Assistant Vice President & Senior Counsel

Reporting to the Vice President & Associate General Counsel, Individual Wealth, you will be a key member of the legal team and take on a lead role in providing legal support to our Canadian wealth businesses. You will provide practical and timely legal advice on strategic and tactical business issues and initiatives related to Canada Life’s rapidly growing wealth business, including on the distribution of securities and mutual funds, the provision of discretionary investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, and the ongoing operation of both investment dealer and mutual fund dealer lines of business. You will work closely with a group of legal professionals and business leaders on a range of securities and general corporate/commercial matters, including advising on products and service offerings, advising on new lines of business and strategic initiatives, drafting a wide range of client facing agreements and disclosures, interpreting and advising on all regulation pertaining to our Canadian wealth businesses, and negotiating complex corporate and commercial agreements to support existing and new business activities. Your work will be wide-ranging and will provide the opportunity to develop expertise in dynamic practice areas. This is an exciting opportunity to work with a highly accomplished team of legal professionals supporting one of Canada’s leading financial services companies, and to play a lead role in the oversight of legal work pertaining to the wealth lines of business.

Accountabilities:

• Work collaboratively with business and functional partners to provide practical, risk-based legal advice on a wide range of matters impacting Canada Life’s wealth businesses
• Lead high-performing legal professionals in an inclusive environment to support the businesses’ strategic objectives with a strong focus on wealth management
• Maintain in-depth knowledge of regulatory requirements applicable to Canada Life’s wealth businesses and advise on regulatory requirements and developments, including securities laws and other applicable legislation pertaining to investment dealers and mutual fund dealers
• Advise the compliance function, including advising on the enhancement of internal policies and procedures aimed at mitigating risk, meeting applicable regulatory requirements and/or improving operational efficiency
• Draft account agreements and related forms, client disclosures and communications, as well as regulatory applications and filings in support of new and existing business initiatives
• Negotiate and draft complex commercial agreements, including distribution agreements, investment management and sub-advisor agreements, subscription agreements, introducing broker / carrying broker arrangements, custody arrangements, principal-agent agreements, referral arrangements, and a range of outsourcing and technology agreements related to the operation of investment dealer and mutual dealer businesses
• Advise on the formation of new lines of businesses and services, firm and individual registration matters, trust and estate matters, and the general operation and administration of investment dealer and mutual fund dealer businesses as well as the provision of investment management advice in non-discretionary and discretionary relationships
• Advise on firm and advisor regulatory compliance, including advisor conduct issues, and provide securities regulatory advice on litigation matters impacting the wealth lines of business
• Instruct and manage external counsel

Qualifications and Competencies:

• Law Degree, Member in good standing of a provincial Bar
• 10 – 15 years of relevant legal work experience (law firm, in-house, or securities regulatory body)
• Extensive knowledge of provincial and territorial securities laws, regulations, and policies, including in-depth understanding of registrant regulation (NI 31-103, NI 33-109) as well as CIRO rules pertaining to both investment dealers and mutual fund dealers and NI 81-105
• Strong knowledge of the securities industry’s regulatory compliance practices, procedures, and principles applicable to investment dealers and mutual fund dealers
• Experience advising on discretionary investment / managed account programs (UMA and/or SMAs) and familiarity with associated rules, regulations and guidance notes considered a strong asset
• Experience leading a team of legal professionals desirable
• Self-motivated with the ability to work well independently and as part of a team
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with a practical solution-oriented approach and ability to see the big-picture
• Demonstrated superior drafting skills
• Ability to proactively and independently bring projects to completion
• Highly focused with attention to detail
• Proven analytical and problem-solving skills with experience simplifying and resolving complex problems
• Superior organizational and time management skills with experience handling multiple projects at once
• The successful candidate will be required to communicate in English in order to support clients from various jurisdictions outside of Quebec

Career opportunities will be open a minimum of 5 business days from the date of posting, closing dates will vary depending on the search activity. All applications received will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Be your best at Great-West Lifeco and Canada Life - Apply today!

Great-West Lifeco Inc is a Canadian headquarter, international financial services holding company with interests in life insurance, health insurance, retirement and investment services, asset management, and reinsurance businesses. We operate in Canada, the United States, and Europe under the brands: Canada Life, Empower and Irish Life.

At the end of 2023, our companies had over 33,500 employees, 232,000 advisor relationships, and thousands of distribution partners – serving approximately 42 million customer relationships.

Great-West Lifeco trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the ticker symbol GWO and is a member of the Power Corporation group of companies.

Being a part of our organization means you have a voice. This is a place where your unique background, perspectives and talents are valued, and shape our future success.

You can be your best here. You are part of a diverse and inclusive workplace where your career and well-being are championed. You’ll have the opportunity to excel in your way, finding new and better ways to deliver exceptional customer and advisor experiences.

We are committed to providing an inclusive, accessible environment, where all employees and customers feel valued, respected and supported. We are dedicated to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities in which we live, and to creating an environment where every employee has the opportunity to reach their potential.

It is our priority to remove barriers to provide equal access to employment. A Human Resources representative will work with applicants who request a reasonable accommodation during the application process. All information shared during the accommodation request process will be stored and used in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws and Canada Life policies. To request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact talentacquisitioncanada@canadalife.com.

We would like to thank all applicants, however only those who qualify for an interview will be contacted.