Legal Counsel (AI)

TL;DR

Legal Counsel (AI): Providing expert legal guidance on product development, content safety, and privacy for a global design platform with an accent on generative AI regulation and platform compliance. Focus on building scalable risk assessment frameworks, advising on go-to-market strategies, and managing complex regulatory inquiries across international jurisdictions.

Location: Must be based in Melbourne, Australia. The role operates on a hybrid model requiring regular on-campus collaboration.

Company

Canva is a global visual communication platform empowering the world to design.

What you will do

• Advise product and engineering teams on legal issues related to AI, content safety, privacy, and intellectual property.
• Develop and operationalize company-wide safety policies, risk assessment frameworks, and regulatory monitoring processes.
• Collaborate with policy, security, and trust and safety teams to ensure compliance with global digital product laws.
• Draft legal playbooks and internal guidance to enable scalable product launches.
• Manage and coordinate responses to safety, privacy, or data security incidents and government inquiries.
• Support company-wide privacy and legal training initiatives to foster a culture of compliance.

Requirements

• Must hold an AU/NZ practising certificate.
• Minimum 8+ years of legal practice with significant in-house experience.
• Deep familiarity with global online safety laws (e.g., Online Safety Act, Digital Services Act) and privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR).
• Strong understanding of modern AI technology, generative AI products, and digital product regulation.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams across multiple time zones.
• Experience handling data incidents and government authority requests.

Nice to have

• AIGP, CIPP/E or similar privacy certifications.
• Hands-on experience advising rapidly growing technology companies.
• High level of comfort with technology and AI experimentation.

Culture & Benefits

• Equity packages for all employees.
• Inclusive parental leave policy supporting all parents and carers.
• Annual Vibe & Thrive allowance for wellbeing and office setup.
• Flexible leave options to support personal recharge and work-life balance.
• Vibrant, creative campus environment designed for collaboration.