Counsel

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ELIGIBILITY FOR THIS COMPETITION IS RESTRICTED TO STEP 1 CANDIDATES INCLUDING OPS ALOC AND OCAA LAWYERS  living or working within 125 km of this location. Note: Eligible lawyers from outside the Area of Search may apply but will not be entitled to relocation or travel expenses for the transfer as set out below.

Step 1: All regular/fixed-term OCAA and ALOC lawyers on staff, current Redeployment List Members and current Articling Student Hireback Pool Members.

Step 2: In the absence of qualified applicants at Step 1 the competition may be reposted so that external applicants or non-members of the above-mentioned groups would then be eligible to apply.

The Ministry of the Attorney General, Civil Law Division, Ministry of Transportation, Legal Services Branch (MTO LSB) is seeking an experienced and team oriented lawyer who is well organized, a self-starter, and who can work in a fast-paced environment.

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About the job

This position is a legal counsel role focused primarily on providing legal advice, legislative and regulatory development, and administrative law work. Advice provided in this role frequently informs province wide policy, regulatory frameworks, and governance models for Ontario's transportation system.

While reporting to the Director and/or Deputy Director, duties will include:

•Handling a high volume of files supporting the Ministry of Transportation's mandate in areas including road safety, driver and vehicle programs, commercial vehicle safety, towing, transportation policy and planning, and compliance and enforcement programs
•Supporting the development and drafting of statutes, regulations, and associated legal frameworks, and advising the Ministry throughout the policy development, approval, implementation, and operationalization lifecycle
•Advising the Ministry on the design, implementation, and oversight of statutory compliance and enforcement regimes, including administrative authorities, decision making structures, and enforcement tools
•Providing oral and written legal opinions on transportation and other matters governed by MTO legislation, including the Highway Traffic Act, the Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act, 2021, the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act, associated regulations, and other statutes affecting transportation programs and services
•Reviewing and advising on Orders in Council, appointments, delegations, and related statutory instruments
•Providing litigation support to MTO clients in connection with matters being led by litigation counsel including those at Crown Law Office Civil and Constitutional Law Branch
•Working closely with Constitutional Law Branch to provide Ministry clients with Constitutional law advice

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What you bring to the team

Mandatory requirements

• Membership in good standing as a lawyer with the Law Society of Ontario

Knowledge and Skills

•Experience in the development of statutes and regulations and advising on related policy development and implementation
•Experience providing legal advice and opinions in a regulatory ministry context
•Experience interpreting and applying complex statutory and regulatory schemes
•Experience advising on the exercise of statutory discretion, administrative decision making, and procedural fairness obligations
•Strong judgment and the ability to work under pressure while ensuring legal advice fully considers the Ministry's policies, programs, objectives, and mandate considerations
•Ability to manage multiple files and competing priorities under tight timelines
•Strong analytical skills and clear, concise legal writing ability
•Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team and to adapt to new subject areas and responsibilities
•Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, using tact and sound professional judgment
•Demonstrated computer proficiency suitable for a legal advisory environment

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How we support diversity, inclusion and accessibility

We are building an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage everyone interested in working with us to apply, including people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black and racialized individuals, as well as people from all ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.

Our hiring process is accessible, consistent with Ontario's Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. We are working to prevent and remove barriers in our hiring processes and can offer  accommodation to address specific needs related to Code-protected grounds such as disability, family status and religion. For more information about accommodation during the hiring process please  contact us.

Learn more about the work the OPS is doing to create an inclusive, anti-racist, accessible and diverse workplace:

• diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
• accessibility
• Anti-Racism Policy

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Additional information:

Note:

• About security checks:
  A criminal or other federal offence record does not automatically disqualify you from the position. We consider each situation based on the position's responsibilities.
  If a check is needed and you've lived outside of Canada in the past 5 years for 6 or more months in a row, or if you are not a Canadian resident, you'll need to provide an out-of-country police clearance certificate from the country you lived in.
  Employment screening checks are only reviewed and evaluated by the Transition and Security Office, which also maintains them and keeps them strictly confidential.
• For issues with submitting applications, or questions, please contact CSMD.HR.LegalCompeti@ontario.ca

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How to apply:

1. You must apply online.
2. Your cover letter and resume combined should not exceed five (5) pages. For tips and tools on how to write a concise cover letter and resume, review the Writing a Cover Letter and Resume: Tips, Tools and Resources.
3. Customize your cover letter and resume to the qualifications listed on the job ad. Using concrete examples, you must show how you demonstrated the requirements for this job. We rely on the information you provide to us.
4. Read the job description to make sure you understand this job.
5. OPS employees are required to quote their WIN EMPLOYEE ID number when applying.
6. If you require a disability related accommodation in order to participate in the recruitment process, please Contact Us to provide your contact information. Recruitment services team will contact you within 48 hours.

Language requirements and assessment:
All external Ontario Public Service (OPS) job ads are posted in English and French. Check the "position(s) language" section at the top of each job ad for the language requirements. For all roles, candidates are assessed in English, the business language of the OPS. If the position is bilingual (English/French), you'll also need to pass a French-language proficiency test.

Exigences en matière de langue et évaluation:
Toutes les offres d'emploi externes de la fonction publique de l'Ontario (FPO) sont affichées en français et en anglais. Consultez la section « Langue du ou des postes » en haut de chaque offre d'emploi pour connaître les exigences linguistiques. Pour tous les postes, les candidats sont évalués en anglais, la langue d'affaires de la FPO. Si le poste est bilingue (anglais/français), vous devrez également passer un test de compétences linguistiques en français.