Senior Employment Counsel

About the role

Canva is expanding its Global Employment Legal Team and is looking for a Senior Employment Counsel to join the APAC hub in Manila. The role focuses on Philippine employment law while also offering opportunities to support broader Southeast Asian and APAC matters as the business scales.

Key responsibilities

• Provide strategic, commercially‑pragmatic employment law advice for Canva’s operations in the Philippines and, when needed, across APAC.
• Advise on performance management, employee relations, investigations, exits, regulatory compliance, and contingent‑workforce issues.
• Partner with People, Total Rewards, Finance and business leaders to shape employment frameworks that align with Canva’s high‑growth model.
• Develop and implement scalable policies, guidelines and training for People teams and managers.
• Manage employment disputes, claims and regulatory inquiries, including coordination with external counsel.
• Collaborate with global Employment Legal colleagues on cross‑border projects and strategic initiatives.

Required profile

• Admission to practice law in the Philippines with at least 6 years of post‑qualification experience in employment law.
• Deep, up‑to‑date knowledge of Philippine employment legislation and employee‑relations frameworks.
• Proven ability to advise senior stakeholders on complex matters, balancing legal risk with business needs.
• Experience working in a technology company, high‑growth organization or multinational environment.
• Comfort operating in ambiguous, fast‑moving contexts and making sound judgment calls.

Required skills

• Employment law expertise (Philippines)
• Legal research and analysis
• Stakeholder management
• Policy development
• Dispute resolution