Global General Counsel & Compliance Lead (Remote)

Canonical; Ireland; Remote; EUR 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work policy

Learning budget USD 2,000/year

Bi‑annual compensation reviews

Maternity and paternity leave

Wellness program

Job summary

Canonical is seeking an exceptional General Counsel to lead its global Legal and Compliance function. The role partners with product/engineering on licensing, IP, and risk, while guiding governance for a public‑market readiness framework.

You will advise the Board and senior executives, shape the commercial contracting framework, and drive open source licensing strategy in a fast‑growing tech environment across EMEA and the Americas. Remote in EMEA time zones.

Qualifications

• Academic excellence in school and university.
• Active legal practising licence in EMEA or Americas.
• Significant senior in‑house experience in a global tech/software business.
• Proven leadership of a distributed legal team across regions/time zones.
• Track record of hiring, developing people and addressing under‑performance.

Responsibilities

• Lead Canonical's global Legal and Compliance function across EMEA and the Americas.
• Manage a distributed team and build management capability across regions.
• Set the operating cadence, prioritise legal work, and report risk to leadership.
• Oversee corporate governance, structure, delegated authority and disclosure controls.
• Advise CEO/COO/CFO and the Board; support in board and committee meetings.

Skills

Senior in‑house experience

Distributed team leadership

Commercial contracts

Open source licensing

Corporate governance

Data protection & privacy

Regulatory & compliance knowledge

Board & committee support

Education

Law degree or equivalent

Active licence to practise (EMEA or Americas)

Job description

Canonical is seeking an exceptional General Counsel to lead its global Legal and Compliance function. The role partners with product/engineering on licensing, IP, and risk, while guiding governance for a public‑market readiness framework.

You will advise the Board and senior executives, shape the commercial contracting framework, and drive open source licensing strategy in a fast‑growing tech environment across EMEA and the Americas. Remote in EMEA time zones.