Senior Director, Business and Legal Affairs

2U · Cape Town · Remote

Posted 8/19/2026 · last confirmed live 8/26/2026

At 2U, we are all in on purpose. We are motivated by our mission – to eliminate the back row in education – and connected by our shared passion to deliver world-class digital education at scale. As the parent company of edX, the world’s leading online learning platform, 2U powers more than 4,000 online higher education offerings – from free courses to full degrees. Together with more than 230 colleges, universities, and corporate partners, we are helping to unlock human potential. What We’re Looking For: The Senior Director, Alternative Credentials (Alt Cred), Business and Legal Affairs is an entrepreneurial, business savvy, and critical legal support for 2U, serving as the primary support for the enterprise (i.e., B2B) team, handling revenue generating products, leading key negotiations with minimal support, serving as a legal expert for the enterprise product team, and supporting other counsel in negotiations and deal flow. You will provide expert legal counsel and business savvy decision making in high stakes negotiations, balancing organizational objectives with obligations to ensure teams understand critical business decisions.   The primary responsibility of this role will be handling the enterprise team’s revenue generating contracts, as well as advising the enterprise team on contractual and legal/compliance requirements, business strategy, complex sales and strategic partnership agreements, and providing expert legal counsel and strategic business guidance. The Senior Director, Business and Legal Affairs will be a strategic thinker with substantial commercial transaction experience and a hunger to learn about the higher education industry.  Responsibilities Include, But Are Not Limited To: Lead and manage the contracting process for specific sales and strategic partnership deals globally, focusing on the enterprise team primarily. Develop, maintain and optimize standardized contracting templates and related documents, including universal order forms, product descriptions and enterprise sales terms and conditions. Draft, review, negotiate, bring to close and provide strategic advice and counsel regarding master services agreements and related sales materials and supporting documents, including reseller, referral and finder’s fee agreements, marketing collaboration agreements, education benefit agreements, B2C and B2C channel, integration and affiliate agreements, discount promotions, side letters for custom presentations, and non-standard deals and amendments – both for new deals and renewal and upselling opportunities. Provide first-line advice to teams regarding edX/2U’s approach to data privacy and security and partner and liaise with the Privacy team to review and negotiate data sharing agreements. Conduct specially designated nationals (SDN) screening and clearances for enterprise prospects and customers and manage review of Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) course blocking/embargoes for the edX platform. Work in close partnership and hand-in-hand with Revenue Operations, Finance and Accounting teams on the Deal Desk and to identify and resolve performance and operations issues, and improve upon existing playbooks, workflows and decision-making processes. Create, implement and continuously iterate on internal policies and procedures that enable scalable and profitable growth while appropriately managing legal and business risk. Develop and maintain internal FAQ documents, language/response banks, and training materials and lead training sessions as needed for business teams as well as for the general benefit of the broader Legal, Compliance and Privacy team. Advise Product & Engineering, Customer Success and Solutions & Support teams concerning risk management of new enterprise product and service offerings, platform/portal features, cross-product sales and pricing and packaging strategy, as well as evolving self-service functionality. Advise Marketing, Strategy and Product Marketing teams concerning branding and marketing compliance, IP rights, contractual obligations and strategic initiatives and emerging enterprise business needs. Provide ad hoc support to the broader Legal, Compliance and Privacy team and perform additional responsibilities as needed, including acting as subject matter expert on legacy edX sales products and processes, edX B2C SDN screening, OFAC course blocking, edX content partner membership renewals, edX learner and partner support inquiries and escalations, and trademark matters. Things That Should Be In Your Background: LLB (Bachelor of Laws) At least 8 years post qualifications experience as an admitted and licensed attorney in South Africa with a primary focus on high stakes and large value SaaS commercial transactions Strong negotiation skills Demonstrated ability to independently draft, negotiate and manage a high volume of various types of contracts and non-standard deals from start to finish in an efficient and accurate manner. Desire to continuously improve legal operations function, and ability to identify opportunities to improve speed, scalability and simplification and to reduce manual processes and internal and external points of friction. Excellent business acumen and judgment, including the ability to place legal risk in proper business context and recommend creative and practical solutions to meet business