Legal Counsel

Job Description

<p><h3>Overview</h3><p><b>About SkillsWave</b></p><p>SkillsWave is on a mission to drive people and businesses forward—building tomorrow’s most valued skills, today. By providing quality learning opportunities that align with organizational needs, we’re helping organizations transform their workforce into a competitive advantage. Our upskilling platform and strategic education partnerships not only propel career and company growth, but also deliver measurable and meaningful ROI for learning. To learn more, visit SkillsWave.com.</p><p><b>Catch the Wave with Us!</b></p><p>Dive into an exciting role as Legal Counsel! Reporting to the Head of Operations, you’ll ride the wave of growth in a pivotal role that blends sharp legal expertise with practical, hands-on execution. Your mission? To guide SkillsWave through the dynamic waters of Canadian and U.S. law while supporting our people, protecting our innovations, and enabling our expansion.</p><p>This role requires curiosity, adaptability, and sound judgment, paired with the ability to simplify complexity and provide clear, business-friendly guidance. As a trusted advisor, you’ll shape SkillsWave’s legal foundation, manage external counsel relationships, and play a critical role in building the organization’s legal maturity as we scale.</p><p><b>Your Location. Your Workspace. Your Wave.</b></p><p>We are looking for the right person to join our team. This position offers a remote option along with a hybrid option if you are located in the Kitchener/Waterloo area and want to enjoy our amazing space at Catalyst Commons. We can’t wait to welcome exceptional individuals that will bring their skills and passion to our team!</p>
<h3>How Will You Make an Impact:</h3><ul><li>Proven ability to draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of agreements — including SaaS, licensing, vendor, and partnership contracts — with strong attention to IP, liability, and risk allocation.</li><li>Keep us aligned with compliance currents like privacy, corporate governance, and workplace regulations.</li><li>Support growth opportunities such as new incorporations, financing, and strategic transactions.</li><li>Manage relationships with external counsel in areas like IP, tax, and litigation.</li><li>Familiarity with Canadian and U.S. employment law to provide practical guidance on workplace matters such as hiring, policies, employee relations, and terminations.</li><li>Create scalable templates, playbooks, and processes to help the business ride the next wave more smoothly.</li><li>Act as a trusted advisor who translates legal complexity into clear, actionable business guidance.</li></ul>
<h3>What You Need to Be Successful:</h3><ul><li>L.L.B. or J.D. and called to the bar in Canada and/or the U.S. (dual admission is a huge wave in your favor)</li><li>3–5 years of legal experience, ideally with a mix of law firm and in-house exposure.</li><li>Demonstrated ability to draft, review, and negotiate complex SaaS/software agreements and other commercial contracts, with a sharp understanding of IP, liability, indemnity, and regulatory considerations.</li><li>Solid grounding in cross-border employment law and general commercial practices, with the ability to provide practical, business-focused guidance when issues arise.</li><li>A steady balance of risk awareness and business-minded pragmatism.</li></ul>
<h3>Your Super Skills and Expertise We Need:</h3><ul><li>Excellent written and oral communication, you make complex legal issues simple and clear.</li><li>Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.</li><li>Organized, detail-oriented, and capable of working independently in a fast-paced environment.</li><li>Technologically inclined and comfortable with modern collaboration tools.</li><li>Ability to juggle multiple priorities while staying cool under pressure.</li></ul>
<h3>What You Will Bring to the Team:</h3><ul><li><b>An Enthusiastic Perspective:</b> An independent self-starter, someone who is curious about what and why, is able to solution with empathy for stakeholders, and drive successful change through yourself and leveraging others</li><li><b>Entrepreneurial Spirit:</b> Demonstrating initiative, creativity, and ownership by proactively identifying opportunities, solving problems, and taking calculated risks to drive innovation and organizational growth.</li><li><b>Strategic Legal Acumen:</b> Strong grasp of Canadian and U.S. commercial and employment law, with the ability to apply legal principles strategically to support scaling operations and cross-border growth.</li><li><b>Analytical Excellence:</b> Capacity to interpret complex contracts, regulations, and compliance requirements, translating them into actionable, business-friendly insights.</li><li><b>Hands-on Execution:</b> Comfortable drafting, reviewing, and negotiating agreements directly while also overseeing broader compliance and governance responsibilities in a lean, start-up environment.</li><li><b>Communication & Influence:</b> Exceptional ability to distill complex legal concepts into clear, simple language, building trust with leadership, employees, and external partners.</li><li><b>Adaptability & Agility:</b> Proven ability to thrive in fast-paced, evolving start-ups, adjusting quickly as priorities shift while maintaining sound legal judgment.</li><li><b>Collaboration & Partnership:</b> Skill in working cross-functionally with teams such as People & Culture, Finance, and Product, acting as a true business partner rather than just a legal gatekeeper.</li><li><b>Integrity and Ethics:</b> Commitment to upholding the highest ethical standards, confidentiality, and integrity in all matters, safeguarding the organization’s reputation as we grow.</li></ul>
<h3>Who You Are:</h3><ul><li><b>You Own It: </b>You approach every challenge with the mentality of a surfer tackling a perfect wave—taking full ownership of your work and responsibilities, driving projects forward with confidence and initiative.</li><li><b>You Learn It: </b>You believe that improvement is key, constantly refining your skills. Growth and learning are always top of mind.</li><li><b>You Collaborate Assertively:</b> You engage confidently in team discussions, share your expertise and ensure that everyone is paddling in sync toward success.</li><li><b>You Work with Velocity and Quality: </b>Whether you’re racing towards the shore or patiently navigating the break, you strike the perfect balance between speed and delivering top-notch results.</li><li><b>You Care Deeply:</b> You’re passionate about your work and the lasting impact it makes—on your team, the company, and beyond.</li></ul>
<h3>Fuel for the Ride:</h3><ul><li>Along with meaningful work, you'll enjoy a competitive compensation package and benefits that support your personal and professional success that include:</li><li>Competitive Salary</li><li>Vacation and Rest Days</li><li>Health and Wellness</li><li>Retirement Savings Plan</li><li>Professional Development</li></ul><p>Background Check Notice</p><p>As part of our hiring process, SkillsWave may conduct a background check to ensure the safety and security of our workplace.</p><p><b>Disclaimer and Consent:</b></p><p>By clicking on the “Submit Application” button above, you acknowledge, agree and/or provide your explicit consent for the SkillsWave family of companies to:</p><ul><li>Use the information you have provided for the purpose of considering and evaluating you as a candidate for employment with the SkillsWave family of companies.</li><li>Store your information on their vendor systems.</li><li>Share your information with the SkillsWave family of companies, their vendors, partners or other third parties for the purpose of processing your employment application.</li><li>Use your personal information to contact you in the future for any other suitable employment opportunities.</li></ul><p>The SkillsWave family of companies and its vendors, partners and third parties, and their systems may be located in jurisdictions different from your jurisdiction of residence.</p><p>For more information on how the SkillsWave family of companies protects your privacy, please review SkillsWave Privacy Policy.</p><p>To all recruitment agencies: SkillsWave does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our HR alias e-mail address, to any SkillsWave employee, or to other SkillsWave e-mail addresses. SkillsWave will not pay any fees related to unsolicited resumes.</p></p>
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