Senior Legal Counsel, Americas

Job Description

Join the team redefining how the world experiences design.

Hello, g'day, mabuhay, kia ora, 你好, hallo, vítejte!

Thanks for stopping by. We know job hunting can be a little time consuming and you're probably keen to find out what's on offer, so we'll get straight to the point.

Where and how you can work

Our flagship office is in Sydney, Australia, but we've made our way from down under, to a hub in San Francisco, which is now home to our US operations. We offer flexibility in how and where you work. We trust our Canvanauts to choose the balance that empowers them and their team to achieve their goals.


The position will be located in San Francisco, with the possibility of relocation for suitable candidates - please note you will need to be currently based in San Francisco or if you wish to relocate please advise this in your application.

What you’d be doing in this role

As Canva scales change continues to be part of our DNA. But we like to think that's all part of the fun. So this will give you the flavour of the type of things you'll be working on when you start, but this will likely evolve.

Canva is looking for a Senior Employment Lawyer to join our dynamic team. Reporting to the Global Head of Employment Legal (based in Australia), this role offers the opportunity to work in a highly motivated, closely-knit, and collaborative team.

This is a high-impact regional role with genuinely global reach. Alongside supporting the Americas, you’ll have the opportunity to lead and contribute to complex Canva-wide projects. You’ll join a highly motivated, collaborative and close-knit team that values thoughtful judgment, ownership and a pragmatic approach to solving problems.


If you are an employment lawyer who enjoys working in a fast-paced, evolving environment, this is an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful impact.

At the moment, this role is focused on:

• Act as a trusted Employment Legal partner for Canva’s Americas region, working closely with People, business leaders and other cross-functional stakeholders.
• Provide practical, commercially minded advice across a broad range of employment matters, including performance management, disciplinary processes, grievances, contingent workers, global mobility and employee relations.
• Prepare and negotiate employment-related documentation, including separation agreements.
• Support and manage employment disputes and litigation.
• Conduct employment classification reviews and support other compliance initiatives.
• Lead complex and time-sensitive regional and Canva-wide employment projects, coordinating internal stakeholders and external advisers.
• Contribute to the development, implementation and review of workplace policies, processes, guidance and templates in line with local laws and practices.
• Liaise with external counsel in the US and other jurisdictions as needed.
• Support Canva-wide learning initiatives, including delivering training on employment-related topics.

You're probably a match if

• 8+ years’ relevant experience gained in a respected law firm and/or in-house, ideally supporting a rapidly growing international technology company.
• Admission to, and good standing with, a US state bar.
• Strong working knowledge of employment law across multiple US states, and the ability to apply that knowledge pragmatically in a commercial environment.
• Good judgment and a collaborative, flexible approach to problem-solving.
• The ability to communicate complex matters clearly and provide pragmatic advice that is risk-aware, not risk-averse.
• A strong sense of ownership, a “can do” attitude, and the ability to navigate stakeholders and drive projects forward.

About the team

With big goals, come big ideas. And our Legal team is there every step of the way - ideating, providing strategic legal advice and collaborating with Canvanauts across the globe to bring our ideas to life.

You will join a dynamic, global legal team working on a variety of innovative technologies with interesting legal considerations. You will be required to leverage your expertise, good judgment and strong business sense to make complex laws simple and assist swift decision-making in our fast paced environment.

You will be challenged to look at the big picture to find innovative ways and product solutions to drive product compliance in a fast-paced, growth focussed environment. You’ll help Canva see around corners to prepare for upcoming regulatory changes and influence how the business responds to those changes. You’ll work to ensure Canva’s products continue to delight our community and meet our goals, whilst also keeping users safe and meeting community and regulator expectations.

What's in it for you?

Achieving our crazy big goals motivates us to work hard - and we do - but you'll experience lots of moments of magic, connectivity and fun woven throughout life at Canva, too. We also offer a range of benefits to set you up for every success in and outside of work.

Here's a taste of what's on offer:

• Equity packages - we want our success to be yours too
• Health benefits plans to support you and your wellbeing
• 401(k) retirement plan with company contribution
• Inclusive parental leave policy that supports all parents & carers
• An annual Vibe & Thrive allowance to support your wellbeing, social connection, office setup & more
• Flexible leave options that empower you to be a force for good, take time to recharge and supports you personally

Check out lifeatcanva.com for more info.

At Canva we value fairness, and we strive to provide competitive, market-informed compensation whilst ensuring internal equity within the team in each region. We make hiring decisions based on your skills, experience and our overall assessment of what we observed and learnt in the hiring process. The target salary range for this position is $190,000 - $280,000. When calculating offers, we make salary decisions based on market data and candidates' skills and experience.

Other stuff to know

We make hiring decisions based on your experience, skills and passion, as well as how you can enhance Canva and our culture. When you apply, please tell us the pronouns you use and any reasonable adjustments you may need during the interview process.

We celebrate all types of skills and backgrounds at Canva so even if you don’t feel like your skills quite match what’s listed above - we still want to hear from you!

Please note that interviews are conducted virtually.

Recruitment type: Permanent Compensation: USD 190000 - USD 280000 - yearly