Associate General Counsel, Risk & Enterprise

Location: Edmonton preferred; open to other locations

Everyday flexibility. Flexible work arrangements. Hybrid work environments.

At Canadian Western Bank, we strive to build value for the people who choose us every day: our people, our clients, and our investors. We do this by holding true to the values that guide us. We put people first and build relationships with intention. We seek out and embrace new ideas, knowing that better is always possible. We believe that how we do things is as important as what we do. And we harness the power of inclusion. Our culture is who we are and how we show up – as individuals and as a team – to accomplish our strategy.

CWB is on a mission to become the best full-service bank for business owners of Canada.

It’s a new world, and we are learning to embrace it. Work and life have been connected in new & different ways - for our clients & their businesses too. So, at CWB we’ve been changing the way we work. In fact, we’re still changing. Still learning too. The office should be a place people want to go, not have to go.

CWB is the only full-service bank in Canada with a strategic focus to meet the unique financial needs of businesses and their owners. Our teams take a relationship-based approach to deliver a uniquely proactive client experience through highly personalized service, specialized expertise, customized solutions, and faster response times. We provide full-service business and personal banking, nation-wide specialized financing in targeted industries, comprehensive wealth management offerings, and trust services. And we do it together – united, as one CWB. We are firmly committed to the responsible creation of value for all our stakeholders and our approach to sustainability will support our continued success.

Our highly engaged teams operate within a client-centric, collaborative and change-ready culture, with a core focus to achieve our vision to become the best full-service bank for business owners in Canada as we continue to transform our capabilities. And we are building momentum.

The Opportunity

Our Legal Services team is seeking an experienced commercial litigator with a passion for people leadership, who is looking to leverage their skill set in a dynamic in-house environment. Do you have deep experience with business disputes and complex litigation, incident response, workplace and employment matters, and investigations? The Associate General Counsel, Risk & Enterprise will report to the Senior Vice-President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary and currently leads a team of five. This role is responsible for delivering legal solutions in a variety of areas across the enterprise, managing risk, providing strategic and proactive legal advice, and supporting our business leaders in creating the best full-service bank for business owners in Canada. This is a fantastic opportunity to join an inclusive, collegial, high-performing legal team at an exciting point in CWB’s history.

Key Responsibilities

• Leads the Risk & Enterprise team within Legal Services, responsible for all litigation, claims and disputes including proactive claim prevention; third party demands; regulatory; human resources and workplace matters; investigations; financial crime mitigation; incident response; and insurance.
• Responsible for appropriate management of all claims and litigation, including the effective management of external counsel and the thoughtful development and delivery of practical, strategic, and cost-effective approaches.
• Oversees CWB’s response to wide variety of third-party demands including freezing orders and production orders.
• Responsible for the delivery of the Ethics Program across the organization, including acting as CWB’s Chief Ethics Officer.
• Delivers effective legal advice in a variety of regulatory areas, including consumer protection, AML/ATF, privacy and data governance, and all investigation and enforcement matters.
• Ensures delivery of high quality and practical advice on employment and workplace law, including partnering with our Human Resources team in a variety of areas such as employee relations, investigations, claims, regulatory considerations, and key strategic projects.
• Identifies, defines, and analyzes a wide variety of complex legal issues that may arise across CWB businesses, utilizing judgment and experience to develop appropriate risk-based solutions or decisions, in conjunction with applicable CWB business units or corporate teams.
• Work closely with wide variety of internal stakeholders, including business leaders, regulatory compliance, human resources, corporate services, fraud and special investigations, group risk management, and information security teams.
• With a high degree of independence and autonomy, oversees and drives the satisfactory resolution of complex or sensitive issues.
• Provides direct specialized legal advice and support to the Board, Executive Committee, and Senior Leadership Council.
• Represents CWB as a member of our leadership team within the legal community and at various industry committees and events.
• Manages and develops a high-performing, engaged team, ensuring a high-trust environment and professional growth of team members.
• Responsible for creating and sustaining a collaborative, diverse, and inclusive work environment.

Successful Candidate

A naturally inquisitive, analytical, and change-ready leader who is inspired by a growing and flexible organization committed to excellence, learning and diversity. This role requires an experienced and astute professional, with a proven ability to deliver results. A strong sense of ownership and independent accountability, judgment, and thought leadership are crucial, along with the ability to handle a multitude of tasks simultaneously and to thrive, with grace and humour, under pressure. This role requires highly developed legal and problem-solving skills paired with strong interpersonal abilities with an impressive history of forging lasting relationships. Ability to manage sensitive situations with tact and handle highly confidential information with discretion are critical.

What you will bring to the role

• Bachelor of Laws or equivalent and member in good standing of a provincial Law Society.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant legal experience, including:
• In-depth knowledge of commercial litigation and strategic risk management
• Employment and workplace law; and
• Regulatory enforcement and/or litigation.
• Experience delivering legal services to a business operating in a highly regulated environment.
• Strong analytical capability and the ability to comprehend complex business, legal and regulatory situations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with an ability to inspire confidence and demonstrate credibility with a wide variety of stakeholders.
• A personable, collaborative nature.
• Highly developed legal, drafting, and problem-solving skills.
• Sharp focus on relationship building across the enterprise and delivering legal solutions that facilitate the objectives and strategies of our senior leadership team.
• A demonstrated ability to think creatively, broadly, and strategically and a commitment to learning.
• Judgment, diplomacy, and a comfort-level with complex and often ambiguous situations, with an ability to distil technical matters and maintain strategic focus.
• Ability to work under pressure with poise and deliver thought leadership and high-quality legal advice in urgent, high impact situations.

Be proud of where you work. Apply with CWB today.

Why work with us?

Winners of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Culture 2021 &

Recognized as one of 50 Best Workplaces in Canada by Great Place to Work 2021

& Best Workplaces for Mental Wellness in Canada 2021

Values Driven People First Benefits

Wellness matters. We offer an award-winning benefits package that includes hybrid work environments, everyday flexibility, 100% company-funded health coverage, health care spending account, a flexible wellness program & generous time-away options to unplug, rest & recover. Bring your whole self to work. Inclusion is a journey requiring practice & experience to result in a powerful outcome. Your perspective matters & voice will be heard. Find a community within the CWB family in our employee represented groups. Career development. We invest in our employees’ development to help them reach their professional goals with organization wide Coaching services. Strategic career design is an investment in our core asset – our people. Innovation. Learn. Grow. Enhance. At CWB, we play to win. When we fail, we fail forward. Recognition. Peer-to-peer recognition programs for “in the moment” and monumental wins. Community giving. Make a difference. Drive economic prosperity in your community. Get involved. Volunteer. Fundraise. All with CWB support. ESG & sustainability focused. Be proud of where you spend, work & invest. Financial rewards. Base salary & pay for performance incentives. Retirement investment strategy. You can’t work forever! So, we’ve got you covered. Company ownership. No greater sense of motivation & empowerment than being an owner! Find your “why” at cwbcareers.com.

Values. Culture. People. Growth. Opportunity. Our benefits are just the cherry on top.

As an equitable employer, CWB Financial Group is committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment where a diverse workforce thrives. You are welcomed and encouraged to bring your whole self to work. Dignity, respect and equality are non-negotiables. If you require accommodation during any part of the recruitment or selection process, please reach out.