Vice President, Legal Affairs

No other bank is doing what we do.

At BDC, we help Canada and its entrepreneurs create a prosperous, inclusive and green economy. Our mission is to help Canadian businesses thrive by providing financing, capital and advisory services. We’re devoted to Canadian entrepreneurs. We’re also dedicated to our employees. Adaptable. Inspiring. Different. There’s a reason we like to work here, and we think you’ll like it too. Join BDC and help make a difference

Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. They’re more than just words for BDC. These concepts are foundational to our success and to our ability to attract, retain, mobilize and develop the right talent, as well as to offer a healthy, professional and collaborative environment. We are committed to cultivating and preserving an environment where all employees can thrive, and, for over a decade, we have been recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers and one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers. In recruiting for our team, we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation, beliefs, experiences, and more.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The position of Vice President, Legal Affairs, reporting to the General Counsel, is a newly created position with a bold mandate to propel and evolve the organization and the Legal Affairs department. BDC's ambition is to advance the impact of our organization with innovative programs, financial and advisory product design and the development of initiatives to build an inclusive economy for entrepreneurs. In this context, the incumbent will play a key role in reviewing and evolving our processes to ensure that the provision of legal advice to BDC's corporate functions on a variety of corporate and commercial law issues is optimal. The incumbent is also responsible for ensuring that emerging legal and regulatory risks are identified with a view to proactively advising and influencing strategic decision-making at all levels of BDC.

CHALLENGES TO BE MET

STRATEGIC COUNSEL- Provide innovative and strategic leadership in the provision of legal services in order to support the organization's business objectives- Grow and develop a high performing legal team, including establishing performance objectives, monitoring progress, and assessing results- Ensure that practical, business-oriented legal advice is provided proactively on a wide range of key strategic legal matters, including strategic corporate initiatives as well as emerging legal and regulatory trends in areas such as privacy, open banking and data governance- Manage key relationships with external law firms, including SLAs and legal spend- Participate in the negotiation and drafting of complex commercial agreements and other legal documents develop this expertise within Legal Affairs- Support the Chief Legal Officer in the development of talent and succession planning within the department. In this regard, the incumbent ensures that all resources are coached, have formal development plans and receive ongoing support and feedback- Participate as an active member of the Legal Affairs management committee in the development and implementation of the department's annual strategic business plan including key performance metrics- Responsible for supporting and reinforcing continuous improvement initiatives and behaviours in the delivery of services to all internal partners- Develop and maintain strong internal and external networks

LEADERSHIP- Provides leadership and is responsible for leading the provision of legal resources and support for key organizational projects and strategic initiatives- Provide strategic guidance to the AVP, Corporate Legal Services to support corporate functions (including Risk management, HR, IT and Finance)- Responsible for the improvement of the delivery of legal services through the implementation of a legal operations function, including the development of knowledge management strategies, file and project management, process improvement, and use of digital tools

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR- Minimum 15 years of corporate and commercial law- Experience in leading a team through transformation- Member of the Barreau du Quebec or of another provincial bar- Bilingualism, written and spoken, in French and English- Experience building and maintaining high performing teams and working to achieve strategic goals- Management experience and leadership skills- Creative and innovative with excellent business judgement- Ability to analyze and synthesize complex and ambiguous information to provide legal recommendation to the business- Excellent verbal and written communication skills- Excellent interpersonal skills

With us, you'll be able to achieve the work/life balance you're looking for, with competitive working conditions and above-market flexible benefits