Senior Legal Counsel - Public Procurement

Metrolinx is connecting communities across the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Metrolinx operates GO Transit and UP Express, as well as the PRESTO fare payment system. We are also building new and improved rapid transit, including GO Expansion, Light Rail Transit routes, and major expansions to Toronto’s subway system, to get people where they need to go, better, faster and easier. Metrolinx is an agency of the Government of Ontario.

At Metrolinx, equity, diversity and inclusion are essential to living our values of serving with passion, thinking forward and playing as a team.

Our award-winning Legal and Corporate Commercial Services team is currently seeking a talented Procurement and Tendering lawyer to join our busy and collegial legal team, located in downtown Toronto.  Reporting to a Director, Legal Services, the successful candidate will be required to provide proactive, timely and strategic advice to senior business leaders and their teams, or business units, gaining exposure to a wide variety of work on a broad range of matters for complex projects, including procurement, technology, and general commercial matters. Successful candidates will also work through collaboration and partnership with other transit agencies, multiple regional and municipal governments in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, the provincial and federal governments, and the private sector.

Ideal candidates will have 5 - 8 years of Public Procurement and tendering experience gained from a public sector organization or a law firm.  Preference will be given to those who also have general Commercial contracting experience. Excellent drafting skills and experience working with complex public procurements will be required, and candidates who also have construction or technology law experience are strongly encouraged to apply. Experience in any of the following areas would be an asset: Procurement Law, Government Contracting, Information Technology, Payments, Marketing, Privacy and Construction.

What will I be doing?

• Works independently and with members of legal and commercial management, procurement, and other business units to develop and manage key procurement documents, such as RFPs and RFQs
• Provides high-quality and timely legal advice, strategic advice, research, opinions, guidance and service on matters pertaining to government procurement initiatives, including bid preparation, bid evaluation, Contract A/B issues, trade agreements, procurement/bid disputes, procurement case law, disqualifications, debarments and conflict of interest assessments 
• Drafts and manages complex public procurement processes and all documents required in public procurement processes 
• Accountable for matters within an assigned portfolio of legal work grouped by business unit, program or project as assigned by a senior lawyer
• Works effectively with various agencies, departments and levels of management within and external to the organization, including procurement professionals, scope writers, other lawyers, engineers, program managers, business and financial analysts, consultants and executives
• Directs and manages external counsel on appropriate projects 
• Advises and leads presentations to all levels of management, including briefings of Senior Management and Division Heads
• Understands how to prioritize tasks, push files forward and escalate issues appropriately
• Maintains an awareness of current provincial and federal legislation and regulations, international and domestic trade agreements and relevant judicial decisions that may impact Metrolinx; recommends amendments to existing templates, policies and procedures arising from relevant legislative or regulatory changes; provides advice/opinions on the interpretation of legislation
• Provides proactive and strategic legal advice to organization outside of specific legal assignments
• Assists with developing training and mentorship programs for junior lawyers, students and members of other relevant business units
• Provides feedback and direction to paralegal and administrative staff

What Skills and Qualifications Do I Need?

• Completion of a degree in law (JD or LLB)
• Demonstrated legal experience within the area of Procurement/Tender Law, Government Contracts and Commercial/Contract Law; experience in Construction Law or Information Technology would be an asset
• Membership in the Law Society of Ontario as a Lawyer in good standing is required
• Contributing to corporate policies, standards, and procedures to minimize corporate legal risk and protect positions and assets
• Ability to provide sound legal advice and suggest business-oriented solutions to complex legal issues in commercial and political contexts
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, oral/written/presentation skills to draft documentation, provide legal opinions and interpretations, and direct and manage external legal counsel effectively

Don’t Meet Every Requirement? 

If you’re excited about working with Metrolinx but your past experience doesn’t quite align with every qualification of this posting, we encourage you to apply. You just might be the right candidate for this or other roles. We are always looking for great talent to join our team.

We invite all interested individuals to apply and encourage applications from members of equity-deserving communities, including those who identify as Indigenous, Black, racialized, women, people with disabilities, and people with diverse gender identities, expressions and sexual orientations.

Accommodation:

We value the unique skills and experiences each person brings to Metrolinx and are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and accessible environment. We are committed to the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act so if you require accommodation during the hiring process, please let our Recruitment team know by contacting us at: 416-202-5601 or email hr.recruitment@metrolinx.com.

Application Process:

All applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada. Metrolinx will be using email to communicate with you for all job competitions. It is your responsibility to include an updated email address that is checked daily and accepts emails from unknown users. As we send time sensitive correspondence, we recommend that you check your email regularly. If no response is received, we will assume you are no longer interested in pursuing the opportunity. Please be advised that a Criminal Record Check may be required of the successful candidate. 

For Internal applicants, with the recent implementation of the Internal Mobility Policy, the internal recruitment process has changed for non-union roles. Candidates must be in their current role for 12 months prior to applying for another role and each applicant must be in good standing (not participating in a Performance Improvement Plan). Please review all provisions of the policy before submitting your application. 

Should it be determined that any background information provided be misleading, inaccurate or incorrect, Metrolinx reserves the right to discontinue with the consideration of your application.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

WE ARE AN EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE EMPLOYER.

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