Overview
In this role you will lead Canonical’s global Legal and Compliance function, shaping governance, risk, and regulatory posture as the company grows toward a public listing. You will partner with product, engineering, security, and the Board, driving licensing, IP strategy, and compliance across regions. You’ll build and mentor a distributed team, implement a public-market readiness program, and steer commercial contracting and partnerships for scalable growth. This is a strategic, high-impact role at the intersection of technology, open source, and governance.
Pay / Benefits
- remote work options or London office
- annual bonus or commission
- learning and development budget (USD 2,000)
- 40 days of annual leave
- Maternity and paternity leave
- Wellness and employee assistance program
Responsibilities
- Lead the global Legal and Compliance function across EMEA and the Americas
- Build and manage a regional and cross-regional management layer; set objectives and assess performance
- Define operating cadence for legal work intake, service levels, and risk reporting
- Own public-market readiness: governance, structure, delegated authority, policies, disclosure controls
- Advise CEO, COO, CFO and Board; support Board and committee meetings
- Oversee commercial contracting framework: templates, negotiating positions, escalation, and visibility of commitments
- Lead IP and open source licensing strategy for Ubuntu and products
- Own global compliance program: data protection, export controls, anti-bribery, competition, AI regulation
- Manage litigation, disputes, regulatory engagements, and external counsel; budget and quality control
- Advise on M&A, partnerships, strategic alliances and financing as the company grows
Key requirements
- Active license to practice in an EMEA or Americas jurisdiction
- Substantial senior in-house experience in a global technology or software business
- Proven experience leading a distributed legal team across regions/time zones
- Track record of building or restructuring an in-house legal function
- Experience negotiating and owning commercial technology contracts (enterprise software, subscriptions, channel/ reseller, hardware, cloud/services)
- Experience advising on open source licensing (permissive and copyleft) and understanding open source communities
- Public company governance experience or readiness (listing prep, board support, disclosure controls)
- Depth in at least two of: data protection/privacy, IP/trademark, export controls/trade, competition, disputes
- Excellent written/spoken English; strong drafting and presentation skills
- Willingness to travel internationally (2–4 times/year, up to 2 weeks)
- Assertive yet collaborative communication
- Judgement and intellectual rigor
- Accountability and performance-driven mindset
- IP and open source licensing strategy
- Corporate governance and regulatory compliance
- Data protection and privacy
General Counsel in London employer: Canonical
Canonical is an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and inclusive work culture, encouraging innovation and collaboration among its global teams. With ample opportunities for professional growth and development, employees are empowered to make a meaningful impact in the open-source software industry while enjoying the flexibility of working from various locations worldwide. Join us to be part of a forward-thinking company that values your contributions and supports your career aspirations.
