Senior Legal Counsel, Business Operations

Canva

Canva

Legal, Operations

Sydney, NSW, Australia

Posted on May 14, 2026

Company Description

Join the team redefining how the world experiences design.

Hey, g'day, mabuhay, kia ora,你好, hallo, vítejte!

Thanks for stopping by. We know job hunting can be a little time consuming and you're probably keen to find out what's on offer, so we'll get straight to the point.

Where and how you can work

Our flagship campus is in Sydney. We also have a campus in Melbourne and co-working spaces in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. You have choice in where and how you work. That means if you want to do your thing in the office (if you're near one), at home or a bit of both, it's up to you.

About the team

Canva is seeking a Product & Privacy Legal Counsel who will be responsible for providing support and advice to Canva’s core internal teams.

The role will be part of the Product and Privacy Team and will support privacy goals and Canva’s internal business operations. You will play a key role in delivering our strategies to Empower the World to Design and to become The World’s Most Accessible Platform and The World’s Most Trusted Platform.

You will join a dynamic, global legal team working on a variety of innovative technologies with interesting legal considerations. You will be required to leverage your expertise, good judgment and strong business sense to make complex laws simple and assist swift decision-making in our fast-paced environment.

You’ll work to ensure Canva continues keeping users and Canvanauts safe and meeting community and regulator expectations.

What you'll do

As Canva scales, change continues to be part of our DNA. But we like to think that's all part of the fun. So this will give you the flavour of the type of things you'll be working on when you start, but this is likely to evolve.

  • Be the first point of contact for the Canva People team for all things relating to Product & Privacy and AI governance
  • Be the first point of contact for the Infrastructure and Platform teams
  • Monitor the regulatory landscape for applicable laws and standards to the areas you support, such as employee monitoring, high risk and prohibited AI in recruitment and employment decisions, data sovereignty advice
  • Help business stakeholders, product lawyers, product managers, and engineers evaluate the impact of privacy laws and strategically respond to changes
  • Advise on Privacy Impact Assessments and other privacy related queries from People, Infrastructure and Platform teams
  • Support with Canva-wide privacy and legal training and awareness initiatives
  • Together with the broader legal team, ensure the terms of use and internal policies and standards remain current
  • Help us redefine the role of in-house counsel - build tools and processes for continued growth and success

What we're looking for:

  • Legally qualified (AUS practising certificate)
  • 8+ years practicing law with some experience in-house
  • Demonstrated experience advising on complex privacy issues relating to data residency, sensitive personal data, and managing obligations to privacy regulators
  • Significant demonstrated experience at or for a rapidly growing business, preferably in the SaaS industry, where you have directly advised the business on global privacy compliance
  • Experience advising on personal data incidents
  • Experience with building and delivering privacy training
  • Prior experience working with AI and using it to drive efficiency in your work
  • CIPP/E

What's in it for you?

Achieving our crazy big goals motivates us to work hard - and we do - but you'll experience lots of moments of magic, connectivity, and fun woven throughout life at Canva, too. We also offer a stack of benefits to set you up for every success in and outside of work.

Here's a glimpse into what we offer:

  • Equity packages - we want our success to be yours too
  • 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, study, and support you personally

Check out lifeatcanva.com for more info.

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.

Please note that interviews are conducted virtually.