General Counsel

**General Counsel & Corporate Secretary** **-* **VGC000085*
**Primary Location**: Canada-Ontario-Ajax

**Description**
**Drive your Career**

We love our cars, but it’s the people behind them who make them what they are. To build, market, sell, and service great cars, we need great people. That’s why at Volkswagen Group Canada, we are passionate about our cars and our brand and foster this same passion and drive in our people. We know that the right people in the right positions can do incredible things, and we love making that happen.
**We are currently looking for a General Counsel & Corporate Secretary**
**at our Corporate Offices in Ajax, ON**
Responsible for ensuring the business strategies, policies, procedures and programs of VGCA and its affiliates and supported brands relating to the sale, marketing, service, and development of products in Canada are developed and applied in full recognition of their legal implications and with risks duly managed and mitigated;
All other legal affairs of VGCA and its affiliates and supported brands, including claims by or against them, are attended to effectively and efficiently;
Supervising Legal Department staff, including Government & Regulatory Affairs; and
The reliance by VGCA and its affiliates and supported brands upon outside counsel is limited to the extent feasible. In addition to the practice areas of corporate affairs and governance, legal process management, legal risk management, and dealer network support (contractual, franchise management, and disputes), additional industry-specific knowledge in the areas of privacy and data security, consumer and B2B contracting (including e-Commerce), compliance, regulatory law, litigation, employment and benefits, intellectual property, pricing and marketing, competition law, and insurance is preferred.
**Primary Responsibilities**:

- Ensure that all legal risks to VGCA and its affiliates and supported brands are identified and managed.
- Supervise and support all Legal Department staff, including Government & Regulatory Affairs.
- Manage all legal processes for VGCA and its affiliates and supported brands.
- Ensure that the Legal Department functions as an enabler to business success while appropriately managing risk.
- Provide ongoing counsel and guidance on all legal matters relating to corporate strategies and governance, policies and procedures, and the dealer network (with respect to dealer contracts, franchise management, and disputes).
- Act as a liaison with the Compliance & Ethics groups at Volkswagen Group of America and Volkswagen AG to ensure the highest levels of compliance and ethics at VGCA and its affiliates and supported brands.
- Support, as needed, all other practice areas within the Legal Department.
- Working with business leaders and Legal Department staff, reconcile and determine the legal position of the group companies and brands in all legal matters.
- Ensure that business leaders are advised on the effect of existing and the development of new-laws, regulations and court decisions on the activities of the group companies and brands.
- Ensure that VGCA and its affiliates and supported brands have the necessary legal advice to negotiate contracts, and that business leaders understand all attendant legal risks and obligations before they are entered into.
- Ensure that the representation of VGCA and its affiliates before all legislative, administrative, executive and judicial bodies is guided and directed in a manner that meets business objectives and mitigates risks.
- Ensure that the risk management and insurance activities of VGCA and its affiliates are attended to effectively and efficiently, and in collaboration and coordination with the Risk Management Department of Volkswagen Group of America.
- Ensure routine education to employees of VGCA and its affiliates concerning legal compliance and risk mitigation.
- Ensure that legal risks to which VGCA and its affiliates and supported brands are exposed are evaluated and accurately reflected in the appropriate financial statements.
- Oversee the Legal Department budget to responsibly manage internal and external costs against strict cost targets of the organizations.
- Undertake additional individual assignments as assigned.

**Qualifications**
**What we’re asking for**:

- Bachelor’s degree and J.D. Degree from accredited law school (top third-class standing preferred)
- Active membership in the Law Society of Ontario or ability to become admitted to practice in Ontario without examination
- 5-7 years’ experience in the active practice of law after graduation from accredited law school
- 5-7 years’ experience in related fields
- Strong leadership skills
- Ability to work effectively with diverse groups and cultures
- Excellent organizational skills, ability to prioritize
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills; German language skills would be an asset
- Flexibility for travel local and global travel as required (up