Director, Legal Affairs - Specialized Financing

BDC; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

A financial services organization in Toronto is seeking a Director of Legal Affairs to lead a team dedicated to financial transactions and community banking projects. The role requires significant experience in financial services law, leading legal teams, and providing strategic guidance on complex transactions. Candidates must be bilingual in English and French and demonstrate strong analytical and negotiation skills. This position offers a hybrid work model and competitive benefits, fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.

Benefits

Flexible benefits

Employee Savings and Investment Plan

Defined Benefit Pension Plan

Wellness and health care spending account

Paid vacation and personal days

Qualifications

• At least 8 years of relevant experience in financial services law.
• Deep expertise in complex transactions and financing structures.
• Ability to influence and gain credibility with senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of Senior Legal Counsels.
• Deliver high-quality legal advice on complex transactions.
• Structure and negotiate deals to minimize risk.

Skills

Negotiation skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Leadership experience

Bilingualism (English/French)

Education

University degree in law (LL.B./J.D.)

Member in good standing of the bar of a Canadian province

Job description

We are banking at another level.

Choosing BDC as your employer means working in a healthy, inclusive, and skilled workplace that puts forward the best conditions to bring together unique teams where employees are empowered to act. It also means being at the centre of ambitious economic and financial projects to see further and to do things differently, to fuel the success of Canadian entrepreneurs.

Choosing BDC as your employer also means:

• Flexible and competitive benefits, including an Employee Savings and Investment Plan where BDC matches part of your voluntary contributions, a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, a $750 wellness and health care spending account, to name a few.
• In addition to paid vacation each year, five personal days, sick days as necessary, and our offices are closed from December 25 to January 1.
• A hybrid work model that truly balances work and personal life.
• Opportunities for learning, training and development, and much more.

Explore the BDC Way in our Culture Book.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Director, Legal Affairs, Specialized Financing, leads a team of Senior Legal Counsels dedicated to supporting BDC activities in securitization, syndicated financing, subordinated debt (GTC) as well as various community banking and other BDC special projects and initiatives with significant transactional components. Transactions in these fields of practice are specialized, customized, complex and extensively negotiated requiring a high degree of expertise and experience to provide effective business‑oriented and risk‑mitigating legal support. This leadership role requires a high degree of subject matter expertise and relevant experience and the incumbent is responsible for providing operational and managerial oversight and strategic legal guidance for the Specialized Financing legal team. The incumbent of this position will report to the leader of the Investments and Specialized Financing legal team and be part of a wider dedicated legal team supporting BDC’s transactional activities, which also includes Investments (venture capital and growth equity).

CHALLENGES TO BE MET

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of specialized Senior Legal Counsels, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and high performance.
• Be a subject matter expert in highly technical and complex financial services transactions and structures.
• Deliver high‑quality legal advice and oversight on complex transactions involving securitization, syndicated financing, subordinated debt as well as special projects and initiatives, including with community banking.
• Structure and negotiate deals to minimize risk and maximize value for BDC and its clients.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant laws and regulations.
• Provide coaching, training, and guidance to team members, ensuring professional growth, engagement and high performance.
• Build strong relationships with internal business units and corporate functions to ensure alignment and timely legal support.
• Advise business partners on anticipated changes in legal requirements affecting their operations.
• Assist the Investments and Specialized Financing team leader in management of relationships with external legal advisors, ensuring quality, cost‑effectiveness, and alignment with BDC’s strategic objectives.
• Assist the Investments and Specialized Financing team leader in driving process improvements and contribute to the development of legal frameworks and best practices for specialized financing activities.
• Lead legal negotiations in high‑stakes, complex transactions involving securitization, syndicated financing, subordinated debt and other BDC special projects and initiatives.
• Balance risk management with business agility in a fast‑paced financing environment.
• Support strategic initiatives and internal projects with legal insight and leadership.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• University degree in law (LL.B./J.D.).
• Member in good standing of the bar of a Canadian province.
• At least 8 years of relevant experience in financial services law, with deep expertise in complex transactions and financing structures, including securitization, syndicated financing, subordinated debt and other special projects.
• Proven leadership experience in managing legal teams and external counsel.
• Strong analytical, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Ability to influence and gain credibility with senior stakeholders.
• Bilingualism in English and French (spoken and written) is mandatory.
• Excellent judgment and creative problem‑solving skills, including negotiation and conflict resolution.
• Ability to adapt to frequently changing priorities and work in a fast‑paced environment.
• Highly collaborative and strong interpersonal skills.
• Ability to analyze and synthesize complex and ambiguous information to provide actionable, business‑oriented legal advice.
• Proactive approach and commitment to continuous improvement and innovation.

Proudly one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, we are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible environment where all employees can thrive and feel empowered to bring their whole selves to work. If you require an accommodation to complete your application, please do not hesitate to contact us at [e-mail].

While we appreciate all applications, we advise that only the candidates selected to participate in the recruitment process will be contacted.