Position Description

General Counsel

Level / Salary Range (CA$) Level G5 / $139,372 - $176,420

Duration Indeterminate (37.5 hours/week)

Closing Date (dd/mm/yy) at 23:59 EST 30/03/2025

If you are looking for a career opportunity, want to give meaning to your professional legal achievements and contribute to making the world a better place by playing a part in international development, and are passionate about the provision of results-driven and impactful corporate legal services in an international setting, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is the place for you!

IDRC is home to people who share a passion for impact-driven international development research. We look for individuals who believe that knowledge and innovation for impact can help solve the world’s most critical challenges.

Come join our team and help us build a more sustainable and inclusive world!

Our employment opportunity of the moment: General Counsel (Director, Corporate Legal Services)

Location: Ottawa, Ontario (Hybrid Mode*)

Employment Status: Indeterminate

Take a minute to see if your profile fits IDRC:

You have:

A Law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) from a recognized Canadian or foreign law school.
Member in good standing of the Bar of Ontario, Canada (IDRC contracts largely pursuant to the Laws of Ontario).
Proficiency in French and English (reading, writing and speaking).
Significant and current experience as a post-call lawyer, specifically corporate or commercial legal experience across the public or private sectors.
An in-depth understanding of negotiation, establishment, maintenance, and termination of a range of legal relationships.
An enhanced knowledge of governmental or public sector corporate settings and professional unionized workplaces would be assets.
A strong understanding of the legal aspects of employment and labour relations.

You are:

Aligned with IDRC’s culture and value statements: At IDRC we are respectful, intentional, accountable and mission driven.
A professional with strong judgement and ability to handle confidential/highly sensitive matters.
Competent in planning, developing and implementing practical and widely acceptable legal solutions
Able to work under pressure using your initiative and sound judgment.
A team player within a multidisciplinary group of people from diverse cultures.
Strategic and agile when approaching corporate issues that will serve organizational interests.

You are interested in:

Driving solutions to legal and risk management issues.
Supporting corporate and programming governance and administrative structures and compliance regimes.
Advising on all manner of internal policy and agreement compliance issues as they emerge.
Supporting excellent management/staff relation.

Then we are interested in your profile!

At IDRC, we support your professional development.

Additional Information:

For more details on the primary duties and responsibilities, view Job Details.
*Hybrid Mode: The Centre provides a hybrid work environment, and your presence at the office is governed by the teleworking policy.
As a result of this process, the Centre may establish a pool of pre-qualified candidates for future permanent and term opportunities.

Our recruitment team carefully reviews all applications to identify candidates who best align with the role’s criteria. If selected, you will hear from us regarding the next steps in the process. We thank all applicants for their interest and encourage you to stay connected with IDRC for future opportunities.

The International Development Research Centre is committed to creating and fostering a respectful, diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace culture that reflects the people’s lives we impact and the Canadian community we work within, where everyone can truly be themselves. We welcome Indigenous peoples and persons from all races, ethnicities, gender identities and expressions, sexual orientations, as well as persons with physical or mental disabilities to be part of our team. At IDRC, we place human rights and dignity at the center of our work. We have a zero-tolerance approach to inaction against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment in the delivery of our mandate and during our research-for-development activities.

We strive to ensure barrier-free selection processes. If you are contacted regarding a career opportunity, testing or interview, please advise the People and Corporate Culture Division representative of the accommodation measures that must be taken to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner.

All IDRC employment offers will be contingent on satisfactory references and self-declaration results. IDRC will request information from references provided by job applicants about any findings related to sexual exploitation, abuse and/or harassment in the context of employment.

By submitting an application, job applicants confirm their understanding of the recruitment process above.

Who can apply? Canadian citizens and permanent residents.