General Counsel

Imagine you could personally change the future of higher education. As the General Counsel at Top Hat, your leadership experience and legal expertise will directly impact how the next generation of students across North America and the world experience university and college.

We are looking for a leader with strong business acumen to partner with our CEO and translate complex legal principles into practical and effective business solutions. You will be responsible for large-scale strategic initiatives and for providing day-to-day guidance on legal issues and strategies across our business, including contracts, M&A, fundraising, risk and privacy compliance, digital rights management, international expansion, and employment law.

This is an unparalleled opportunity to join a company poised for significant growth over the next few years, right on the heels of our Series E funding round. If you’re looking for a role where you’ll have an immediate impact on our business performance, team, and culture while helping us scale across North America and globally, this is the perfect job for you!

You Will:

Work cross-functionally across Top Hat to support all legal matters, transactions, and initiatives for all teams, including working closely with revenue, finance, and HR

Provide strategic advice to the leadership team on legal matters with the objective of ensuring that Top Hat’s business strategies, policies, and programs are well developed and legally sound

Oversee M&A, investments, and other strategic transactions in all stages, from performing due diligence, drafting and negotiating term sheets and definitive transaction documentation, and supporting closing transactions and post-closing integration

Own structuring, negotiating and drafting a variety of contracts and commercial agreements such as master service agreements, vendor agreements, author royalty agreements, partnership agreements, employment agreements, NDAs, and professional services agreements.

Own and manage Top Hat’s product and content-related IP, including digital rights, copyrights, etc.

Own and manage Top Hat’s global privacy compliance

Serve as an active contributor and collaborative member of the executive leadership team

Select, retain and manage relationships and matters with outside counsels, as required

About You:

A minimum of 10+ years of experience practicing law with a combination of law firm and in-house experience

Previous General Counsel experience is a bonus

Experience managing and building out the legal and compliance functions at a fast-growing Software Company is also a plus

Experience leading companies through the IPO process, financing, global expansion, and M&A transactions

Ability and desire to roll up your sleeves and do the day-to-day tactical work while delivering on strategic matters

A team player who can create strong relationships with a wide variety of people at all levels across Top Hat; cool as a cucumber with a positive attitude, an open mind, empathy, and humility

A bias towards action and continuous improvement

Data privacy, digital right, and copyright experience a plus

Five reasons people choose to join the Top Hat team:

*Award-winning company and culture. Top Hat has consistently ranked as one of the fastest-growing and best places to work in Canada.

*A single mission that drives every single Top Hatter. We empower educators to engage students and unleash their potential. Our relentless focus on customers is a pretty inspiring idea to wake up to every day.

*A winning long-term strategy and business model. We aim to be the dominant teaching platform in higher education in the world, and our team is making that possible through great content and product solutions that are making a real impact on educators.

*A collaborative team doing really challenging work. What we’ve set out to do is ambitious and hasn’t been done before. Our team works closely together - across departments - to innovate and improve the lives of educators and students.

*Great benefits, rewards, and career opportunities. We offer competitive benefits, an amazing workplace culture, and lots of room for career growth. For those who invest in themselves at Top Hat, the sky’s the limit.

About Top Hat:

Top Hat is the only all-in-one courseware platform that enables active learning—a proven student-centered teaching pedagogy that promotes deep understanding, critical thinking, and subject mastery—with interactive content, tools, and activities. Millions of students at 750 leading North American colleges and universities use Top Hat to teach and engage with students before, during, and after class, in both in-person and online education.

Headquartered in Toronto, Top Hat has consistently been recognized as one of the fastest-growing technology companies in North America.

Top Hat welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.