FirstPrinciples - Director of Legal
Requirements
• Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent, with active bar membership in a Canadian jurisdiction. • 8+ years of relevant legal experience, ideally combining law firm training with in-house experience. • Strong experience in commercial contracts, data licensing, or technology-related agreements. • Demonstrated experience advising on emerging AI regulatory frameworks. • Experience advising on Canadian and U.S. employment law basics. • Experience working with nonprofits, technology companies, research institutions, universities, or international organizations is a strong plus. • Comfort supporting cross-border operations and coordinating with foreign counsel when needed. • Ability to operate independently, set priorities, and make judgment calls in ambiguous situations. • Experience building a legal function from scratch or as first/early in-house counsel. • Clear and direct communication style with non-lawyers, including researchers, engineers, and operators. • Interest in or curiosity about physics, AI, or fundamental scientific research. • Application Process: • Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume, a cover letter detailing their qualifications and vision for the role, and references. Please include "Director of Legal" in the cover letter.
Responsibilities
• AI Governance & Intellectual Property: • Develop and oversee AI governance frameworks, including responsible AI policies, model documentation standards, and regulatory compliance across jurisdictions. • Advise on intellectual property strategy, including patent evaluation, trade secrets, open-source licensing, and ownership of AI-generated research outputs. • Maintain and regularly update the organization's website privacy policy and terms of use to reflect evolving legal requirements, product changes, and best practices. • Ensure compliance with emerging AI and data regulations globally. • Corporate, Governance & Cross-Border Support: • Support corporate governance for Canadian, US, and future international entities, including board matters, resolutions, and regulatory obligations. • Coordinate with the Director of Finance on key regulatory filings including Form 990 (IRS), T3010 (CRA), and other global compliance filings. • Coordinate with external counsel in the US and other jurisdictions as needed, while retaining ownership of legal strategy and decisions. • Draft and negotiate vendor agreements, NDAs, and other commercial contracts used across the organization. • Provide guidance on export controls, sanctions compliance, and cross-border data and AI model transfers. • Global Data Acquisition & Licensing: • Structure, draft, and negotiate data acquisition, licensing, and usage agreements with academic institutions, research consortia, publishers, and other data providers across multiple jurisdictions. • Advise on data rights, permitted uses, restrictions, and risk exposure in the context of AI-driven research and model development. • Work closely with technical and research teams to translate technical needs into clear, enforceable contracts. • Partnerships & Research Collaborations: • Lead legal structuring and negotiation of collaboration agreements with universities, research institutes, nonprofits, and other partners globally. • Draft and negotiate MOUs, research collaboration agreements, joint research agreements, and related frameworks. • Ensure agreements align with FirstPrinciples’ mission, nonprofit obligations, and long-term research goals across jurisdictions. • Talent Programs & Academic Engagement: • Develop and manage legal frameworks for fellowships, internships, co-op programs, visiting researcher arrangements, and academic secondments across Canada, the US, and other regions. • Draft and review offer letters, program agreements, and related documentation in coordination with the Director of Talent and Director of Finance. • Advise on IP ownership, publication rights, confidentiality, and conflicts of interest related to research talent. • Fundraising & Nonprofit Compliance: • Advise on cross-border charitable solicitation, donor restrictions, grant agreements, and nonprofit regulatory requirements. • Support board governance, conflict of interest policies, and compliance with private benefit rules. • Risk, Compliance & Strategic Advice: • Identify legal and regulatory risks early and provide clear, practical guidance to leadership. • Help design legal processes that scale as the organization grows internationally without slowing execution. • Act as a thought partner on new legal questions at the intersection of AI, data, nonprofit law, and global research collaboration. • Participate in internal committees and projects. • Perform other administrative tasks as needed.
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