Employment Counsel, Americas

Canva is seeking an Employment Counsel for the Americas to join its dynamic global legal team. This hybrid role, based in San Francisco or Austin, involves providing expert advice on a broad range of employment law issues, including performance management, compensation, and litigation. The successful candidate will also be responsible for preparing agreements, supporting compliance, and developing workplace policies, leveraging strong business sense and a collaborative approach in a fast-paced, growth-focused environment.

Must Have

• Provide advice on a broad spectrum of employment law issues, including performance management, disciplinary outcomes, grievances, employee equity, executive compensation, benefits, contingent workers and global mobility.
• Prepare and negotiate various employment-related agreements, including severance agreements.
• Provide day to day advice to key stakeholders across various teams including People.
• Support and manage employee disputes and litigation.
• Conduct employment classification reviews, and support other compliance initiatives.
• Lead complex and time sensitive projects and coordinating internal stakeholders and external advisors.
• Contribute to the development, implementation and review of workplace policies, processes, guidance and templates in alignment with local laws and practices.
• Liaise with external counsel in the US and other jurisdictions as required.
• Support Canva-wide learning initiatives including to deliver training on employment-related topics taking account of changes to the law, best practice and Canva’s values and culture.
• 4+ years of relevant experience gained within a respected law firm or in-house, representing or working at rapidly growing international technology companies.
• Member of a US state bar in good standing.
• Understanding of employment law across various states in the US and have an an ability to apply that knowledge pragmatically in a commercial environment.
• International employment law interests and experience, particularly in diverse jurisdictions throughout the Americas.
• Good judgment and a collaborative, flexible approach to problem-solving.
• Ability to communicate complex matters effectively and provide pragmatic advice that is risk aware, not risk averse.
• Sense of ownership and ‘can do’ attitude and have the ability to navigate stakeholders and drive projects forward.

Perks & Benefits

• Equity packages
• Health benefits plans
• 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

Employment Counsel, Americas

• Full-time
• Recruitment type: Permanent

Company Description

Join the team redefining how the world experiences design.

Hello, hey, 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, as well as an office in Austin, Texas. 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.

This hybrid position will be located in either San Francisco or Austin, with the possibility of relocation for suitable candidates. Please note you will need to be currently based in one of these locations or, if you wish to relocate, please let us know in your application.

About the team

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 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 an employment lawyer to join our dynamic team. Reporting directly to the Senior Employment Counsel for the Americas (based in San Francisco), this role offers the opportunity to work in a highly motivated, closely-knit, and collaborative team.

If you are a globally-minded employment lawyer who thrives in a fast-paced and unstructured environment, this is the perfect opportunity for you!

At the moment, this role is focused on:

• Providing advice on a broad spectrum of employment law issues, including performance management, disciplinary outcomes, grievances, employee equity, executive compensation, benefits, contingent workers and global mobility
• Preparing and negotiating various employment-related agreements, including severance agreements
• Providing day to day advice to key stakeholders across various teams including People
• Supporting and managing employee disputes and litigation
• Conducting employment classification reviews, and supporting other compliance initiatives
• Leading complex and time sensitive projects and coordinating internal stakeholders and external advisors
• Contributing to the development, implementation and review of workplace policies, processes, guidance and templates in alignment with local laws and practices
• Liaising with external counsel in the US and other jurisdictions as required
• Supporting Canva-wide learning initiatives including to deliver training on employment-related topics taking account of changes to the law, best practice and Canva’s values and culture

You're probably a match if:

• You have 4+ years of relevant experience gained within a respected law firm or in-house, representing or working at rapidly growing international technology companies
• You are a member of a US state bar in good standing
• You have understanding of employment law across various states in the US and have an an ability to apply that knowledge pragmatically in a commercial environment
• You have international employment law interests and experience, particularly in diverse jurisdictions throughout the Americas
• You have good judgment and a collaborative, flexible approach to problem-solving
• You have the ability to communicate complex matters effectively and provide pragmatic advice that is risk aware, not risk averse
• You have a sense of ownership and ‘can do’ attitude and have the ability to navigate stakeholders and drive projects forward

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.

Other stuff to know

We make hiring decisions based on your experience, skills, merit and business needs, in compliance with applicable local laws.

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!

When you apply, please tell us the pronouns you use and any reasonable adjustments you may need during the interview process. Please note that interviews are conducted virtually.

Check out lifeatcanva.com for more info.