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 Legal Services Branch for the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) seeks an immediate opportunity for intermediate / experienced legal counsel to support various program areas in this large and busy ministry. Practice areas include social assistance, child welfare and protection, community services for adults, youth justice, and work relating to privacy, funding, agreements and procurement. All areas may involve providing legal support and Aboriginal law advice with respect to services for, or agreements involving, First Nation, Inuit or Métis peoples.

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About the job

Working in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, you will provide strategic and risk-based legal advice and services, including:

•Providing program advice and advising on operational/delivery issues
•Providing legal advice, including written and oral legal opinions, to support requirements of the ministry clients
•Supporting client policy development and providing drafting support on legislative and regulatory projects
•Advising on funding issues and corporate/commercial matters, including transfer payment agreements and procurement agreements
•Drafting, reviewing and negotiating various legal documents, including agreements, memoranda of understanding, orders in council
•Drafting briefing materials and briefing at all levels of MCCSS/MAG/government as required
•Working collaboratively with clients and with branch and MAG colleagues on cross-ministry issues
•Contributing to an inclusive, respectful and supportive workplace

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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

•Demonstrated experience providing excellent client service as well as risk-based, strategic and solution-focused legal advice
•Demonstrated experience advising on the development of policy, legislation, and regulations
•Demonstrated experience advising on, negotiating and drafting agreements
•Familiarity with MCCSS legislation and programs and with legislation of general application such as the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Financial Administration Act
•Demonstrated ability to work effectively and efficiently in a fast-paced environment with competing demands and changing priorities
Demonstrated ability to achieve effective outcomes through individual work and as part of a team
•Excellent judgement, organization, analytical, and oral and written communication skills
•Demonstrated ability to build effective working relationships with clients and colleagues
•Demonstrated ability to identify, evaluate, and assesses legal risks and implications of proposed and existing programs and initiatives and providing innovative, strategic, risk-based and solutions-oriented legal advice on time-sensitive issues
•Experience briefing senior government officials on complex legal principles and concepts
•Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion

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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.