Location: Etobicoke, Ontario (hybrid – three days in office)
Reports to: Senior Director, Corporate Finance and Enterprise Risk Management

JOB DESCRIPTION:

As Gay Lea’s sole Legal Counsel and ERM Lead, you will serve as a strategic partner and resource for the cooperative, overseeing all aspects of the in-house legal department, enterprise risk management, insurance portfolio administration, and corporate compliance. You will play an integral role in supporting the cooperative’s legal needs across a diverse set of departments, ranging from sales and supply chain to the executive team and board of directors. Your leadership will drive the ongoing development and enhancement of the legal and risk function. This includes expanding the co-operative’s contract management infrastructure, driving enterprise risk review cycles and risk intelligent culture, supporting strategic initiatives including acquisitions and/or divestitures, and being an agile generalist assisting in business and legal matters as they arise.

Key Responsibilities

• Managing the organization’s enterprise risk library and lead the risk review cycles, including educating and supporting business partners on proper risk management, preparing reports and presentations for the Risk Committee of the Board of Directors.
• Overseeing the renewal of the organization’s insurance portfolio including those insurance policies specifically required as dairy manufacturers, facilitating educational sessions on the policy to the relevant stakeholders within the business, managing claims, and reporting insurance portfolio updates to the Board of Directors.
• Driving corporate transactions including reorganizations, acquisitions and/or divestitures either internally, or with the support of external counsel to successful closings.
• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial contracts with vendors, clients, partners, and other stakeholders across all functions of the organization, ensuring contracts comply with applicable laws and regulations and protect the organization’s interests.
• Interpret laws, rulings, and regulations for the organization and its employees, conducting legal research where required and supporting organizational effectiveness initiatives.
• Managing and leveraging the work of outside counsel, fractional, and specialist lawyers, in a cost-effective manner to support and strengthen decision making.
• Overseeing the work of a paralegal, delegating tasks as required and supporting personal and professional development.
• Maintain current knowledge of applicable federal and provincial laws, relevant case law, and accreditation standards to provide sound advice to the organization and providing education on co-operative legislation to the Board of Directors when amendments are made.
• Maintain accurate and organized legal documentation, including contracts, policies, and other legal records.
• Broader work or accountabilities may be assigned as needed.

Skills and Qualifications

• Member in good standing of the Law Society of Ontario or relevant jurisdiction
• J.D or LLB degree from an accredited university in Canada or equivalent
• A 3–6-year call to the Bar with corporate/commercial experience and ideally some previous experience in an in-house environment.
• Undergraduate degree in business, economics, or related field is an asset
• Proven ability to work independently to manage and prioritize a dynamic portfolio of work, subjected to prescribed timelines and record-keeping requirements
• Strong legal and analytical skills, and the ability to communicate legal advice effectively, in both oral and written form
• Solution-oriented, with exceptional critical thinking, and attention to detail
• Strong sense of ownership and taking initiative with ability to handle multiple projects with competing priorities
• Ability to collaborate and maintain positive professional relationships with business partners across the organisation
• Previous experience in risk management, building versatile legal functions, M&A, and/or Consumer Packaged Goods considered an asset

Gay Lea Foods is a leading Canadian dairy co-operative renowned for producing high-quality, nutritious dairy products that Canadian families love and trust. From farm to table, our 1,200 farmer members in Ontario and Manitoba, and more than 1,200 employees across four provinces, work together to nourish communities through award-winning brands including Gay Lea, Nordica, Salerno, Bothwell Cheese, and more. As part of its deeply rooted, balanced commitment to people, profit, and planet, Gay Lea Foods proudly invests one percent of pre-tax earnings back into Canadian communities through a national food security partnership with Second Harvest, and the community-building efforts of the Gay Lea Foundation. To learn more, visit gayleafoods.com.
Gay Lea Foods is an equal-opportunity employer and values diversity in our workplace.
Reasonable accommodation is available upon request throughout our recruitment and selection process.
Thank you for your interest in Gay Lea Foods.
Wishing you all the best with your career search

• Managing the organization’s enterprise risk library and lead the risk review cycles, including educating and supporting business partners on proper risk management, preparing reports and presentations for the Risk Committee of the Board of Directors.
• Overseeing the renewal of the organization’s insurance portfolio including those insurance policies specifically required as dairy manufacturers, facilitating educational sessions on the policy to the relevant stakeholders within the business, managing claims, and reporting insurance portfolio updates to the Board of Directors.
• Driving corporate transactions including reorganizations, acquisitions and/or divestitures either internally, or with the support of external counsel to successful closings.
• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial contracts with vendors, clients, partners, and other stakeholders across all functions of the organization, ensuring contracts comply with applicable laws and regulations and protect the organization’s interests.
• Interpret laws, rulings, and regulations for the organization and its employees, conducting legal research where required and supporting organizational effectiveness initiatives.
• Managing and leveraging the work of outside counsel, fractional, and specialist lawyers, in a cost-effective manner to support and strengthen decision making.
• Overseeing the work of a paralegal, delegating tasks as required and supporting personal and professional development.
• Maintain current knowledge of applicable federal and provincial laws, relevant case law, and accreditation standards to provide sound advice to the organization and providing education on co-operative legislation to the Board of Directors when amendments are made.
• Maintain accurate and organized legal documentation, including contracts, policies, and other legal records.
• Broader work or accountabilities may be assigned as needed