Counsel

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The Ministry of the Attorney General seeks two counsel to provide Planning and Municipal Law advice to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) and to the Ministry of Infrastructure (MOI) respectively. The two Legal Services Branches are busy offices with dynamic work areas and support signature government projects, while fostering a collaborative and equitable environment.

The MMAH Counsel position is located at 777 Bay Street in Toronto.
The MOI Counsel position is located at 77 Grenville Street in Toronto.

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About the job

Duties for counsel at the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Legal Services Branch will include:

• Representing the Crown as lead counsel in a wide variety of hearings before the Ontario Land Tribunal and providing litigation support on various legal proceedings including applications for judicial review.
• Supporting policy and program development, briefing senior ministry staff, drafting opinions, agreements, and Ministerial orders.
• Providing expert risk-based legal advice and support on operational decision-making on planning law and related legislation.

Duties for counsel at the Ministry of Infrastructure Legal Services Branch will include:

• Providing strategic legal advice and support to the Ministry of Infrastructure on signature government initiatives, major infrastructure development projects, and Ministry operations.
• Providing expert legal advice on municipal, land development, and planning aspects of infrastructure development projects.
• Working on the development of legislation and regulations as well as on ministerial directions and Orders in Council.
• Negotiating, drafting, reviewing and advising on a variety of legal and other instruments, including transfer payment and grant agreements, land development and commercial agreements, and Memoranda of Understanding.

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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

• Extensive experience with the Planning Act, the Municipal Act, the City of Toronto Act and other related land use planning, municipal and land development law.
• In-depth knowledge of the municipal planning process, land development process and expertise in proceedings before the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT)
• Knowledge of, and familiarity with, real property law, municipal governance, corporate and commercial law, environmental law, Aboriginal law.
• Experience in drafting, negotiating, and assessing a variety of commercial and government legal instruments.
• Legal advisory experience, including ability to recognize and assess legal implications in ministry practices, programs, and policy proposals, and to handle sometimes complex and potentially novel legal issues.
• Demonstrated ability to handle a high-volume practice and work productively and independently as well as part of a team in a high-pressure environment.
• Excellent judgement and organizational, analytical, interpersonal and communication skills.
• Strong client service orientation and flexibility; political acumen and judgment.

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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.