Legal Counsel

Nature Conservancy; Canada; Hybrid; CAD 138,000 - 169,000; Full time

Job summary

Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) seeks a Legal Counsel to join its in-house team. Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer, this role partners with Eastern Canada units to draft and negotiate commercial contracts, land purchases, donations, and conservation agreements with landowners and third parties.

The position emphasizes compliance with charitable and land-trust regulations, development of templates, and coordination with external counsel as needed. Travel within Canada is expected.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of relevant legal experience in law firm or in-house setting.
• Experience with commercial contracts, land purchases, donations, and conservation agreements.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of contracts and legal agreements.
• Advise on land transactions, donor relations, and compliance for charitable organization.
• Develop and improve contract templates, policies, and training support.
• Perform legal research and provide guidance on various legal topics.
• Coordinate with external counsel to balance NCC risk and costs.

Skills

Commercial contracting

Land transactions

Contract drafting

Regulatory compliance

Communication

Education

Law degree (LLB/JD)

Bar admission (any of specified provinces)

Job description

Salary Range: $138,384.00 To $169,136.00 Annually

Position title:

Taking care of our environment has never been more important than it is today. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is looking for a Legal Counsel to join a team committed to protecting our most important natural areas and the plants and animals they sustain.

NCC is the nation’s leading not-for-profit, private land conservation organization, working to protect our most important natural areas and the species they sustain. Since 1962, we have brought people together to conserve and restore more than 20 million hectares across Canada. NCC takes a collaborative, evidence-based approach to achieve conservation success for the sake of nature and Canadians. With office locations in all ten provinces across Canada, NCC delivers results you can walk on

NCC recognizes that we work on lands that have long been cared for by Indigenous Peoples under their own laws and knowledge systems. We are committed to transforming how we do our work, advancing Reconciliation through conservation, and working with Indigenous Peoples in meaningful, respectful, and supportive ways.

Position Summary

NCC is seeking a Legal Counsel to join its in-house legal team. Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer, this legal counsel role acts as a business partner to NCC’s operating units, with a focus on those units located in Eastern Canada, and is responsible for providing legal support on a wide range of matters. A major focus for this position will include drafting, reviewing and assisting operating unit managers and directors in the negotiation of commercial contracts, land purchase and donation agreements as well as conservation agreements with landowners, and agreements with third parties regarding the use of NCC lands.

Key responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of contracts, including service provider contracts, consultant agreements, grant agreements, gift agreements, licenses, leases partnership agreements and other legal agreements and correspondence related to managing NCC lands as well as other functional services in areas such as marketing & development, public affairs & communications, IT, finance and HR.
• Advise relevant staff on individual land conservation transactions, including securement-related legal documentation (eg. land donations, land purchases, conservation agreements) and support processes to ensure documents are complete, meet deadlines and protect the interests of NCC.
• Advise on compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including those specific to charitable organizations and land trusts, with the assistance of external counsel.
• Develop, draft, maintain and continuously improve contract templates, policies, procedures and associated legal support documentation to meet regulatory requirements and improve internal workflows.
• Provide training or coordinate externally supported training, from time to time, for internal teams.
• Perform legal research and providing general advice and counsel on a variety of legal topics.
• Provide "triage" legal support for Operating Unit staff, distinguishing issues based on urgency, importance to NCC, risk, cost and quality of result.
• In conjunction with internal clients and the in-house legal team, manage the referral of issues to external counsel as required to effectively balance NCC risk, client service and overall costs to the organization.
• In conjunction with the Chief Legal Officer, support key relationships across NCC’s operations including those with Indigenous communities and government partners.

Position Requirements

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or Juris Doctor (JD) degree and admission to the bar of at least one of the following provinces: Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick or PEI.
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in a law firm or in-house including in the following areas:
  • Commercial contracting for a broad range of supply and professional services agreements.
  • Real estate law and real property conveyancing including experience in negotiating and drafting agreements of purchase and sale and other legal documents related to the acquisition and management of real estate
  • Experience related to conservation agreements, commercial and residential tenancies, mining law, liability issues and / or civil litigation preferred.
  • Experience with Indigenous and charitable donor relationships would be an asset.
• Creative problem solver with sound judgement in identifying solutions to complex legal and risk management issues.
• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written) with ability to explain issues concisely to audiences with varying degrees of subject knowledge.
• Understanding of the subtleties of working in a functional support capacity within a large multi-provincial organization, including the need to influence leaders, build relationships, and provide superior support to staff in their delivery of effective operations.
• Demonstrated ability to multi-task and manage a high volume of files and transactions effectively and efficiently.
• Ability to succeed, thrive and adapt in a constantly changing environment.
• A genuine passion and connection to nature, with a strong commitment to the cause and mission of NCC.
• Prior experience working for an in-house legal department is an asset.
• Bilingual proficiency in French and English is strongly preferred, including the ability to read, write, and speak both languages.
• A limited amount of travel within Canada will be required.
• CV and cover letters must be submitted by October 25.

Application Deadline

October 25, 2026 | 11:59pm EST, 9:59pm Mountain Time, 8:59pm Pacific Time, 10:50pm CST, 00:59 am +1 AST

At NCC, we're committed to providing a healthy, safe, barrier free and inclusive, workplace, where respect and diversity are recognized assets. We strive for bold conservation achievements in which equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) are the norm. We welcome applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. NCC implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated groups to self-identify.

Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. For a confidential inquiry, contact us by email at [e-mail] to make any required arrangements. If you have questions regarding accessible employment at NCC, please email us at [e-mail] .