Our client is seeking a highly experienced Corporate Paralegal & Compliance Lead to act as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to the business. This role is responsible for leading enterprise-wide corporate governance, compliance programs, and contract risk management across a growing and complex organization.

Operating with a high degree of autonomy and professional judgment, this individual will serve as the primary internal authority on corporate governance processes, ESOP administration, privacy compliance, contract management, and insurance coordination. The incumbent provides proactive guidance to executive leadership, supports Board and Committee governance, and ensures a strong, defensible legal and compliance posture in support of organizational growth.

This role acts as the first point of escalation for complex legal, contractual, governance, and compliance matters (prior to engaging external counsel) and plays a key role in evolving and strengthening the organization’s legal and compliance operating model.

This is a high-impact role for a seasoned professional who thrives in a leadership capacity and enjoys shaping governance and compliance frameworks within a dynamic organization.

OBJECTIVE

To lead and continuously improve corporate governance, compliance, and contractual risk management practices, ensuring compliance with legislation and regulatory requirements while enabling informed, timely, and defensible business decision-making.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Corporate Governance & Board Support

• Lead administration of employee option and share plans, including complex vesting, exercises, redemptions, and reporting implications.
• Act as primary internal expert on ESOP governance, working closely with Finance and ERG on tax treatment, controls, and reporting.
• Lead Board and Committee governance processes including agenda development, materials coordination, minutes, resolutions, and action tracking.
• Perform advanced corporate secretary functions under guidance, with a clear succession pathway into a designated Corporate Secretary role.
• Oversee annual filings, corporate registries, subsidiary maintenance, and jurisdictional compliance in coordination with external counsel.
• Lead or support internal investigations relating to compliance, conduct, or regulatory matters, ensuring appropriate documentation and escalation.
• Support shareholder communications and regulatory disclosures with a high degree of accuracy, judgment, and confidentiality.

Contract Governance & Commercial Risk Management

• Own and continuously improve the contract governance framework, including templates, playbooks, approval authorities, and lifecycle controls.
• Lead complex contract drafting, review, negotiation support, and risk assessment for client, contractor, and strategic agreements.
• Advise and train project leaders and managers on contract risk, obligations, flow-through conditions, and dispute mitigation.
• Oversee tendering and procurement legal support for MSAs and strategic engagements.
• Manage legal and contracts inboxes, exercising judgment on triage, escalation, and prioritization.
• Maintain enterprise-wide contract registers, renewal controls, obligation tracking, and compliance documentation.
• Collaborate with leadership to strengthen governance related to IP, trademarks, copyright, and confidentiality.

Legal Advisory & Counsel Coordination

• Serve as a senior internal legal resource for commercial, governance, and compliance queries prior to escalation to external counsel.
• Coordinate with external legal counsel on complex negotiations, disputes, litigation, and regulatory matters.
• Conduct advanced legal and regulatory research and provide executive-level summaries and risk analysis.
• Oversee maintenance of minute books, statutory records, and corporate resolutions across entities.
• Lead operational implementation of privacy compliance programs under applicable legislation.
• Maintain enterprise privacy policies, manage access requests, and proactively identify privacy risks in collaboration with IT and ERG.

Risk Management, Insurance & Enterprise Compliance

• Lead coordination of corporate insurance programs including D&O, professional liability, and general liability.
• Manage renewals, coverage analysis, claims coordination, and broker relationships.
• Act as internal lead during insurance events, investigations, and claims, ensuring proper documentation and notification.
• Maintain insurance schedules, certificates, and claims files with audit-ready rigor.
• Support enterprise risk assessments related to contracts, governance, privacy, and regulatory exposure.
• Ensure governance and legal compliance during investigations or high-risk events.

CORE COMPETENCIES

Business Acumen (Advanced Level)

Level 4: Demonstrates an in-depth understanding of the operations related to a functional area or a major business or organizational segment. Understands and monitors internal and external developments and develops action plans or responses to ensure the achievement of business or organizational objectives. Works with external stakeholders to influence external factors (e.g., regulatory developments) to advance the agenda of the business or organization

Managing Information (Expert Level)

Level 5: Develops strategies and policies and defines the architecture required for maintaining, sharing and protecting information. Ensures that there are consistent standards in place across the organization to ensure data is compiled, stored, interpreted and protected in a consistent manner. Ensures all compliance requirements with respect to data reporting and record keeping are met. Develops strategies for fostering organizational learning and continuous improvement.

