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.

Duty to Consult Division (DTCD) is a newly established division developed to deliver on the joint mandate of IAFNER and MAG. Our mission is to champion a “One OPS Approach” to Indigenous consultation and accommodation to support Ontario in meeting its constitutional obligations in a way that is meaningful, coordinated, consistent, time-efficient and accountable.

A unique feature of the DTCD is the creation of a small legal policy team, led by a Legal Director and embedded within the broader work of the Division. Counsel on the team will be responsible for:

•Leading the creation of operational policy and legal guidance
•Interpreting legal opinions and providing practical, operational advice flowing from those opinions
•Leading or supporting the creation of any primary or secondary legislation pertaining to Indigenous consultation and accommodation
•Ensuring consistency in how the province approaches Indigenous consultation and accommodation with a particular focus on priority projects
•Providing expert advisory services as appropriate

Counsel positions will report to a Legal Director. A Senior Legal Director will be responsible for the oversight of legal advice across MAG Civil Law Division in respect of Indigenous consultation issues. Issues and trends flowing from the legal advice will help inform the work of the legal policy team. As the core DTCD team will be small, counsel will routinely work with senior leaders within DTCD & other ministries.

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About the job

Duties will include:

•Provide integrated legal, policy and strategic advice to the DTCD, it's Legal Director, and enterprise leaders on a broad range of matters related Indigenous consultation.
•Support senior leadership, including the Secretary of the Cabinet and Cabinet Office, in advancing and implementing a coordinated, enterprise-wide approach (“One OPS Approach”) to fulfill the Province's Indigenous consultation obligations in a consistent, efficient, and meaningful manner.
•Lead initiatives to enhance consistency in consultation practices across ministries by:

• Developing and delivering training and education programs to improve awareness and understanding of Indigenous consultation & accommodation obligations
  
• Creating legal guidance materials, tools, and frameworks to support ministry partners
  
• Advancing the centralization and consolidation of the legal advice underpinning Crown consultation knowledge and best practices
  

•Provide leadership in consultation planning by:

• Developing standardized templates, guidance documents, and consultation handbooks
  
• Supporting ministries in designing and implementing effective consultation strategies
  
• Driving digital enablement initiatives to improve planning, tracking, and reporting of consultation activities
  

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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

Legal Expertise

•Strong knowledge of Indigenous legal issues, including Indigenous consultation and accommodation process, section 35 rights landscape in Ontario, related public law and administrative law
•Experience providing legal advice on complex, sensitive, or high risk matters in a public sector or broader government context

Strategic & Enterprise Experience

•Experience supporting senior legal leadership on cross cutting files requiring discretion, sound judgment, and coordination across multiple partners
•Understanding of how consultation & accommodation obligations intersect with policy development, major projects, ministry operations, and enterprise risk management
•Knowledge of government decision making processes

Collaboration, Judgment & Communication

•Strong judgment, discretion, and political acuity in handling confidential material and sensitive legal issues
•Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with counsel, executives, and ministry partners in a matrixed environment
•Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex legal analysis into practical advice and briefing materials
•Deep understanding of the nature of the relationship between Indigenous peoples and the Crown and the history and context that informs that relationship

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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.