Job Opportunities API

About FirstPrinciples: FirstPrinciples is a research company building AI for scientific discovery. It began with Theo, the AI Physicist, and has since grown into a product-focused company with two additional systems including Theo Conjecture, built for automated conjecturing, and Theo Collaborator, an adaptive environment for doing complex research with AI. We're a fast-growing, remote-first team of builders, researchers, engineers, and thinkers working across Canada, the US, the UK, and expanding globally. What brings us together is a shared curiosity about how the universe works, and a belief that we can build systems that help us explore it more effectively. We spend our time working on questions that don't have clear answers, like how to design AI that can reason through scientific problems, and how the scientific process as a whole might evolve. This is work that sits somewhere between creativity and rigorous thinking, and often requires comfort with ambiguity and iteration. If you're someone who enjoys tackling big, abstract problems and exploring ideas that don't yet have a defined path forward, you'll likely find the work here interesting. Job Description: We are hiring our first in-house legal counsel to build the legal function at FirstPrinciples. This role will be based in Canada and will serve as the primary legal partner for the entire organization globally. You will support our Canadian foundation, our US 501(c)(3), and future international entities, working across borders, legal systems, and institutional norms. You will work closely with the executive leadership team and will be involved early in shaping how the organization is structured & operates. This is not a downstream review role. It is a high-trust position for someone who can combine strong legal fundamentals with sound business judgment in novel situations. The ideal candidate is comfortable operating as a team of one, enjoys building legal structures and frameworks from scratch, and is excited by the challenge of supporting a fast-moving research organization working at the frontier of AI and fundamental science. Key Responsibilities: AI Governance & Intellectual Property: - Develop and oversee AI governance frameworks, including responsible AI policies, model documentation standards, and regulatory compliance across jurisdictions. - Advise on intellectual property strategy, including patent evaluation, trade secrets, open-source licensing, and ownership of AI-generated research outputs. - Maintain and regularly update the organization's website privacy policy and terms of use to reflect evolving legal requirements, product changes, and best practices. - Ensure compliance with emerging AI and data regulations globally. Corporate, Governance & Cross-Border Support: - Support corporate governance for Canadian, US, and future international entities, including board matters, resolutions, and regulatory obligations. - Coordinate with the Director of Finance on key regulatory filings including Form 990 (IRS), T3010 (CRA), and other global compliance filings. - Coordinate with external counsel in the US and other jurisdictions as needed, while retaining ownership of legal strategy and decisions. - Draft and negotiate vendor agreements, NDAs, and other commercial contracts used across the organization. - Provide guidance on export controls, sanctions compliance, and cross-border data and AI model transfers. Global Data Acquisition & Licensing: - Structure, draft, and negotiate data acquisition, licensing, and usage agreements with academic institutions, research consortia, publishers, and other data providers across multiple jurisdictions. - Advise on data rights, permitted uses, restrictions, and risk exposure in the context of AI-driven research and model development. - Work closely with technical and research teams to translate technical needs into clear, enforceable contracts. Partnerships & Research Collaborat