Legal Counsel, Governance & Systems

ACC - Association of Corporate Counsel; Northwest Territories; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading Indigenous organization in Inuvik, NWT is seeking a Legal Counsel, Governance and Systems. This role requires extensive legal expertise and strong leadership skills to ensure compliance in governance and systems. The ideal candidate must possess generalist legal experience and a solid background in corporate governance, privacy, intellectual property, and cyber security laws. This is an exciting opportunity to work for one of Canada’s most progressive organizations.

Qualifications

• Extensive generalist legal experience required.
• Strong corporate governance expertise essential.
• Experience managing complex corporate commercial files.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-level strategic guidance on legal matters.
• Manage a small team of legal professionals.
• Ensure compliance with policies, systems, and regulatory structures.

Skills

Corporate governance expertise

Generalist legal experience

Privacy law knowledge

Intellectual property law knowledge

Data protection knowledge

Cyber security law knowledge

Team management

Education

Law degree

Job description

Location: Inuvik, NWT

Our client, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC) represents the collective interests of the Inuvialuit people in dealings with governments and external stakeholders. Formed through the signing of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement (IFA), a historic land claim settlement, IRC’s mission is to continually improve the economic, social, and cultural well‑being of the Inuvialuit through the implementation of the IFA and other strategic initiatives.

Headquartered in Inuvik, IRC employs over 180 individuals, with more than 80% of positions filled by Inuvialuit beneficiaries. Both IRC and its economic development subsidiary, the Inuvialuit Development Corporation (IDC), are dedicated to fostering opportunities for beneficiaries across all levels of the organization. Many of IRC’s divisions and subsidiary operations are supported by IRC’s legal team, which requires a broad, generalist legal expertise.

The Legal Counsel, Governance and Systems is a critical leadership role tasked with strengthening IRC’s legal, governance, and systems frameworks. Reporting directly to the Chief Advisor, this role will provide high‑level strategic guidance across a broad spectrum of legal matters. The position requires a forward‑thinking legal mind with extensive generalist experience, strong corporate governance expertise, and a current understanding of privacy, intellectual property, data protection, and cyber security laws.

Working independently of the board initially to facilitate a smooth transition and working closely with senior leadership, the Legal Counsel will ensure IRC’s policies, systems, and regulatory structures are strong and compliant. The role also involves providing direction to and managing the activities of a small team of about seven legal professionals, managing diverse legal issues across corporate, commercial, regulatory, family, and land/resource law, and addressing the legal dimensions of information systems and cyber security.

The ideal candidate is a generalist lawyer who has managed complex and multi‑stakeholder corporate commercial files and provides clients with legal and business advice and counsel on a broad range of corporate issues including contracts, regulatory issues, labour, intellectual property, and corporate governance. Experience as a managing partner of a small or mid‑sized law firm or as in‑house counsel in a complex business with parallels to Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and/or its subsidiaries is also an asset.

Ideally based in Inuvik, NWT, this is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic legal professional with strong leadership skills, deep knowledge of governance and systems, and a passion for supporting one of Canada’s most progressive and successful Indigenous organizations.

To explore this opportunity further, please click Apply.

We thank all applicants for their interest in this position. Please note that we will only be in contact with those individuals moving forward with our client.