General Counsel

The university has over 22,000 students, campuses in Waterloo, Brantford, and Milton, and has a Faculty of Social Work in Kitchener and research facilities in the Northwest Territories.

Laurier is committed to partnerships and collaborations aligned with our academic priorities. Laurier’s research community consists of almost 600 researchers in nine faculties who address the most pressing local and global challenges through a highly interactive and interdisciplinary academic community. The University supports 23 research centres and institutes that stimulate innovation and attract research funding while emphasizing graduate and undergraduate research scholarship.

The Position

Reporting to the President and Vice-Chancellor and as a member of the Senior Leadership team, the General Counsel is the principal legal officer to the University and works closely with Senior Leadership, Board of Governors, and Senate to provide leadership and support in all matters with legal implications for the University. The General Counsel provides both strategic oversight and hands-on legal support, including direct carriage of complex and sensitive legal files across all areas of practice, with support from internal and external legal counsel and staff in the portfolio.

The General Counsel is responsible for the portfolio of Legal Services and Fair Practices, which includes the Legal Services and Privacy Office, and the Office of Human Rights and Conflict Management (OHRCM). The OHRCM is a shared leadership responsibility with the Associate Vice-President: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, who has oversight of specific responsibilities within the OHRCM and works in a coordinated fashion with the General Counsel in management of the OHRCM’s responsibilities. The General Counsel works collaboratively across the University to support and advise internal clients on a wide range of legal matters, ensuring compliance with University policies and applicable laws.

This position is located primarily in Waterloo, Ontario, and holds a University-wide mandate that covers a multi-campus environment, requiring regular interaction, communication and collaboration with staff and community members at the University’s Waterloo, Brantford and Milton campuses and Kitchener and Yellowknife, Northwest Territories locations. The position also interacts with external partners and oversees a portfolio of external legal consultants, and participates in provincial and national groups supporting coordination and professional development within the university legal sector. Accordingly, the position requires some travel among campuses and additional locations. The incumbent will ensure the Office’s policies, programs and services are delivered equitably across all campuses and reflect the needs of local constituent groups. The incumbent must be a self-directed, autonomous leader, able to work collaboratively across the University.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is an accomplished legal professional with a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), Juris Doctor (J.D.), or equivalent degree, licensed to practise in Ontario and in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario. They bring 8–10 years of progressive senior leadership experience in the legal services profession and a strong record of navigating complex legal matters within large, multi‑constituent environments, ideally within the post‑secondary sector or a comparable public‑sector or private‑practice setting.

With deep expertise in employment, human rights, and labour law in unionized environments, they are adept at managing litigation and representing clients in arbitrations, negotiations, and tribunal proceedings. They have personally carried and resolved complex and sensitive files across multiple practice areas. They demonstrate a clear commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigeneity, and have a demonstrated ability to effectively lead teams while maintaining an active legal practice. The ideal candidate brings a solid understanding of policy development, administrative law, and principles of natural and restorative justice. They possess strong advocacy, dispute‑resolution, and contract-negotiation skills, with good familiarity with commercial law and demonstrated comfort with complex transactional matters. They are able to navigate high‑stakes issues with tact, diplomacy, sound judgment, and discretion. Highly organized and able to balance strategic leadership with hands‑on legal work, they manage multiple priorities effectively and work independently with confidence, from drafting legal documents to overseeing complex case materials and their own workload.

To learn more about this opportunity or to request a copy of the Executive Brief, contact Katherine Frank ([email protected]) or Beth McLennan ([email protected]). Completed applications must be submitted online at http://www.kbrs.ca/Career/17694574416140000008kdc.

Wilfrid Laurier University endeavours to fill positions with qualified candidates who have a combination of education, experience, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position successfully while demonstrating Laurier's Employee Success Factors.

Equity, diversity and creating a culture of inclusion are part of Laurier’s core values and central to the Laurier Strategy. Laurier is committed to increasing the diversity of faculty and staff and welcomes applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, racialized, having disabilities, and from persons of any minority sexual and gender identities. Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. Candidates from other equity deserving groups who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact Equity & Accessibility.

Wilfrid Laurier University and KBRS will provide support in the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities, including accommodation that takes into account an applicant’s accessibility needs. If you require accommodation in order to participate as a candidate in the recruitment process, please contact [email protected] or communicate your needs to the Consultant, Beth McLennan.

Please note that the position posted is for an existing vacancy.