethic, detailed analysis, conscientiousness, and the ambition to identify opportunities for improvement.

Location: This role is home based in Europe, the Middle East, Africa or the Americas, with the option of our London office.

The role entails

• Report to our global general counsel

• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial contracts with customers and vendors in many countries across the globe

• Provide legal support to various internal clients across the company, including Canonical’s sales organization

• Interface with cross-functional teams to support company initiatives

• Utilize Canonical’s contract management system to ensure accurate data is maintained for signed contracts

• Work with local counsel in many countries to seek and implement advice

What we are looking for in you

• An exceptional academic track record from both high school and university

• A degree in law, JD or equivalent, and active license to practice law or current progress towards that

• Drive and a track record of going above-and-beyond expectations

• Strong organizational and prioritization skills with the ability to work in a fast-paced, multi-cultural environment

• Effective both independently and as part of a team

• A passion for technology evidenced by personal initiatives and projects

• 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

• Excellent interpersonal skills, curiosity, flexibility, and accountability 

• Thoughtfulness and self-motivation 

• Result-oriented, with a personal drive to meet commitments 

• Ability to travel twice a year, for company events up to two weeks long

Nice-to-have skills

• Experience in commercial transactions, intellectual property, or corporate law

• 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 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.

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