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Job Description
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.
This role is an in‑office position based at our 97 Front Street, Toronto location. Our team is highly collaborative, and much of our work benefits from in‑person co‑creation, relationship‑building, and hands‑on partnership with leaders across the organization.
Our Legal Services Team is seeking a Lawyer to serve in a Director role in our busy and collegial legal team. Reporting to a Vice President, Legal Services, the successful candidate will be required to provide proactive, timely and strategic advice to senior business leaders and their teams. Successful candidates 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.
Ideal candidates will have 8-10 years of leasing and/or commercial real estate law experience, gained from a major law firm, corporation, or government agency. Excellent drafting skills and experience working with complex commercial contracts will be required. Experience with real estate transactions in the context of development projects would be an asset, as would some experience with municipal planning and heritage law.
What will I be doing?
- Act on real estate and property development matters, including commercial leasing, purchase and sale transactions, development and construction agreements, operating and maintenance easements, limiting distance agreements, utility easements and crossing agreements, licences and other commercial agreements required in the development context.
- Draft, review, analyze, and negotiate complex agreements, opinions, memoranda, and other legal documents to manage risk and ensure that the organization’s objectives are achieved.
- Provide high-quality and timely legal advice, strategic advice, research, opinions, guidance, and service on matters pertaining to large complex transactions, including the real estate, development and planning components of such projects.
- Be accountable for matters within an assigned portfolio of legal work grouped by business unit, program or project.
- Build and maintain effective working relationships with government (e.g. Ministry of Transportation, Infrastructure Ontario, municipalities), utilities, consultants, project partners, and other stakeholders.
- Direct and manage external counsel on multiple projects, making recommendations, as necessary, to the Vice President, Legal Services.
- Advise and lead presentations to all levels of management, including briefing senior management and division heads.
- Prioritize tasks, push files forward, and escalate issues appropriately.
- Contribute to corporate policies, standards, and procedures to minimize legal risk and protect assets.
- Maintain an awareness of current provincial and federal legislation and regulations that may impact Metrolinx; recommend amendments to existing policies and procedures arising from relevant legislative or regulatory changes; provide advice/opinions on the interpretation of legislation.
- Assist with developing training and mentorship programs for junior lawyers and students.
- Provide feedback and direction to paralegal and administrative staff.
What Skills and Qualifications Do I Need?
- Completion of a degree in law (JD or LLB).
- Minimum eight (8) years’ legal experience within the area of commercial real estate law, leasing or property development.
- Membership in the Law Society of Ontario as a Lawyer in good standing.
- Ability to provide sound legal advice and suggest business-oriented solutions to complex legal issues in commercial and political contexts.
- Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and oral/written/presentation skills.
- Ability to effectively direct and manage external legal counsel.
Don’t Meet Every Requirement?
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 encourage applications from members of equity-deserving communities, including those who identify as Indigenous, Black, racialized, women, people with disabilities, and people with diverse gender identities, expressions and sexual orientations.
Accommodation:
We value the unique skills and experiences each person brings to Metrolinx and are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and accessible environment. We are committed to the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act so if you require accommodation during the hiring process, please let our Recruitment team know by contacting us at: 416-202-5601 or email [email protected].
Application Process:
All applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada. Metrolinx will be using email to communicate with you for all job competitions. It is your responsibility to include an updated email address that is checked daily and accepts emails from unknown users. As we send time-sensitive correspondence, we recommend that you check your email regularly. If no response is received, we will assume you are no longer interested in pursuing the opportunity. Please be advised that a Criminal Record Check may be required of the successful candidate.
For Internal applicants, with the recent implementation of the Internal Mobility Policy, the internal recruitment process has changed for non-union roles. Candidates must be in their current role for 12 months prior to applying for another role and each applicant must be in good standing (not participating in a Performance Improvement Plan). Please review all provisions of the policy before submitting your application.
Should it be determined that any background information provided is misleading, inaccurate or incorrect, Metrolinx reserves the right to discontinue with the consideration of your application.
We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.
WE ARE AN EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE EMPLOYER.
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