Senior Employment Counsel

Join the team redefining how the world experiences design.

Hey gday mabuhay kia ora 你好 hallo vítejte!

Thanks for stopping by. We know job descriptions can feel a bit formulaic sometimes but we promise Canva is anything but. If youre drawn to what were building and you see yourself in this role wed love to hear from you.

Where and How You Can Work

This role is based in Manila and operates on a hybrid model giving you the best of both worlds. Our office is a hub for collaboration and energy and we also believe in the kind of deep thinking that happens away from it. Work in a way that suits you and the work.

What Youd Be Doing in This Role

Canvas Global Employment Legal Team is growing and were looking for a Senior Employment Counsel to join our well-established APAC team. This role is primarily focused on the Philippines with opportunities to work across Southeast Asia and APAC depending on your experience. Youll partner closely with People business leaders and legal colleagues across Canvas global footprint advising on the complex the strategic and the day-to-day.

This isnt a maintain-the-status-quo role. Canva is scaling fast and youll help shape how we build employment practices that are legally sound commercially pragmatic and true to our values. Youll navigate ambiguity with confidence translate complexity into plain advice and be a genuine partner to the business not just a risk filter.

At the moment this role is focused on:

• Providing strategic commercially pragmatic employment law advice across Canvas Philippines operations with scope to support broader APAC matters
• Advising on the full range of employment matters performance management employee relations investigations exits regulatory issues and contingent workforce questions
• Partnering with People Total Rewards Finance and business leaders to support Canvas evolving workforce model as we scale
• Developing and implementing scalable employment frameworks policies and guidance that work in a high-growth environment
• Managing employment disputes claims and regulatory inquiries including external counsel engagement where needed
• Delivering practical training and guidance to People teams and leaders so they can make better decisions earlier
• Collaborating with Employment Legal colleagues globally on cross-border matters and strategic projects

Youre Probably a Match If:

• Youre admitted to practice in the Philippines and bring 6 years of post-qualification experience specialising in employment law
• You have strong current knowledge of Philippine employment law and employee relations frameworks
• Youve advised senior stakeholders on complex employment matters and you know how to balance legal risk with real business and people considerations
• Youve worked in a tech company high-growth organisation or multinational you understand the pace and the complexity that comes with it
• Youre comfortable in ambiguity you make sound judgement calls without waiting for perfect clarity
• You communicate complex legal concepts in plain language that people actually act on

About the Team

Canvas Legal team operates as genuine business partners embedded in the companys biggest decisions and most complex challenges. The Global Employment Legal Team is a collaborative high-trust group with deep APAC coverage and youll join a team that genuinely enjoys working together shares the hard problems and invests in each others development.

Whats in It for You

Canva has grown hugely over the last few years but were only just getting started. Heres a taste of whats on offer:

• Equity packages so you share in Canvas success
• 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

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 dont feel like your skills quite match whats listed above we still want to hear from you!

Please note that interviews are conducted virtually.

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time