Director, Professional Resources (Student & Junior Associate Programs)

McCarthy Tétrault; Toronto; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

McCarthy Tétrault is seeking a Professional Resources Director in Toronto. This role involves managing junior associate programs, collaborating with teams for consistent delivery across regions, and ensuring alignment with firm values. The ideal candidate has an LL.B./B.C.L. and a minimum of 3 years of legal practice experience.

Benefits

Outstanding benefits from day one

Competitive compensation and generous time off

Commitment to professional development

Strong community involvement

Collaborative culture

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years of legal practice experience, ideally in a large firm environment.
• Some experience in recruitment and mentoring activities.
• Fluent bilingualism (French/English) is desirable, but not required.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the regional delivery of the Firm's lawyer talent program.
• Collaborate with other PR team members and develop student and junior associate programs.
• Manage direct reports and lead national PR projects.

Skills

Organizational skills

Time management

Interpersonal skills

Client service skills

Flexibility

Judgement

Communication skills

Education

LL.B./B.C.L.

Job description

Job Description

McCarthy Tétrault is a Canadian law firm that offers a full suite of legal and business solutions to clients in Canada and around the world. At McCarthy Tétrault, we offer challenging and rewarding career opportunities in our offices in Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Calgary and Vancouver. We are delighted to have been selected for the eleventh consecutive year in 2023 as one ofCanada’s Top 100 Employers and to have earned the distinction of one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for the thirteenth consecutive year in 2025. Our culture is built on professional excellence, collaboration, innovation, thought leadership and entrepreneurialism. We embrace inclusion in all its forms and we provide the tools and opportunities to help our people develop to their full potential.

We are recruiting for a Professional Resources Director to join our team in our Toronto office. The successful candidate must have a LL.B./B.C.L., and a minimum of 3 years legal practice experience. They will be responsible for overseeing the regional delivery of the Firm’s Student and Junior Associates programs in specific practice groups, and collaborating with other teams to ensure programs are consistent across regions, and aligned with the Firm’s values and strategy.

You will be one of two Professional Resources Directors (PRDs) in our Toronto office. Your responsibilities will include the following:

• The regional delivery of the Firm’s lawyer talent program for Junior Associates in specific practice groups, including but not limited to:
  • Onboarding & integration
  • Performance management & progression
  • Work allocation
  • Mentor selection, training and support, and coaching referrals (internal and external)
  • Wellness and engagement initiatives
  • Management of departures, leaves, inter-office assignments, flex-time arrangements, and on-track/off-track role transitions
  • Attrition management and reporting
  • Compensation
  • Preparing / managing regional program budget
  • Promoting Junior Associate compliance with Firm policies
• Overseeing the regional delivery of the Firm’s student program.
• Ensuring that the regional student program is appropriately connected to the Firm’s Junior Associate program.
• Collaborating with other members of the Professional Resources (PR) team, Firm leaders, and the Inclusion Now office, as applicable, to deliver market-leading student and Junior Associate programs that are consistent across regions, aligned with Firm values and strategy, and achieve the Firm’s People and Client Commitments.
• Collaborating with Education Team on Junior Associate and Student education programs, strategy, and content.
• Leading one or more national PR projects, initiatives and/or centres of expertise.
• Attending meetings of external professional development groups applicable to role (e.g. National Association of Legal Personnel (NALP), Professional Development Consortium (PDC), etc.).
• Collaborating with Chief Professional Resources Officer, Senior Professional Resources Directors, and other PRDs on national and regional PR projects and initiatives.
• Managing direct reports.
• Other duties as assigned.

As our ideal candidate, you will distinguish yourself by the following profile:

• LL.B./B.C.L.
• Minimum of 3 years of legal practice experience, ideally in a large firm environment.
• Some experience in recruitment, mentoring and firm management activities.
• Excellent organizational, time management and interpersonal skills.
• Exceptional client service skills.
• Must be flexible (open to new ideas, frequent change in priorities, etc.).
• Ability to exercise discretion and sound judgement.
• Ability to handle an extensive workload with competing priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent managerial skills, as well as diplomacy.
• Capacity to handle high pressure situations and tight deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Fluent bilingualism (French / English) is desirable, but not required.

As a member of the McCarthy team, you will have access to:

• Outstanding benefits from day one, including insurance premiums paid by the Firm and wellness and technology reimbursements.
• Competitive compensation and generous time off, including a day off to volunteer and a day off for your birthday.
• A commitment to professional development and growth opportunities for our people at all levels, supported by a culture that fully embraces and encourages two-way feedback.
• Strong community involvement and a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
• A collaborative, cohesive culture that connects lawyers and business teams through collective purpose.

How to Apply:

We encourage external candidates to apply online and internal applicants must apply directly through our internal careers portal on Espresso. We look forward to receiving your application.

We thank all applicants for their interest in McCarthy Tétrault; however, only chosen applicants will be contacted. We regret that we are unable to respond to individual inquiries about application status. McCarthy Tétrault is an equal opportunity employer that fosters an inclusive, equitable, and accessible environment. Please notify us if you require accommodation at any time during the recruitment process.