Counsel

Njoyn; Ottawa; Hybrid; CAD 130,000 - 206,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

15 days annual leave

Competitive benefits

Career growth opportunities

Wellness support

LP Performance Pay

Job summary

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) is seeking a seasoned lawyer to join its Legal Services team in Ottawa. You will deliver comprehensive legal support across administrative, environmental, constitutional, and privacy matters to uphold the CNSC’s health, safety and environmental mandate.

With 5–10 years of practice, you will draft opinions, briefs, and court documents, assess legal risk, and communicate complex advice clearly to clients while thriving in a fast‑paced regulatory

Qualifications

• 5–10 years of combined relevant legal practice
• Knowledge of administrative law and constitutional law
• Ability to identify and analyze complex legal issues
• Excellent written and oral communication in English

Responsibilities

• Provide legal services across administrative, nuclear, constitutional, environmental, privacy, and employment laws
• Draft legal opinions, briefs, and court documents; advise clients on risk
• Work with cross‑functional teams to support CNSC regulatory mandate

Skills

Legal experience

Administrative law

Constitutional law

Written & oral communication

Legal risk assessment

Research & drafting

Education

Law degree

Bar admission

Job description

$130,382.00 - $206,386.00/Year(Salary Under Review)

Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission - CNSC 25.2K subscribers

The results of this process may be used to staff future positions with similar qualifications and various tenures including term, acting, assignment and indeterminate.

Who can apply? Persons legally eligible to work in Canada.

The CNSC recognizes the many benefits of providing staff with more flexible work practices. The CNSC enables employees to manage their work while fostering a culture of inclusion, health and wellbeing and delivering high quality regulatory outcomes for Canadians.

Within the flexible work model, CNSC employees are currently expected to work in-person for at least 25% of their normal schedule depending on the operational requirements and duties of the position.

Applicants must reside or be willing to relocate to the National Capital Region (NCR). Relocation assistance may be offered to a successful candidate residing outside of the National Capital Region.

The CNSC is dedicated to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce that reflects Canada’s population. We value and respect individuals of all races, ethnicities, genders, ages, abilities, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, socio-economic backgrounds, and lived experiences. We recognize that individuals may identify with more than one designated group.

Employment equity is an important organizational priority and may be applied at any stage of this appointment process. If applied, preference may be given to candidates who have self-identified as members of one or more of the four designated employment equity groups: Persons with Disabilities, Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Inuit, or Métis), Members of Visible Minorities, or Women. Self-identification is voluntary, confidential and used solely to support Employment Equity objectives. We encourage members of any designated group to self-identify.

We welcome all qualified candidates to apply. If you have a special need that requires accommodation at any time during the recruitment process, please let us know. All information pertaining to accommodation requests will be kept confidential.

This process is available in both official languages. Please indicate your preferred language for communication.

Closing Date: October 23, 2026, 11:59pm (EST)

Why work here?

At the CNSC, we work hard to create an environment where employees feel supported and heard, by management and their peers alike.

• Minimum 15 days of annual leave per year
• Competitive salary and benefit package
• Growth and the possibility for internal career opportunities
• Strong support for employee wellness and mental health
• LP Performance Pay

About Legal Services The Legal Services is a full-service in-house legal team comprised of counsel, paralegal and administrative staff. Its goal is to provide high-quality, objective and timely legal services to the CNSC. The Legal Team works hard to provide excellent legal services and to support each other as individuals.

Who you are

We are looking for dynamic, motivated lawyers searching for an opportunity to make their mark in a small arm's length quasi-judicial tribunal and regulatory body with an important mandate – protecting the health and safety of Canadians and the environment, and ensuring national security and the respect of Canada’s international obligations with regard to the regulation of the nuclear industry. You will be providing legal services to the CNSC in areas of law such as administrative, nuclear, constitutional, environmental and Indigenous laws, as well as statutory law, including privacy, access to information, official languages as well as employment and labor law. You would have opportunities to work on a variety of files, connecting and working with different teams of experts, and helping an administrative tribunal in the delivery of its mandate.

Essential Qualifications:

Experience:

• 5-10 years of combined relevant legal practice
• Managing a practice that includes multiple files of challenging scope, risk, and impact
• Conducting research and drafting practical legal risk analyses and legal opinions
• Providing legal briefings and advice
• Working with clients to advance client priorities, minimize legal risk and find practical solutions

Knowledge of:

• In-depth knowledge of principles of administrative law, including procedural fairness and standard of review of decisions of statutory bodies
• Constitutional law, including separation of powers, Charter protections and s.35 principles and application of the law respecting search and seizure
• One of the following areas of law: environmental law, including the Impact Assessment Act, Indigenous law, privacy and access to information law, Government of Canada labour relations
• Mandate and jurisdiction of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
• Court processes

Ability to:

• Identify and analyze complex legal issues and identify practical strategies/solutions
• Communicate legal advice and legal risk effectively, both orally and in writing
• Work effectively under pressure with changing priorities within tight time constraints

Education:

• Law degree from a recognized university (LLB, JD, LLL, BCL)

Professional accreditation:

• Member in good standing in the bar of one of the provinces or territories of Canada or the Order of notaries of Quebec

Knowledge of:

• In-depth knowledge of principles of administrative law, including procedural fairness and standard of review of decisions of statutory bodies
• Constitutional law, including separation of powers, Charter protections and s.35 principles and application of the law respecting search and seizure
• One of the following areas of law: environmental law, including the Impact Assessment Act, Indigenous law, privacy and access to information law, Government of Canada labour relations
• Mandate and jurisdiction of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
• Court processes

Ability to:

• Identify and analyze complex legal issues and identify practical strategies/solutions
• Communicate legal advice and legal risk effectively, both orally and in writing
• Work effectively under pressure with changing priorities within tight time constraints

Language Requirements:

• English Essential

The following "Key Behavioural Competencies" define the behaviours expected of all CNSC employees. These competencies serve as the basis for the selection, performance management, development and recognition of CNSC employees and will form part of the evaluation of this process.

• Live it - Model the CNSC values
• Own it - Be Accountable & Achieve Results
• Build it - Collaborate Effectively with Others
• Learn it - Commit to your Professional Growth & Personal Leadership

In addition to the essential knowledge qualifications, knowledge of one or more of the following:

• Environmental law, including the law applicable to environmental assessment and the Impact Assessment Act
• Indigenous law including up-to-date knowledge on the duty to consult, UNDRIP/UNDA, reconciliation, etc.
• mining law
• general statutory laws applicable to Canadian government entities, including privacy and access to information law, official languages, Government of Canada labour relations

• Recent experience working within an administrative tribunal or regulatory setting
• Litigation experience or experience in the preparation of court documents, affidavits, process, etc
• Experience working in an organization with a science-based or technical mandate
• Degree in science

Operational Needs:

All CNSC staff are subject to the Mobility Directive.

This position may be required to travel.

Overtime: Overtime may be required.

Hiring Conditions

Candidates must meet and maintain the following hiring conditions throughout their employment.

Occupational Accreditation: Member in good standing in the law society of one of the provinces or territories of Canada or the Order of notaries of Quebec

Security: Secret