Senior Advisor, Legal affairs

Desjardins Group; Lévis; On-site; CAD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Annual bonus

4 weeks vacation

Defined benefit pension

Group insurance with telemedicine

Telework equipment reimbursement

Job summary

Desjardins Group in Canada seeks a senior legal affairs advisor to protect the organization’s legal interests and ensure compliance with laws. You will represent the organization in court and guide strategic initiatives across multiple sectors.

The role requires a law degree, at least eight years of experience, and fluency in French and English. Desjardins emphasizes equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility in its workplace.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• Minimum eight years of relevant experience.
• Barreau du Québec or Chambre des notaires du Québec membership required.
• Strong French and English communication skills, both written and spoken.

Responsibilities

• Lead specialized development projects with organization-wide impact.
• Advise clients to plan, develop, execute and monitor strategic projects and initiatives.
• Identify, diagnose and address major issues; make recommendations to decision-makers.
• Interpret laws and regulations and issue opinions based on facts and the law.
• Represent the organization in court; develop strategy, draft pleadings, prepare witnesses and negotiate terms.
• Develop and update policies, standards and programs to support strategic projects.
• Represent the unit before senior management committees and decision-making bodies.

Skills

Legal advisory

Stakeholder management

Policy development

Bilingual French/English

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Job description

As a senior legal affairs advisor, you help protect the organization’s legal interests by ensuring it complies with all laws. You also play a key role in making sure that its rights are protected and obligations are met. You represent the organization in situations involving its legal interests. You may be responsible for one or more sub‑specialties, such as contested matters and the Office of the Corporate Secretary (ethics and professional conduct, official registries, meeting minutes, the general meeting, etc.). You lead and influence development projects and complex, highly innovative strategic initiatives involving multiple sectors. You help develop and recommend strategic directions and business positions. Your initiatives require extensive knowledge of your field. You make recommendations on the planning and execution of operationally and conceptually complex projects and initiatives that require comprehensive analysis and understanding of the organization and line of business. Coordination is critical, so you frequently interact with stakeholders working in a wide range of other fields. Interpersonal savvy is therefore essential. You serve as expert advisor and subject matter expert, as well as resource person and coach for senior management and decision‑making bodies.

More specifically, you will be required to:

• Lead specialized development projects, initiatives and activities that significantly impact the entire organization
• Advise your clients and partners to help them position, plan, develop, execute and monitor strategic projects and initiatives
• Identify, analyze, diagnose and address major issues and make recommendations to decision‑making bodies
• Interpret laws and regulations and issue legal opinions based on the facts, the law and the course of action
• Represent the organization in court. Develop strategy, draft pleadings, prepare witnesses, deliver oral arguments and negotiate the best possible terms on complex and strategic matters
• Develop and update policies, standards, models and programs to support your unit’s strategic projects and initiatives
• Represent your unit before senior management committees and decision‑making bodies

What we offer

• Competitive salary and annual bonus
• 4 weeks of flexible vacation starting in the first year
• Defined benefit pension plan that provides predictable, stable income throughout retirement
• Group insurance including telemedicine
• Reimbursement of health and wellness expenses and telework equipment

* Benefits apply based on eligibility criteria.

What you bring to the table

Bachelor's degree in a related field

A minimum of eight years of relevant experience

Please note that other combinations of qualifications and relevant experience may be considered

To be a member in good standing of the Barreau du Québec or the Chambre des notaires du Québec

Strong communication skills in both French and English, both oral and written due to the nature of the duties or work tools or because the position involves interactions with english‑speaking parteners, members and/or clients

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility

At Desjardins, we believe in equity, diversity and inclusion. We're committed to welcoming, respecting and valuing people for who they are as individuals, learning from their differences, embracing their uniqueness, and providing a positive workplace for all.

At Desjardins, we have zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind. We believe our teams should reflect the diversity of the members, clients and communities we serve.

If there's something we can do to help make the recruitment process or the job you're applying for more accessible, let us know. We can provide accommodations at any stage in the recruitment process. Just ask!

Desjardins Group is the largest cooperative financial group in North America. We're the choice for over 52,000 employees and we're named one of Canada's top employers by Mediacorp and Forbes.

We offer a full range of financial products and services and share our expertise in personal services, business services, wealth management, life and health insurance, and property and casualty insurance.

Pursuing a career at Desjardins means being part of an organization that puts people first.