General Counsel

About Onja

Onja is a social enterprise training underprivileged youth into world-class software developers.

We find the brightest students in Madagascar who can’t afford to continue their education, and train them in English language and software development. After just two-and-a-half years they are ready to work as remote front-end software developers in international tech teams.

Once in a job, our developers earn a good salary that helps them support their families and pay forward the opportunity to a new wave of students. They unlock exciting careers that fulfil their potential, and accelerate the development of their nation (see ‘How Onja Works’ below).

Our first cohort, ‘Wave 1’, consists of nineteen talented and committed graduates who are now working remotely for our partner companies in Europe and the US. With this immensely successful first cohort, and a proven social model, our goal is now to scale our impact: we aim to take on 360 new students over the next four years.

Our fast-growing team is very united, committed to the mission, and hardworking, but we also maintain a relaxed and peaceful atmosphere that you’ll find everywhere in Madagascar.

Onja is located in Toamasina, a lively city with beautiful beaches, nice restaurants, and with plenty to do and see. Toamasina is Madagascar’s second largest city (population 300,000) yet is surrounded by plenty of natural beauty, and even has a national park nearby.

About the Legal Advisor position

Your mission will be to lead efforts in safeguarding Onja’s legal interests as it continues to grow. In particular this is likely to include:

• Researching and comparing tax conditions across various jurisdictions
• Maintaining / updating our legal structure and entities
• Looking into professional indemnity insurance
• Exploring legal risks to our organisation and creating plans to mitigate these risks
• Reviewing and improving our client contracts

Requirements

• Twelve month commitment (this ensures sufficient time to make a truly meaningful impact) with potential to renew/extend.
• Excellent English communication skills
• Law degree and or legal industry experience preferred
• Strong analytical and research skills.
• Ability to work well within a team and individually.

How Onja Works

Onja is a social enterprise with a sustainable model:

1. Search for brilliant minds who would otherwise be limited to low-paid, unfulfilling careers.
2. Students receive two years of English and software development instruction.
3. Graduates earn (and continue learning) at our outsourcing enterprise.
4. All profits are used to train the next wave of students and the cycle begins again.