Corporate Counsel

Coursera was founded by two computer science professors at Stanford with a vision of providing life-transforming learning experiences to anyone, anywhere. It is the world’s largest online learning platform for higher education. 190 of the world’s top universities and industry educators partner with Coursera to offer courses, Specializations, and degrees that empower over 40 million learners around the world to achieve their career goals. Over 1,800 companies use the company’s enterprise platform Coursera for Business to transform their talent. Coursera is backed by leading venture capital firms such as Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, New Enterprise Associates, GSV Capital, International Finance Corporation, Laureate Education Inc., and Learn Capital.

Legal and Compliance is responsible for managing all legal and regulatory matters, including contracts, corporate governance, general compliance, academic compliance, employment law matters, intellectual property, product counseling, government relations, and claims. The team includes dedicated teams that support every aspect of Coursera's platform, including university, enterprise and industry partnerships.

To be successful in this role, we’re looking for someone who is passionate about business growth and education. We want a candidate who is energized by the challenges of working in a startup, and has a strong desire to learn new areas of law and function integrally as part of an interdisciplinary team. This role will engage with all levels of employees and management, so interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal) are vital to strong working relationships.

We are looking for an experienced lawyer who can build efficient legal processes for the company and quickly execute on strategically important deals and projects. While we seek an individual with a strong background in corporate law, this person must also be able to assist with other matters, such as employment law matters and negotiating strategic vendor/supplier contracts. This is a generalist position and will require a broad-based legal skill set and the ability to apply legal knowledge and skills to new situations and issues. The ideal candidate will be entrepreneurial and comfortable working in an ambiguous, quickly-changing environment with a high workload. This position will report to the General Counsel.

Check out life at Coursera on The Muse!

Your Responsibilities:

General corporate matters including corporate governance

Maintain corporate minute books and other corporate records; ensure that corporate forms are filed on a timely basis; and ensure that the Company’s Board of Directors and Board Committees function in accordance with applicable law, regulations, and policies

Oversee domestic and international entity management and governance, including supporting all domestic expansion initiatives

Work closely with our Finance team to address investor matters and manage stock transfers

Draft and negotiate asset and stock purchase agreements, joint venture and partnership agreements and other strategic partnering documents

Oversee and coordinate due diligence activities and provide risk-aware, actionable legal advice on M&A projects and initiatives

Develop compliance processes and policies, such as document retention, to minimize risk without limiting innovation

Work closely with our People team to ensure compliance with changing employment laws, draft and advise on equity and incentive compensation plans and employment-related agreements, and provide substantive support on all employment law matters

Review, draft and negotiate agreements with consultants and vendors

Be a key leader of the Legal and Compliance team’s efforts in the preparation, implementation and refinement of forms, processes and procedures

Keep abreast of applicable laws, regulations and industry guidance that impact Coursera’s agreements and business practices

Your Skills:

Must be admitted, and in active status and good standing with the California State Bar (or able to register for the California State Bar’s in-house counsel program), with at least 5 years of relevant experience

Substantial experience managing securities, corporate governance and corporate finance matters at a large law firm or global corporation

Strong and astute negotiation skills, with impeccable judgment, integrity and commitment to ethics

Possess a practical, business-oriented approach to problem-solving and be able to effectively counsel internal clients by providing them with clear and concise advice and creative solutions on timelines to meet business needs

Operate autonomously while being a team player who brings a positive, “can do” attitude to the workplace and works collaboratively with other members of the Legal and Compliance team and with internal clients

Be detail-oriented, organized, efficient and resourceful with strong follow-through skills

Ability to manage shifting priorities within a fast-paced, rapidly evolving environment

Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage several simultaneous projects under deadline pressure

Superior communication skills, both verbally and in writing

Ability to work and interact comfortably with senior leadership