Associate Solicitor

Why Guelph:
**Why Guelph?**

**What we offer**
We offer competitive wages and comprehensive benefits to meet the needs of our diverse employees. Many of our positions offer:

- Paid vacation days, increasing with years of service
- Paid personal days;
- Hybrid and flexible work arrangements;
- Defined benefit pension plan with OMERS, including 100-per-cent employer matching;
- Extended health and dental benefits, including Health Care Spending Account;
- Employee and Family Assistance Program;
- Parental leave top up program;
- Learning and development opportunities including tuition assistance
- Employee recognition programs.

Position Overview:
**Key duties and responsibilities**
- Provide clear and concise advice to City Departments and City Council as required on a diverse range of general corporate and commercial matters, including business operations and municipal services.
- Work with the Project Management Office to support identified complex capital projects.
- Review, draft and negotiate sophisticated agreements in connection with commercial transactions (including procurement, RFPs, construction, infrastructure and IT projects) involving both public and private sector entities.
- Lead front-line negotiation and preparation of commercial contracts.
- Assist with the hand over of finalized, negotiated contracts to City Departments, and support ongoing management of such contracts throughout the contract lifecycle.
- Assist the City’s project teams to avoid disputes or, where not possible, resolve them amicably, professionally and efficiently.
- Participate in mediations and arbitrations relating to commercial contract disputes.
- Support, and in some cases lead, the negotiation and creation of partnerships, corporations, and other joint venture entities in respect of targeted business pursuits.
- Interpret federal and provincial legislation / regulations and case law relevant to the City.
- Anticipate Department business issues, investigate underlying causes and develop and implement practical short
- and long-term solutions to legal problems.
- Occasionally retain, instruct and manage external counsel.
- Support other internal counsel or external counsel with commercial contract litigation.
- Develop and continuously improve contract practices within City Departments.
- Anticipate, plan and conduct legal training sessions for City Departments.
- Deal with multiple internal and external stakeholders, including other levels of government.
- Meet tight deadlines and balance conflicting priorities.
- Assume leadership role, provide guidance and may lead individuals, teams or projects.
- Prepare and review Council and Committee reports.
- Attend Council and Committee meetings and other public meetings, as required.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.

**Qualifications and requirements**
- Completion of a law degree.
- Five (5) or more years of corporate/commercial legal experience.
- Licensed to practice law in Ontario and a lawyer licensee in good standing of the Law Society of Ontario.
- Experience in a range of relevant commercial law matters gained from private practice and/or in-house.
- Excellent corporate / commercial legal skills, including excellent drafting, negotiation and attention to detail.
- Ability to communicate effectively with a variety of stakeholders, including senior management, City Council, and external stakeholders.
- Ability to work effectively both independently and in a team environment.
- Excellent business and political acumen, creativity, and sound judgment.
- Ability to accurately scope out length and difficulty of issues and set priorities.
- Ability to explain / present complex ideas in a clear and understandable fashion, and influence others.
- Knowledgeable on key industry trends and market changes and the ability to develop legal strategies accordingly.
- Advanced skills in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook).
- Knowledge and understanding of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Ontario Human Rights Code, Workplace Safety and Insurance Act and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
- Experience in public sector procurement, project management or municipal complex construction projects would be considered an asset.

**Pay/Salary**
Non-Union Grade: 8: $114,249.25- $142,811.56

**How to apply