University Counsel and Chief Legal Officer

Date Posted: 04/19/2021
Req ID: 3827
Faculty/Division: Vice-President, Human Resources & Equity
Department: Office of the Vice-President, Human Resources & Equity
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)

Description:

Established by royal charter in 1827, the University of Toronto is consistently ranked among the world’s top universities. Located in Toronto—Canada’s largest city—the University encompasses 18 Faculties and Schools, more than 100 departments, and 170 research centres and institutes. Its teaching programs are delivered on the historic St. George campus in the heart of Toronto’s downtown, on campuses in Mississauga and Scarborough, and in nine fully affiliated teaching hospitals. With approximately 22,000 faculty and staff, 93,000 students of which 25% are international, and an annual operating budget of $3.0 billion, the University is one of the world’s largest publicly funded research-intensive universities, and contributes $15.7 billion to the Canadian economy each year.

The University of Toronto (U of T) seeks a strategic, dynamic, and seasoned leader for the role of University Counsel and Chief Legal Officer.

The University Counsel and Chief Legal Officer reports to the President and has overall responsibility for managing the legal affairs of the University, providing expert advice on a wide variety of complex legal matters, leading a team of experienced internal legal counsel, and managing the University’s relationships with its external law firms. Among other responsibilities, they will lead the establishment of the University Legal Services unit, partnering with senior leadership and institutional stakeholders to plan and execute the transition of an existing divisional service model to a more centralized legal team, thus transforming the current highly distributed structure of legal services at U of T. They will provide strategic consultation to the University community on matters of law, University operation, policy, and governance, and advise on rigorous risk management and compliance.

The ideal candidate holds a Bachelors of laws degree (LL.B) or Juris Doctor (J.D.), and is eligible to become a member in good standing of the Law Society of Ontario. Given the size and scope of the University, an extensive record of exemplary leadership in private law practice, or as in-house counsel, preferably acquired in a university environment, will be a hallmark of the successful candidate. The University Counsel and Chief Legal Officer must demonstrate an understanding of the University’s policies, processes and systems, an aptitude for identifying practical solutions to challenges of a legal nature arising from University business, and experience leading organizational change. To be successful in the role, the incumbent must be a strategic collaborator and strong facilitator with an ability to foster respectful and collegial relationships with members of the university community. They will communicate in a compelling manner; possess a deep and abiding commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in all its forms; exercise sound judgement, tact, and discretion in all interactions; and manage multiple competing and frequently changing priorities.

Consideration of candidates will commence mid-May 2021 and continue until the position is filled. Nominations, enquiries, and applications, in confidence, should be directed to Gerri Woodford or Krutika Hotwani at uoftlegal@odgersberndtson.com.

Closing Date: 05/14/2021,11:59PM ET
Employee Group: Salaried
Appointment Type: Budget - Continuing
Schedule: Full-Time
Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone: PM 11 -- Hiring Zone: $214,132 - $249,820 -- Broadband Salary Range: $214,132 - $356,886 (Open)
Job Category: Legal

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All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Diversity Statement
The University of Toronto is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a brief Diversity Survey. This survey is voluntary. Any information directly related to you is confidential and cannot be accessed by search committees or human resources staff. Results will be aggregated for institutional planning purposes. For more information, please see http://uoft.me/UP.

Accessibility Statement
The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission.

The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities.

If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact uoft.careers@utoronto.ca.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

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