Senior Legal Counsel

Metrolinx is connecting communities across the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Metrolinx operates GO Transit and UP Express, as well as the PRESTO fare payment system. We are also building new and improved rapid transit, including GO Expansion, Light Rail Transit routes, and major expansions to Toronto’s subway system, to get people where they need to go, better, faster and easier. Metrolinx is an agency of the Government of Ontario.

At Metrolinx, equity, diversity and inclusion are essential to living our values of serving with passion, thinking forward and playing as a team.

Our Legal and Corporate Commercial Services team is currently seeking a talented Senior Legal Counsel to join our busy and collegial legal team, located in downtown Toronto. Reporting to a Director, Legal Services, the successful candidate will be required to provide proactive, timely and strategic advice to senior business leaders and their teams, or business units, gaining exposure to a wide variety of work on a broad range of matters for complex infrastructure construction projects.

The successful candidate will also work through collaboration and partnership with other transit agencies, multiple regional and municipal governments in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, the federal government, and the private sector.

• Works independently and with project teams to develop and manage key commercial contracts.
• Provides high-quality and timely legal advice, strategic advice, research, opinions, guidance and service on matters pertaining to large complex transactions, including capital infrastructure projects, utilities issues, procurement of construction services, and contract and claims management.
• Drafts and negotiates complex commercial contracts, memoranda of understanding, and other legal documentation.
• Accountable for matters within an assigned portfolio of legal work grouped by business unit, program or project as assigned.
• Works effectively with various agencies, departments and levels of management within and external to the organization, including engineers, program managers, business and financial analysts, consultants and executives.
• Directs and manages external counsel on multiple projects.
• Advises and leads presentations to all levels of management, including briefings of Senior Management Director or VP of the portfolio.
• Understands how to prioritize tasks, push files forward and escalates issues appropriately.
• Maintains an awareness of current provincial and federal legislation and regulations that may impact Metrolinx; recommends amendments to existing policies and procedures arising from relevant legislative or regulatory changes; provides advice/opinions on the interpretation of legislation.
• Provides proactive and strategic legal advice to organization outside of specific legal assignments.
• Assists with developing training and mentorship programs for junior lawyers and students.
• Provides feedback and direction to paralegal and administrative staff.

• Completion of a degree in law (JD or LLB).
• Demonstrated legal experience/training within the area of Construction Law, Infrastructure Law, and Procurement Law. Experience in Contract and Claims Management would be an asset.
• Membership in the Law Society of Ontario as a Lawyer in good standing is required.
• Contributing to corporate policies, standards, and procedures to minimize corporate legal risk and protect position and assets.
• Ability to provide sound legal advice and suggest business-oriented solutions to complex legal issues in commercial and political contexts.
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, oral, written and presentation skills to draft documentation, provide legal opinions and interpretations, and direct and manage external legal counsel effectively.

If you’re excited about working with Metrolinx but your past experience doesn’t quite align with every qualification of this posting, we encourage you to apply. You just might be the right candidate for this or other roles. We are always looking for great talent to join our team.

We invite all interested individuals to apply and…