Graduate ESG Compliance Counsel London 2024

Canonical is a leading provider of open source software and operating systems to the global enterprise and technology markets. Our platform, Ubuntu, is very widely used in breakthrough enterprise initiatives such as public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation and IoT. Our customers include the world's leading public cloud and silicon providers, and industry leaders in many sectors. The company is a pioneer of global distributed collaboration, with 1000+ colleagues in 70+ countries and very few roles based in offices. Teams meet two to four times yearly in person, in interesting locations around the world, to align on strategy and execution.

The company is founder led, profitable and growing. We are privately held with the intention to list on a public exchange. We would like to be one of the first global tech companies to achieve net-zero carbon in addition to other benchmarks of sustainability and civic engagement, and are growing our team to rise to that challenge.

We are hiring an ESG Compliance Officer or ESG Compliance Counsel into our wider compliance team with responsibility for ESG compliance and reporting, and the opportunity to shape our ESG commitments, outlook and strategy. We are looking for a rigorous and effective lawyer, or scientifically qualified ESG officer, to drive reporting and practices associated with ESG regulatory and legal compliance process, policy and activities. In this appointment we are more focused on ability than experience, the position is open to applicants with relevant degrees but does not have a requirement for extensive experience. The successful candidate will work closely with experienced Canonical and external legal counsel in Europe and the USA, and with Canonical personnel worldwide.

Our unusually distributed nature provides us with one obvious sustainability challenge - we fly colleagues to meet in person at large company events twice a year. Bring globally distributed also means that questions of sustainability take place against a global backdrop - we don't by and large have a particular 'local' context. Beyond that, though, we have significant opportunity to influence sustainability in tech because so much of the software stack today is open source. Our goal is to be the majority supplier of this software in the world, and so we are in position to move the needle on that entire stack.

This is an opportunity to contribute to the strategy, positioning and processes in an important area for a dynamic technology business across multiple jurisdictions. Candidates must be able to demonstrate good commercial judgment as well as being organised, efficient, and capable to provide high quality legal and compliance outcomes. We are open to candidates who come from either a legal background, or a scientific background featuring environmental, biodiversity, sustainability or related disciplines. In both cases, we are looking for a rigorous work ethic, detailed analysis and reporting, conscientiousness to ensure correct compliance, and insights to identify opportunities to exceed the necessary. We do not see this as a defensive legal investment so much as a proactive investment in the ideas, analysis, research and driving leadership needed to be a pace-setting in our industry on carbon and other sustainability priorities.

Location: This role can be home based in Europe, Middle East or Africa time zones, or based in our London office at Tower Bridge.

• Report to our global general counsel or a dedicated regulatory compliance manager
• Focus on our net-zero carbon footprint goal, but also consider broader sustainability goals and requirements
• Assess our ESG position and propose initiatives, processes or engagements to achieve goals
• Analyze and implement regulatory initiatives, draft and implement relevant policies and procedures
• Map and track changes in regulatory rules and requirements
• Document and train colleagues in regulatory matters for awareness and compliance
• Report on ESG compliance on a quarterly and annual basis
• Review and maintain existing processes and policies to ensure compliance
• Work with local counsel in many countries to seek and implement advice

• An exceptional academic track record from both high school and university
• An undergraduate degree in ESG-related law, science or a similarly qualified profession
• Drive and a track record of going above-and-beyond expectations
• Analytical ability to model scenarios from a business and scientific perspective (for example, carbon emissions related to PC usage)
• Knowledge of corporate sustainability, corporate responsibility, or ESG best practices
• Interest in current and emerging UK and US ESG regulatory regimes, reporting frameworks, disclosure requirements and standards
• A passion for technology evidenced by personal initiatives and projects
• Professional written and spoken English with excellent drafting and presentation skills
• Confidence to respectfully speak up, exchange feedback, and share ideas without hesitation
• Appreciative of diversity, polite and effective in a multi-cultural multi-national organisation
• Excellent interpersonal skills, curiosity, flexibility, and accountability
• Thoughtfulness and self-motivation
• Result-oriented, with a personal drive to meet commitments
• Ability to travel twice a year, for company events up to two weeks long

• Experience in software engineering, numerical or data analytics
• Leadership and the ability to influence others to embrace new ideas or practices
• Understanding of the open source software community and values
• Understanding of the technology industry - silicon, data centers, PCs, connected devices, and software

We consider geographical location, experience, and performance in shaping compensation worldwide. We revisit compensation annually (and more often for graduates and associates) to ensure we recognise outstanding performance. In addition to base pay, we offer a performance-driven annual bonus or commission. We provide all team members with additional benefits, which reflect our values and ideals. We balance our programs to meet local needs and ensure fairness globally.

• Distributed work environment with twice-yearly team sprints in person
• Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year
• Annual compensation review
• Recognition rewards
• Annual holiday leave
• Maternity and paternity leave
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Opportunity to travel to new locations to meet colleagues
• Priority Pass, and travel upgrades for long haul company events

Canonical is a pioneering tech firm at the forefront of the global move to open source. As the company that publishes Ubuntu, one of the most important open source projects and the platform for AI, IoT and the cloud, we are changing the world of software. We recruit on a global basis and set a very high standard for people joining the company. We expect excellence - in order to succeed, we need to be the best at what we do. Most colleagues at Canonical have worked from home since its inception in 2004.​ Working here is a step into the future, and will challenge you to think differently, work smarter, learn new skills, and raise your game.