Legal Counsel

We are banking at another level.   Choosing BDC as your employer means working in a healthy, inclusive, and skilled workplace that puts forward the best conditions to bring together unique teams where employees are empowered to act. It also means being at the centre of ambitious economic and financial projects to see further and to do things differently, to fuel the success of Canadian entrepreneurs.   Choosing BDC as your employer also means:

• Flexible and competitive benefits, including an Employee Savings and Investment Plan where BDC matches part of your voluntary contributions, a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, a $750 wellness and health care spending account, to name a few
• In addition to paid vacation each year, five personal days, sick days as necessary, and our offices are closed from December 25 to January 1
• A hybrid work model that truly balances work and personal life
• Opportunities for learning, training and development, and much more...

POSITION OVERVIEW   Working collaboratively with the Assistant Vice-President, Special Projects and Operational Performance (Legal Affairs), the candidate will be a key player in implementing the strategic priorities of Legal Affairs, supporting all of bank’s lines of business including commercial lending, venture capital (funds and direct investments), growth equity, subordinated debt and structured financing. The candidate will do so by providing legal advice on projects and initiatives, and by recommending, implementing and monitoring innovative tools and programs that increase efficiency, productivity, and work-product quality within Legal Affairs. The candidate will also act as a knowledge management champion for Legal Affairs and be a key contributor to process improvements, technology adoption, operational changes, and training. The candidate may participate in corporate legal industry roundtables and benchmarking studies.   CHALLENGES TO BE MET   Legal Affairs

• Assist in the development and implementation of the Legal Affairs’ Business Unit Plan and any related action plans.
• Assist in designing, implementing, and maintaining a project management platform for Legal Affairs to track, prioritize and manage projects that require legal support.
• Assist in creating and maintaining a knowledge management platform within Legal Affairs to share knowledge, information and expertise, and to increase collaboration and productivity by coordinating efforts between different groups (break down silos)
• Promote operational, procedural and technological improvements within Legal Affairs and in association with internal partners.
• Create and coordinate the delivery of training materials and other resources to support change.
• Assist in developing reporting tools and dashboards to assess and monitor team workloads and to allocate responsibilities and resources in real time.

  Internal & Projects, Programs and Procedures

• Work to increase the reach and relevance of Legal Affairs in support of national, regional and external projects and programs.
• Collaborate with team members and stakeholders by providing technical expertise, legal advice and early-stage guidance and direction.
• Continually generate innovative ideas and advance opportunities to extend BDC's support to entrepreneurs in alignment with strategic goals and initiatives.
• Review and assess internal procedures and processes to promote efficiency, productivity and employee engagement.

  External Partnerships

• Provide technical expertise and legal advice to support the expansion of BDC's partnership programs, particularly for underserved and diverse entrepreneurs.
• Provide legal advice for the negotiation, operationalization and support of strategic partnerships and joint ventures, including the drafting of legal documentation and supporting decision-making authorities with respect to legal risk management.
• Identify, engage and consult with internal and external experts to support sector specific initiatives.

  WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• Bachelor’s Degree in Law and/or Juris Doctorate
• Member of a Canadian provincial bar or law society
• Minimum of 4 years of relevant experience, including banking or financial services law.
• In-house experience with a regulated financial institution an asset
• Understanding of the legal and regulatory environment governing financial institutions in Canada an asset.
• Bilingualism, written and spoken, in English and French
• Project Management: experience in designing, implementing and tracking project plans, resource allocation and budgets.

• Partnership Negotiation: Expertise in structuring, negotiating, implementing and supporting partnerships and similar transactions.
• Be proactive in your work environment, adopting a mindset of continuous improvement, including making recommendations to improve the quality and efficiency of services, systems, and processes.
• Resourcefulness, integrity, independence of mind, with courage to take a stand on important issues and drive change as necessary
• Excellent judgment and creative problem-solving skills, with ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines
• Ability to adapt to frequently changing priorities while continuing to pursue key portfolio objectives
• Team player with strong business acumen and a solid ability to judge, analyze, summarize and formulate recommendations
• Solid internal and external client relationship building skills
• Good communication and negotiation skills
• Strong presenter and trainer, ability to simplify and explain loan practices and procedures
• Good knowledge of IT systems and Microsoft Office

  Proudly one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, we are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible environment where all employees can thrive and feel empowered to bring their whole selves to work. If you require an accommodation to complete your application, please do not hesitate to contact us at accessibility@bdc.ca .   While we appreciate all applications, we advise that only the candidates selected to participate in the recruitment process will be contacted.