Senior Legal Counsel

Safety Comes First is a core value at Hydro One, and we remain committed to taking every reasonable precaution to ensure a respectful, safe and healthy working environment. Further to this commitment, we have adopted a COVID-19 Vaccination Policy to protect the health of our employees from the hazard of COVID-19. New employees will be required to declare their vaccination status to Hydro One. Employees who do not provide proof of vaccination status may not enter any 3rd party locations that require full vaccination (e.g. customer properties).

Hydro One is proud to be the largest electricity transmission and distribution provider in Ontario, serving nearly 1.5 million customers. We have a long history in the industry with our roots dating back over 110 years to 1906. Since then, we have worked to grow and evolve to meet the changing needs of our customers and communities across Ontario. Today, we’re focused on providing exceptional customer service and ensuring we are building safe communities where we live, work and play.

It’s an exciting time to join the team at Hydro One!

*NOTE* Hydro One introduced a Hybrid Work Pilot Project in 2022 for most office-based roles. Employees work in-office/on-site two days a week and remotely from home for three days a week. Hydro One is adding refreshed workspaces and technology to support these changes. Join us as we ‘trial & learn’ a new modern way of working and be a key driver of future state!

In office but with intention – a time for team and trust building, collaboration, and socialization. Please reach out to us to learn more!

Hydro One Networks Inc. is seeking a Senior Legal Counsel to join our company reporting to an Assistant General Counsel within the Law Department. This position is a full-time position located at Hydro One’s head office in Toronto with occasional travel outside head office to meet with various lines of business. Circumstances may require working from home at times.

Roles and Responsibilities of the position include, but may not be limited to:

• support and report directly to the Assistant General Counsel
• provide support to the EVP and Chief Legal Officer as required
• provide legal, business, and strategic advice on a wide range of corporate and commercial matters to the various lines of business (LOBs) throughout the corporation and its affiliates and to senior executives
• draft and negotiate sophisticated and complex legal and business documents for use within the company and outside (e.g. contracts, filings with governmental and regulatory authorities)
• negotiate, advise on, draft and/or review various types of commercial contracts including, but not limited to, construction, joint use, telecommunications services agreements, leases, M&A transactions, sponsorship agreements and agreements for new products and services
• draft, negotiate and advise on outsourcing, supply chain, technology supply and licensing agreements and cloud services agreements, as well as advise on supply chain/procurement processes and issues including RFT’s, RFPs, RFIs and RFQs and contract disputes related to such processes
• review and advise on legislation and regulations, as well as regulatory instruments issued by the Ontario Energy Board
• incorporate entities as needed for transactions
• anticipate and manage the (legal) risks connected with or resulting from the business strategy and operations
• participate in the functions and strategic plans of LOBs and provide training to the LOBs to assist them in accomplishing corporate goals
• manage work performed by external counsel and act as the interface between external counsel and Hydro One LOBs
• assist other members of Law Department
• play a key role in proactively managing risk through training and coaching, as well as through the creation and implementation of efficient contract governance processes
• anticipate stakeholder’s needs and proactively develop solutions to meet them
• serve as a key resource on complex and critical issues
• mentor legal counsel and articling students
• perform other duties as may be assigned by the scope of this position

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

• Member in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario
• Minimum 10 years of post-call experience as a corporate/commercial lawyer in a law firm or in house legal department
• Construction law, technology law and intellectual property law experience and knowledge is important for this role
• In-house legal experience would be an asset
• Experience working in a regulated industry would be considered an asset
• Good knowledge about the energy sector would be an asset
• Should be comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment with broad, generalist responsibilities, but with specialist legal subject skills in commercial law and regulatory matters pertaining to the electricity distribution and transmission sector
• Able to collaborate with other lines of business including corporate functions (e.g. Finance, Accounting & HR) advising on legal risks, business strategies and other issues related to the company’s businesses
• Required to work independently as well as part of various teams
• Show great leadership, are autonomous and have excellent legal and business acumen and judgement, giving you the confidence to provide value-added legal and strategic advice in a stressful environment
• Can easily manage a busy schedule
• Strong negotiations, drafting and communication skills as well as an excellent ability to convince people
• Strong organizational skills are needed
• Possess good knowledge of MS-Office environment (Word, Excel and PowerPoint).
• Demonstrated aptitude for developing working relationships with a broad range of professionals and stakeholders at multiple levels
• Ability to handle information and business affairs with secrecy and confidentiality as appropriate.

At Hydro One we understand that the success and strength of our business rests with our people. When we develop their skills, we are investing in both their success and ours. To secure the best talent, we seek to create a workforce that reflects the diverse populations of the communities where we live and work and to create a culture based on safety, innovation and inclusiveness.

We are honoured to be recognized by Forbes in its list of Canada’s Best Employers for 2022.

Thank you for considering a career with Hydro One, we welcome applications from all qualified candidates. If you are having difficulty using our online application system and you need an accommodation due to a disability, please email careers@hydroone.com. Hydro One will provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in the job application process.

Please note this email is only for accommodation requests. Resumes sent to this email address will not be considered.

Deadline: March 13, 2023

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