objectives. Strategic and critical thinking skills, with the demonstrated ability to advise cross-functional teams on contractual and legal risks and requirements, with a keen eye toward achieving business needs. Strong ability to act responsively to business demands and juggle competing priorities while working in a fast-paced setting in collaboration with global sales teams, all while maintaining positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Willingness to deal proactively and effectively with ambiguous situations, new agreement and product types, and evolving business goals and growth strategies. Attention to detail and excellent written and verbal communication skills. Exceptional organizational, prioritization and change management skills. Strong sense of accountability and ownership; must be a team player with ability to work with all levels of company leadership, management and staff. Big Five experience (very helpful) Knowledge of international privacy laws and/or higher education industry (helpful) Experience working in a multinational company/environment with distributed teams and global clients (helpful) Legal tech knowledge/experience (helpful) Benefits & Culture Our global employee base is a diverse collection of innovators, dreamers, and doers working together to transform lives through higher education. We believe that every employee can advance our shared purpose, and that life at 2U should be fun and meaningful. If you’re excited by the opportunity to provide over 40 million learners and counting with access to world-class online higher education, then join us – and do work that makes a difference. #NoBackRow We offer comprehensive benefits (unique per country) and excellent work/life balance. Full-time, ZA benefits include:  2 complimentary Getsmarter short courses per year Subsidised medical aid with Discovery Health Medical Scheme 4% 2U contribution towards Discovery Life Pension Fund and Group Risk Benefit Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Generous leave policy including time off to volunteer for non-profit organization, study leave, sports leave and a company-wide festive season break 2U Diversity and Inclusion Statement At 2U, we are committed to building and sustaining a culture of belonging, respect, and inclusion. We are proud of the steps we’ve taken to bring together an employee base that embodies diverse walks of life, ideas, genders, ages, races, cultures, sexual orientations, abilities and other unique qualities. We strive to offer a workplace where every employee feels empowered by what makes us different, as well as by how we are alike.  2U is committed to providing reasonable accommodations during our recruitment process. If you need assistance or accommodations, please reach out to us at:  recruitingaccommodations@2u.com .   About 2U  For more than a decade, 2U has been the digital transformation partner of choice to great non-profit colleges and universities delivering high-quality online education at scale. As the parent company of edX, a leading global online learning platform, 2U provides over 45 million learners with access to world-class education in partnership with more than 230 colleges, universities, and corporations. Our people and technology are powering more than 4,000 digital education offerings — from free courses to full degrees — and helping unlock human potential. To learn more: visit 2U.com. About edX edX is the education movement for restless learners and a leading global online learning platform from 2U. Together with the majority of the world’s top-ranked universities and industry-leading companies, we bring our community of over 45 million learners world-class education to support them at every stage of their lives and careers, from free courses to full degrees. And we're not stopping there — we're relentlessly pursuing our vision of a world where every learner can access education to unlock their potential, without the barriers of cost or location. Learn more at edX.org. Learn more at https://2u.com/careers/ #NoBackRow The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by individuals assigned to this position, and are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required. All employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed. 2U is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against applicants or employees and ensures equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of their race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, age, marital status, disability, citizenship, military or veterans’ status, or any other classifications protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. 2U’s equal opportunity policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, training, promotion, job benefits and pay.  2U is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from South African citizens who are members of designated groups who may contribute to Employment Equity within the workplace and the further diversification of ideas. In this regard, the relevant laws and principles associated with Employment Equity will be considered when appointing potential candidates. We are required by law to verify your ability to work lawfully in South Africa. 2U requires that you submit a copy of either your identity document or your passport and any applicable work permit if you are a foreign national, along with an updated curriculum vitae.

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