Legal Officer

About Onja

Onja trains underprivileged youth into world-class software developers. Our organisation is unified by a common mission: give life-changing work through sustainable social enterprise.

We are recognised for our innovative model that finds exceptional talent where opportunity is scarce, invests in its development, and connects it directly to the global tech economy. Through an intensive two-and-a-half-year program, we co-create pathways to long-term social and economic stability that prioritise self-reliance.

We operate as one integrated organisation, where education, hiring, and partner collaboration work together to deliver high-performing tech talent with lasting social impact. Onja developers invest in their own futures and in their nation’s development, while ensuring Onja remains self-funding and scalable, paying forward opportunities to the next generation.

Onja is in Toamasina, a lively city with beautiful beaches, nice restaurants, and 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 role

Are you passionate about creating a positive change in your community? Would you like to be part of the pioneering team of a fast-growing social enterprise and experience an English-speaking, multicultural work environment? Are you proactive and like getting things done?

At Onja, we believe in the potential people have regardless of their background. We upskill underprivileged youth to work as software developers and allow Malagasy youth to accelerate Madagascar's development.

As a legal Officer at Onja, your mission is to provide legal support in order to ensure our innovative initiative operates within a robust legal framework. Your work will help us maintain compliance, mitigate risks, and uphold high ethical standards, ensuring that our program has a lasting, positive impact on the communities we serve.

We believe in hiring based on potential, attitude and cultural fit rather than specific qualifications.

Responsibilities

Conduct legal research on relevant laws, regulations and legal precedents affecting or that could affect Onja operations.
Assist in drafting, reviewing, updating and managing contracts and other legal documents.
Support the Operations team in ensuring Onja complies with all national and international laws and regulations.
Assist in identifying and mitigating legal risks associated with Onja activities and projects.
Collaborate with the People & Culture Lead in developing and updating internal policies and procedures to ensure legal compliance and best practices
Support the protection of Onja intellectual property, including copyrights, trademarks and software licences,
Provide administrative support to the Legal team, including maintaining legal files and records, and assist with additional tasks as your skills and capacity allow.

Requirements:

Smart and diligent,
Attention to detail

Candidates can anticipate that reference checks will be conducted as part our our thorough evaluation process.

Why work with us?

Do impactful work: Working with Onja gives you the ability to make a real tangible difference with your work, and have a deep sense of purpose in your everyday. Our mission is to nurture talented, underprivileged youth to lead impactful careers in tech, unlock opportunities for others and accelerate Madagascar's development.
Grow your skills fast: As a young fast-growing startup we are all in "over our heads" and this is a great place to grow. You will be challenged but you'll also be a part of a very supportive team and caring environment. Our social model is innovative with exciting potential to scale, so there is a great opportunity for you to grow your career along with us.
Work with very talented individuals who are very socially inclined: At Onja, you'll join a community of talented and passionate people from around Madagascar and the world.

How Onja Woks

Onja is a social enterprise with a sustainable model:

Search for brilliant minds who would otherwise be limited to low-paid, unfulfilling careers.
Students receive two years of English and software development instruction. Meet a developer here: https://onja.org/blog
Graduates earn (and continue learning) at our outsourcing enterprise.
All profits are used to train the next wave of students and the cycle begins again.

We want our hiring process to be fair and inclusive, so please do let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments we can make. For example, if you are neurodivergent, we can accommodate and discuss modifications to our hiring process with you.

Our hiring process

Join our team in four simple steps

Introductory Call

We’ll invite you to a call to get to know you and give you the chance to ask any questions you might have about Onja.

Formal Interview

This is where we have questions for you. We try to determine whether you will be a nice fit for the position and our team. There may be one or two interviews.

Casual Chat

We offer optional conversations with staff members to get to know what it's like to join our team.

Formal Offer

We make a formal offer to successful applicants.

Application Form

Contact Details

First Name *

Last Name *

Email Address *

Work Experience

LinkedIn profile:

Resume / Curriculum Vitae (CV): Only pdf and Word files supported. *

Where did you find out about this job?

Why are you interested in working with Onja?

Reference details. To apply for this role at Onja, please provide the names and contact details of two professional references, along with their organisations and positions. *

Please upload your baccalaureate transcript if you have it available. *

Please upload university transcripts (please upload no more than 3 files)

What is your English level?

A1
A2
B1
B2
C1
C2
Native

If you wish, you are very welcome to share any other information that could help us know you better. Sometimes people link videos, achievements, articles or blogs and these are much appreciated

I acknowledge that I have reviewed Onja'sHiring Privacy Policyand agree to the processing of my personal information as outlined in the policy.

I confirm that I have read and understood Onja’sReference Policy. I understand that Onja may contact my referees and that all reference feedback will be treated confidentially. I agree not to retaliate in any way against referees.