Program Legal Counsel

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Acumen is seeking a mission-driven Program Legal Counsel based in Canada to join our global legal team, with at least five years in corporate law and a track record of managing legal projects across multiple stakeholders. The Toronto on-site role focuses on legal compliance and contract support for a five-year program aimed at roughly 400 early-stage social enterprises in the African green economy. The ideal candidate will translate Canadian laws and donor requirements into practical guidance, collaborate with internal teams and outside counsel, and stay calm under pressure. To apply, tailor your resume to show regulatory filings, policy development, template contracts, data privacy, governance, and cross-functional work, and demonstrate alignment with Acumen values. Deadline February 13, rolling reviews.

Acumen is seeking a mission-driven corporate lawyer based in Canada with a minimum of 5 years of experience in law and managing legal projects across various stakeholders to join our global legal team. The role will be focused on legal compliance and contract support for a five-year program. The right candidate is skilled, creative, kind, pragmatic, respectful and can excel in a fast-paced environment. 

Acumen
Acumen is a global force of entrepreneurs, investors, philanthropists, and social innovators working together to build a world based on dignity. We were founded by Jacqueline Novogratz on the radical idea that business, when cultivated with moral imagination, can break the cycle of poverty. We invest in transformational companies, build sustainable markets, and prepare leaders with the tools they need to create a more just and inclusive future. Since 2001, we have scaled companies and shaped markets in some of the hardest-to-reach communities on the planet, impacting over half-a-billion lives. To learn more visit acumen.org.

About the role
Acumen is hiring a Program Legal Counsel that will lead legal compliance and contract support for a five-year program that will be operated out of Canada. The program aims to impact ~400 early stage social enterprises in the African green economy that are creating and improving dignified work opportunities for women and youth. Based in Canada, this role will (i) collaborate with internal teams to provide legal support across all program activities, including contract review and (ii) maintain, and advise teams on, compliance with Canadian laws and donor requirements. This role will play a critical part in supporting program delivery while ensuring adherence to internal and external requirements. A successful candidate will be expected to provide timely and relevant legal advice, collaborate with teams to effect the program efficiently while managing overall risk, and coordinate with outside counsel as applicable. The role will report to the Director of Legal and the Associate Director of Risk and Compliance. This role is contingent on funding approval and availability.

Principal areas of accountability:

• Compliance: The role will ensure that Acumen Canada activities are in compliance with Canadian laws and donor requirements, including maintaining the legal status of the entity. Such responsibilities may include: coordinating timely governmental filings and registrations, developing and implementing appropriate policies, keeping abreast of regulatory developments, liaising with outside counsel and memorializing guidance, and rolling out compliance recommendations and advising program teams accordingly.
• Process Development and Implementation: To optimize for efficiency and scale, internal processes will be developed to ensure the program’s compliance with Canadian laws and donor requirements. The role will be responsible for creating, implementing and maintaining adherence to such internal processes. Responsibilities may also include developing template contracts and checklists, conducting due diligence assessments, and collaborating with the teams to answer questions and resolve deviations from the process.
• Contract Review: The role will involve contract drafting and review for all program activities. The scope may range across charitable and commercial issues, including general contract, intellectual property, data privacy, employment, governance and formation matters. Familiarity with legal issues specific to Canada is required; familiarity with legal issues specific to Canadian charities is a plus.
• Project Management: The role requires developing and implementing various projects on behalf of the program, including working with colleagues across functions, self-discipline and problem solving to progress in the face of uncertainty, and creating milestones toward timely execution. The role will also be expected to identify areas of improvement and opportunities to optimize efficiency.

Qualifications and skills

• Minimum 5 years experience practicing corporate law and managing legal projects across various stakeholders.
• Familiarity with Canadian charitable laws is a plus.
• Ability to interpret Canadian laws and donor requirements, and provide practical guidance to program teams.
• Strong time management skills, including continual focus on optimizing for efficiency.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity, distill complicated ideas in a clear and straightforward way, and develop innovative solutions.
• Ability to work proactively and under pressure, as well as deliver projects independently with minimal oversight required.
• Ability to stay organized and keep stakeholders in the loop. Good project management and stakeholder management skills, including ability to communicate effectively and clearly.
• Commitment to accuracy, attention to detail and follow-through.
• Amenable to working with different time zones in an efficient manner.
• Commitment to, and enthusiasm for, the organization’s mission and business model.
• Ability to remain cool-headed in unexpected or emotionally charged situations, using pragmatism to stay focused on the greater goal, and withstanding the tests of a rapidly changing environment with resilience, resolve, empathy and humor.
• Self reflective and aligned with Acumen values.
• Permanently authorized to work in Canada, with a license to practice law.

Deadline
Please submit applications by February 13, applications will continued to be reviewed on a rolling basis.

The salary range for this role in Toronto is C$120,000 to C$163,000 Canadian Dollars plus a performance-based bonus. This range represents the present low and high end of pay range for this role. Actual compensation will vary based on various factors including but not limited to experience. Acumen has equal pay, so pay is determined through comparison to a cohort of employees in the market at the same level of accountability.

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