Legal and Administrative Assistant

Birks. Pure Delight.

Established since 1879, Birks is a luxury jewellery store whose reputation is built on quality, exclusivity, unique design and excellence in service. We pride ourselves in offering meaningful experiences and in building intimate relationships with each and every one of our clients.

Reporting to the Vice-President, Human Resources, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary, the Legal and Administrative Assistant is responsible for providing legal administrative/secretarial support to the legal department. You will get to embody our belief in the promise of a brighter tomorrow through each interaction. As such, you will get to work in a highly motivated team that values excellence, hard work and teamwork.

Are you our hidden gem?

To do so, the Legal Administrative Assistant will be expected to:

• Prepares draft emails, minutes and agendas for the Board/Committee meetings for the Corporate Secretary and Assistant Corporate Secretary for their review
• Administers Board of Directors platform (Board documents)
• Helps organize Board, Committee and shareholders’ meetings

• Provides administrative support with respect to transactions, financing and special projects as well as communicates with external lawyers for follow-ups or assistance as required
• Prepares and reviews certain SEC documents to be filed and gives instructions to the Company’s printing company and EDGAR agent
• Formats and uploads press releases on Business Wire, as required
• Prepares and maintains a virtual Directors’ Handbook
• Prepares and submits reports for Board of Directors’ expenses
• Reviews and follows up on payment of Board of Directors’ fees
• Performs searches on intellectual property governmental websites (Canada/U.S.) for new trademark names
• Maintains the electronic filing system (inputs follow-up dates and reminders in order to respect legal deadlines) and obtains reports as required
• Prepares and sends the D&O annual and quarterly questionnaires and updates information for the Board of Directors and officers
• Prepares stock options and other incentive grant agreements for execution
• Conducts administrative and basic legal research
• Prepares and submits supervisor’s expense reports
• Plans and organizes business agendas including meetings and travel
• Provides executed contracts, leases and copies thereof and other relevant materials or information to appropriate persons
• Follows up on payment of legal fees and other invoices
• Drafts and/or reviews correspondence/presentations/documents in French
• Translates some correspondence, contracts, etc. from English to French

Paralegal Work

• Prepares and files annual returns and any other corporate documents to be filed with governmental authorities in Canada, U.S. and other jurisdictions, as required
• Prepares and maintains the corporate registers/books of the Company and its subsidiaries (directors, shareholders, transfers, etc.)
• Prepares preliminary draft of proxy and management proxy circular for the annual shareholders’ meetings
• Prepares various resolutions for the Company and its subsidiaries (annual and as needed)
• Conducts searches on laws/regulations applicable to the Company and its subsidiaries
• Diligently reviews certain documents (minutes, resolutions, contracts, etc.) for compliance and procedural purposes and brings any issues/inconsistencies to the attention of the Vice-President, Human Resources, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary or to other members of the legal department, as applicable.

Our ideal candidate has:

• A minimum of five (5) years in a similar position with basic knowledge of corporate laws
• Cegep degree in administration or equivalent experience
• Legal assistant certificate or equivalent experience
• Strong team values
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Highly organized
• Ability to work under pressure and work on several files concurrently
• Excellent knowledge Word and Outlook
• Basic Knowledge of Excel and PowerPoint
• Bilingual: French and English (spoken/written)

*Please note that due to the nature of the responsibilities of the position, a proficient level of English is required, in particular to communicate on a regular basis with employees outside of Quebec.*

Our promise of delight

Come join us at Birks, and let your true self, shine!

In return for your commitment to excellence, we offer…

• Hybrid work model
• Competitive earnings
• Social benefits
• Innovative and unique training programs
• Employee discounts