Head of Webnovels Legal

Wattpad's vision is to entertain and connect the world through webnovel stories. Since 2006, we've been on a mission to use the power of community and technology to unleash the full potential of stories to the world. Representing a tapestry of cultures and languages, people around the world come to Wattpad every month to share and discover stories they can't find anywhere else. Come build the future of entertainment and storytelling with our global team, and write your next chapter with us
Wattpad is part of the WEBTOON family of brands, the largest storytelling platform in the world that enables creators and users to discover, create, and share stories. With over 24 million creators and ~170 million active users per month, we are truly empowering creation by anyone, for everyone. To read more about our family of Brands, check out our website here. 
Reporting to WEBTOON's Head of Americas Legal in Los Angeles, the Head of Webnovels Legal will work closely with the WEBTOON Americas Legal Team (located across Toronto, Vancouver and Los Angeles), and other teams throughout the business, including Ads, Product, Marketing, HR, PR, and Security to move the business forward in policy development, government relations strategy, privacy and online safety strategy, and commercial execution.   The ideal candidate will have demonstrated professional expertise, interpersonal excellence, and a high capacity to grow alongside this evolving business. What you'll be doing:

• Act as a key member of Wattpad's leadership team to provide legal advice in moving Wattpad's business priorities forward.   
• Provide legal guidance and performing risk assessment for new product features, platform initiatives, and content launches; with a focus on compliance with applicable laws, including privacy, competition, accessibility, consumer protection, and marketing/advertising standards.
• Collaborate with Wattpad's various business units to draft, review, and negotiate agreements and licenses with third party vendors and partners.
• Serving as the main legal point of contact for the North America Ads Team (Wattpad and WEBTOON).
• Supporting Wattpad's various writer programs by providing guidance on program structure, reviewing terms, and helping ensure alignment with platform policies and strategic goals.
• Working with the Trust & Safety and Security Teams to ensure Wattpad's policies and procedures are compliant with evolving legal and regulatory frameworks, including in relation to user privacy compliance (including CCPA and GDPR), online safety and mature content (including EU DSA and UK OSA); and engagement with international government and regulatory bodies.
• Managing corporate records and governance compliance, such as officer/director updates, resolutions, minutes, and registry filings.
• Serving as the primary legal advisor for the People Team on employment law matters, including drafting and reviewing employment agreements, independent contractor agreements, and advising on policy compliance.
• Managing legal risks while strategically moving the business forward.
• Other legal tasks, including working within Wattpad's contract management system, as required.

What we're looking for:

• A lawyer called to the Bar in Ontario with 8-12 years of relevant private practice or in-house experience, based in Toronto.
• Experience in tracking and analyzing privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA, PIPEDA, etc.), and helping organizations implement best practices, including with respect to advertising.
• Experience in content moderation, trust and safety and user-facing online services.
• Experience in policy and government relations work or experience working in government.
• Keen interest and experience in technology, privacy, entertainment, and corporate affairs.
• Extremely strong drafting, analytical, and negotiation skills required to partner/support complex commercial agreements that impact all business units and functions.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, and the ability to make decisions/give advice independently.

What we offer:

• Career development; we believe in mentorship and investing in your learning, supporting you to achieve your goals
• Top industry health benefits, including vision and dental 
• Your own health/wellness account to spend each year
• RRSP Contributions (Canada), 401K Contributions (USA)
• Generous vacation and Maternity/Parental leave top-up program
• Corporate discount for gym memberships for you and your family
• Work from almost anywhere in the world for part of the year
• Winter break shutdown and a whole lot more

$170,000 - $250,000 a year Please note, this range is listed in CAD. Wattpad is conducting all interviews in a distributed manner using applicable third party software where needed and using visual interface tools such as Google Meet and Zoom.
About Wattpad
Who are we? Entrepreneurs and Do-ers. Our vision is to entertain and connect the world through stories, and our mission is to use the power of community and technology to unleash the full potential of stories to the world. What does that mean? We are visionaries, community builders, passionate problem solvers, storytellers, coffee snobs (tea drinkers, too), curious by nature, and culturally diverse. What are we obsessed with? Our users. Solving complex problems and maximizing flow. Learning constantly. Building the next great storytelling product. Finding the greatest stories ever told. Dogs (and cats), coffee, and good snacks. How do we work? Autonomously, collaboratively, respectfully. Balancing with work, family, and all while having a great time.
Wattpad is a remote friendly company and encourages remote candidates to apply as long as they are located and authorized to work in either the US or Canada (excluding Quebec) as a precondition of employment. We are not able to sponsor applicants for work permits.
Unlock the best of both worlds with a remote role that keeps you connected We're looking for passionate individuals in the Greater Toronto Area to join our team. While you'll enjoy the flexibility of working from home, you can take advantage of periodically coming to our vibrant downtown Toronto office to connect with colleagues, collaborate on exciting projects, and take part in company events. This is your opportunity to be a part of our thriving workplace culture.
Culture and Diversity
Wattpad is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate. Period. 
Wattpad welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. We have taken a leadership position on creating a culture and an organization that truly values diversity. We are committed to fostering a global team that reflects the diversity of the Wattpad community. At Wattpad, we believe cultural fit doesn't mean culturally identical, and diversity of thought helps us to challenge one another to think big and think differently. We consider employment applicants without regard to age, race, colour, national origin, citizenship, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, marital status, disability status or any other protected status.  
If you have any special needs or accessibility requirements, please let us know. We will do our utmost to accommodate, in accordance with applicable local legislation.
Don't meet all the requirements? Studies show women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs if they do not meet all the qualifications. Therefore, in an effort to build a more diverse workplace, we encourage you to apply anyways. You might actually be the right person or you may be a good fit for a number of other openings we currently have. #Wattpad We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

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