Director, Lawyer Services and Payments (24 months)

Perfdrive; Toronto; On-site; CAD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Dental, health and life insurance

Short-Term Disability and ADD

Long-term disability for permanent员工

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Health Spending Account (HSA)

Job summary

Legal Aid Ontario seeks a Director, Lawyer Services & Payments (LSP) to provide strategic leadership for the Lawyer Services Centre and Provincial Case Management Office. Overseeing over $200 million in annual rosters and court-appointed matters, you’ll drive governance, modernization, and service excellence.

You’ll lead cross-functional teams, leverage data for decisions, and champion accountability, innovation, and client service.

Qualifications

• University degree in Law, Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or related field.
• Professional accounting designation or equivalent is an asset.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive operational management experience.
• Experience in regulated public sector or professional services preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of Lawyer Services & Payments and related offices.
• Ensure compliance, financial controls, and timely processing of payments.
• Lead transformation, process improvement, and risk management initiatives.
• Drive cross-functional projects and data-driven decision making.
• Develop performance measures, reporting frameworks, and executive-level recommendations.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team and succession planning.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to align priorities and objectives.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Project management

Communication

Change management

Data-driven decision making

Education

Law degree

Finance/Economics/Business background

Job description

Director, Lawyer Services and Payments (24 months)

Union:

Non-Union

Job Number: J1026-0595

Job Title: Director, Lawyer Services and Payments (24 months)

Job Type: Contract

Contract Duration (months): 24

Job Location: Toronto

Job Category: Management / Consulting

Open Positions: 1

Posting Date: October 27, 2026

Closing Date: November 16, 2026

Legal Aid Ontario employees are committed to making a difference in the lives of our clients.

As an integral partner in the Justice system, working at Legal Aid Ontario is more than just a job. It's an opportunity to help people who need it the most; to ensure each client receives the access to justice afforded to them under the law.

If you are looking for a new challenge in your already meaningful career with a team dedicated to justice, and innovation in a flexible and supportive work environment consider this opportunity below.

Building a diverse workforce that represents the communities we serve while promoting a safe culture and work environment that dismantles systemic barriers, welcomes fresh perspectives and embraces differences as a priority is a core value at LAO. LAO encourages applicants from equity-seeking groups, including but not limited to individuals who are First Nations, Inuit or Métis, Black and racialized, as well as persons with disabilities, women and members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

We recognize the value of equity, diversity and inclusion and are committed to addressing systemic barriers, and prioritizing, attracting and retaining diverse staff. All interested and eligible people will be considered, with due consideration to all protected grounds under the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Legal Aid Ontario values integrity, respect, responsiveness, excellence, independence, accountability, openness and consistency. Our recruitment process reflects our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. Accommodations are available throughout the recruitment process as well as during employment at LAO. Please direct any accommodation requests to our recruitment team.

Primary function

The Director, Lawyer Services & Payments (LSP) provides strategic leadership and oversight of Lawyer Services & Payments, the Lawyer Service Centre, and the Provincial Case Management Office. The role is responsible for ensuring compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements while overseeing more than $200 million in annual payments to roster lawyers, including Big Case Management budgets and payments for court-appointed counsel on behalf of the Ministry of the Attorney General and the Department of Justice.

The Director ensures strong financial controls, payment accuracy, operational efficiency, and service excellence across all functions. This role leads or supports business transformation, process improvement, risk management, and modernization initiatives that enhance service delivery, strengthen governance, and improve organizational performance.

Working collaboratively across the organization, the Director drives cross-functional projects, leverages data and performance metrics to support decision-making, and promotes sustainable change through the integration of people, processes, technology, and communications.

Key accountabilities

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of payment operations, billing adjudication, service standards, and financial controls.
• Ensure timely, accurate, and compliant processing of lawyer payments and related financial transactions.
• Lead operational excellence and continuous improvement initiatives to improve efficiency, reduce risk, and strengthen internal controls.
• Identify, assess, and resolve complex business and operational challenges through analysis, risk assessment, and implementation of effective solutions.
• Support large-scale business transformation and payment modernization initiatives, including process redesign, technology implementation, and change management.
• Oversee multiple projects and strategic initiatives, ensuring delivery within scope, budget, timelines, and quality expectations.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to align operational priorities, business requirements, and organizational objectives.
• Develop and monitor performance measures, service standards, and reporting frameworks to support data-driven decision-making.
• Prepare and present business cases, financial analyses, and executive-level recommendations to support strategic priorities.
• Evaluate systems, processes, and technologies to identify opportunities for automation, innovation, and service enhancement.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, continuous improvement, and client service excellence.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team while supporting employee engagement, talent development, and succession planning.
• Act as a subject matter expert in operational excellence, financial administration, process improvement, and project delivery.

Required skills & experience

• University degree in Law, Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• Professional accounting designation or equivalent combination of education and experience considered an asset.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive operational management experience, including leadership of complex business, financial, and process improvement initiatives.
• Strong financial, analytical, and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to evaluate risks, opportunities, and business impacts.
• Proven experience leading large-scale projects and organizational change initiatives.
• Knowledge of business process improvement, operational excellence, governance, risk management, and performance measurement practices.
• Strong stakeholder management, influencing, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, presentation, and executive reporting skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and develop high-performing teams.
• Experience using data, metrics, and performance reporting to drive decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Experience managing payment operations, financial administration, or large-scale service delivery functions is an asset.
• Experience working within a highly regulated, public sector, legal services, or professional services environment is preferred.
• Project management, business process improvement, or change management certification is considered an asset.

What do we Offer?

Your health and wellness

• Dental, health and life insurance
• Short-Term Disability and accidental death & dismemberment insurance
• Permanent employees are eligible for long-term disability insurance
• An employee assistance program (EAP) that offers professional, confidential counselling services to employees and members of their immediate families. The EAP operates programs that address common life issues such as childcare, smoking, financial difficulty, and more.
• Legal Aid Ontario offers a Health Spending Account (HSA) which is an allotment of funds provided by LAO for health and dental expenses, above what the regular plan provides.

Your work-life balance

• 17 vacation days at hire,
• Sick days
• Discretionary days
• Three paid days for religious or cultural observances
• Statutory holidays and The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Remembrance Day and Easter Monday

Your career

LAO supports your career development by offering professional development and networking through several programs, including training to support a positive culture of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EDIB), and lunch and learns to build client service skills

• Informal Employee Networks for staff with shared identities to connect, support each other and build professional networks
• Law Society of Ontario (LSO) accredited training to support learning and professional development for all employees
• EDIB-focused training
• Mentorship programs, including an Indigenous-focused mentorship program

Your future

Employees are eligible to enroll in the defined benefit Public Service Pension Plan which provides financial security during retirement.

Legal Aid Ontario (LAO), an independent but publicly funded and publicly accountable non-profit corporation. None of this material may be commercially reproduced, but copying for other purposes, with credit, is encouraged.