Problem Solving (Advanced Level)

Level 4: Resolves complex, sensitive or contentions problems or issues that are typically cross-functional in nature. Applies advanced analytical tools and processes to dissect problems or issues and to see broader patterns. Demonstrates the ability to think outside established norms or parameters and encourages others to look beyond conventional thinking. Supports others in resolving moderately complex problems or issues. Effectively engages multiple stakeholders in creating solutions and builds consensus when faced with competing agendas or divergent points of view.

Strategic Orientation (Advanced Level)
Level 4: Translates business or organizational plans into objectives for a functional area or major business or organizational segment. Identifies the resources (e.g., people, dollars, technology) required to deliver on objectives and negotiate cross-functionally to secure these resources. Identifies opportunities to support organizational growth and/or enhance organizational effectiveness. Anticipates potential challenges and develops contingency plans to support the achievement of objectives. Engages in work with a medium-term planning horizon that looks out one to two years. Accepts challenges and persists in finding solutions. Takes responsibility to get things done without waiting for others to initiate action and responds to issues and/or brings concerns forward rather than waiting for them to be discovered by someone else.

Financial Management and Accountability (Advanced Level)

Level 4: Develops business or financial plans, such as budgets or financial targets. Tracks progress against financial objectives and ensure appropriate actions are taken to support the achievement of these objectives. Identifies potential risks that could impact financial performance or service delivery and develops action plans to mitigate such risks. Understands and applies financial principles and generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

Communication (Expert Level)
Level 5: Prepares highly sensitive or high-impact business correspondence or communication materials aimed at the organization’s most strategic or influential internal and external stakeholders. Develops correspondence that has legal or financial implications or that influences how the organization is perceived externally. Delivers detailed or technical information in a clear, timely and professional manner that is easy to understand. Asks questions to test for understanding. Considers how body language influences the message being delivered. Develops fairly routine business correspondence such as letters and basic reports which convey clear and consistent messages. Understands and applies specialized terminology in an accurate and appropriate manner, using correct spelling, grammar and punctuation.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Paralegal plus 12–15+ years of progressively senior experience in corporate governance, compliance, and commercial contracting within a complex or regulated organization; or equivalent combination.
• Demonstrated experience supporting Boards, subsidiaries, and enterprise governance structures.
• Proven ability to independently manage complex legal, governance, and compliance matters with minimal supervision.
• Registration with AAPP strongly preferred.
• Governance Professionals of Canada registration or active pursuit considered an asset.
• Advanced familiarity with TSX systems, corporate registries, and regulatory disclosure platforms.
• Demonstrated executive level written and verbal communication skills.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS:
The Incumbent will exercise their mandate through a series of key relationships:
• The Director reports to the VP Finance & Legal and supports the corporate growth objectives including the foundational elements of our client Strategic plan associated with growth.
• Works closely with the Executive and Senior Management team to provide legal, governance, risk and privacy guidance and support informed decision making.
• Collaborates with Finance and Business Operations including IT and ERG.
• Partners with Board Members and Board Committees to support governance processes, materials preparation and follow up on actions.
• Engages with external Legal Counsel and Insurance Broker, to manage complex contracts, claims, litigation matters, and corporate governance compliance.
• Coordinates with Project Teams to identify, assess, and mitigate risks associated with projects and contractor engagement.

WORKING CONDITIONS
This position is based in a standard professional office environment and can be allocated as a hybrid position, with two days required on site presence at a our client office location, subject to operational requirements and approval.

Work involves prolonged periods of sitting, working at a desk, and using a computer, keyboard, and related office technology. The role requires the ability to focus for extended periods, manage multiple priorities, and participate in meetings both in person and via virtual platforms. Manual dexterity is required to operate computers, peripherals, and other standard office equipment.

The position may occasionally require extended hours during major system changes, incident response, or critical project milestones. Travel to other our client offices or operational sites may be required on an as needed basis.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Candidates are asked to apply via LinkedIn or email their resume in confidence to Shona Tischner at: shona@urbanlegal.ca

At Urban Legal Recruitment, we guarantee discretion and confidentiality. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.