Professional Standards Counsel

Ontario Bar Association; Toronto; On-site; CAD 150,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Home office stipend

Well-being benefits

Job summary

CPA Ontario seeks a Professional Standards Counsel to oversee investigations, provide strategic legal guidance, and prosecute complex disciplinary matters. You will interact with the Professional Conduct Committee and courts, shaping professional standards across the CPA community.

The role requires an exceptional lawyer with a strong track record in complex prosecution, excellent judgement, and the ability to lead teams in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer with Ontario license and strong prosecution track record.
• Demonstrated ability to lead investigations from intake to resolution.
• Experience with self-regulating professions or criminal prosecutions is valued.

Responsibilities

• Prosecute matters before committees and courts.
• Appoint investigators for the Professional Conduct Committee.
• Review reports and guide investigators.
• Collaborate across teams through the complaints process.
• Advise committees and enforcement on legal issues.
• Develop policies within the Enforcement team.

Skills

Advocacy

Negotiation

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Digital literacy

Disciplinary proceedings

e-discovery

Education

LL.B / J.D.

Licensed to practice in Ontario

Tools

Microsoft Office

e-discovery platforms

Job description

Professional Standards Counsel (Regulatory Prosecutor)

Lead High-Impact Regulatory Cases and Prosecute Professional Misconduct

CPA Ontario is not like other organizations

We operate at a rare intersection, both regulator and membership body, responsible for upholding the integrity of the CPA designation while supporting more than 105,000 members and 19,000 students across the province. Our work sits between business and the public interest, between the evolving demands of industry and the standards that make trust possible.

Careers built here tend to look different because the work itself is different. You are not simply contributing to an organization. You are helping shape a profession that touches nearly every sector of the economy at a moment when expectations, technology, and the nature of work are all being rewritten.

About This Opportunity:

As a Professional Standards Counsel you will play a critical role in upholding the integrity of the profession. In this position, you will oversee and guide investigations, provide strategic legal advice to the Professional Conduct Committee, and prosecute complex disciplinary matters before the CPA Ontario Discipline and Appeal Committees and on judicial review. You may also prosecute matters involving misuse of the CPA designation under the Provincial Offences Act.

This is a unique opportunity to apply your litigation expertise in a high-impact, purpose-driven role that directly contributes to maintaining public trust and professional ethical standards while maintaining a great work-life balance.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Prosecute matters before the Discipline and Appeal Committees and before the courts.
• Appoint investigators on behalf of the Professional Conduct Committee.
• Review investigator reports and provide supervision, direction and advice to in-house and external investigators.
• Collaborate with internal teams on complex matters throughout the complaints process.
• Be accountable to the Professional Conduct Committee and the SVP of Enforcement for decisions taken on an investigation or prosecution file.
• Advise the Professional Conduct Committee and Enforcement team on legal issues.
• Formulate and apply policies and strategies within the Enforcement team, impacting the Regulatory & Standards group and the CPA profession broadly.
• Provide legal advice or other related work product to other departments within CPA Ontario.

To Be Successful You Need:

• An LL.B / J.D., membership in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario and be licensed to practice in Ontario.
• A minimum of 15 years at the Bar with a strong track record in complex prosecution and / or litigation matters.
• Demonstrated ability to independently lead sophisticated investigations and prosecutions from intake through resolution. Experience with disciplinary proceedings involving self-regulating professions and/or with criminal prosecutions is highly valued.
• Exceptional judgement and credibility, with highly developed interpersonal, advocacy and negotiation skills. Proven ability to present persuasively to diverse audiences, including senior stakeholders, tribunals and the public.
• Highly organized and strategic, with a track record of effectively managing competing priorities in a fast-paced, high-volume deadline-driven environments.
• Digitally fluent with strong proficiency in Microsoft Office suite; experience with e-discovery platforms and leveraging technology to drive efficient legal practice is desirable.
• Experience managing/leading teams is considered an asset.

Salary Range

• The targeted starting salary for this position is $162,100 annually, which reflects the middle of the compensation range. Actual salary offered will be determined based on qualifications, experience, and internal equity.

Why Join CPA Ontario?

• We support your well-being through industry-leading benefits, mental health resources, savings programs, and a sustainable approach to how work gets done.
• We are committed to inclusion as a core part of how we operate, not as an afterthought.
• We have a hybrid working environment, with three days a week on-site, complemented by 2 days of work-from-home time. We are intentional about that: the work we do benefits from being together. We want those days you work from home to be comfortable and offer a one-time bonus towards a home office when you start.
• We invest in your growth through learning and professional development opportunities, stretch projects, secondments, and genuine paths for career progression.
• We move quickly. The pace reflects the profession we serve; it can be demanding, but the work matters, and the team around you is invested in the same outcomes you have.

At CPA Ontario, we are committed to building high-performance teams. Our selection process is thorough, fair and run by humans. All suitable applications are reviewed by someone on our Recruitment team, and if your qualifications and experience meet the requirements of this role, we’ll be in touch. We encourage you to set up CPA Ontario job alerts for positions that align to your experience and career goals.

CPA Ontario is an inclusive employer. Accommodation is available under the Ontario Human Rights Code. If you require a disability-related accommodation to participate in the recruitment process, please email [e-mail] with “Accommodation Required” in the subject line to provide your contact information. A member of the Recruitment team will contact you within 48 hours.