Full job description
The Ontario Cannabis Store provides safe, responsible access to recreational cannabis for adults 19 and older. We operate the provincial online store for recreational cannabis in Ontario and are the exclusive provincial wholesaler to authorized private retail stores.
Working at the OCS is a unique opportunity to be part of an agile start-up in a ground-breaking new industry. We’re a diverse team passionate about delivering a great customer experience, working together with mutual respect, and building value out of our differences. We’re an inclusive organization that understands that delivering great results comes out of ensuring every voice is heard.
About the Role
We are looking for a General Counsel to join our legal team. Reporting to the President & Chief Executive Officer, the General Counsel is a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) of the OCS, helping to steward the Corporation’s day-to-day operations and oversee all its legal matters. The General Counsel provides expert legal counsel to the OCRC Board, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Senior Leadership Team, and other departments.
The General Counsel sets the direction for Legal Services (including oversight of both an in-house team and management of external counsel) and Corporate Regulatory Compliance (including privacy, records management, and corporate policies). The General Counsel actively contributes legal insights to inform strategic business decisions necessary for the SLT to successfully deliver the corporation’s annual business plan and strengthen its compliance culture.
About Your Day
- Balance department-specific views with a holistic OCS perspective to actively contribute to effective decision-making (on a broad range of topics related to business planning, people and culture).
- Lead by example when upholding strong internal governance practices that support efficient decision making and an inclusive environment where employees are respected and given an opportunity to contribute.
- Working with your functional leaders, you will be responsible for departmental budgeting, resource allocation, departmental compliance with corporate policies, talent management and development, and collaboration with other departments.
- Leading a department with varying expertise and specializations, you will work to drive alignment among the team to support the OCS’s mandate, its annual business plan, and to build a department culture rooted in resiliency and a readiness to respond to an evolving cannabis marketplace.
- Provide expert advice to support strategic decisions made by the Corporation’s Board of Directors, President & CEO, Senior Leadership Team and functional business leaders.
- Leveraging both in-house counsel and external specialists, as needed, you will provide your advice in a timely and internally customer-centric manner that helps position OCS as a proactive enabler of a rapidly evolving vibrant cannabis marketplace.
- Maintain a deep understanding of all aspects of the company’s multi-year strategy and annual business plan to ensure that, where appropriate, the necessary internal legal expertise is available, or being developed, to support its delivery.
- Working with the CFO, you will aim to provide proactive forecasting on the evolving budget needed for external legal resources necessary to deliver strategic priorities and respond to the current OCS risk environment.
- Support the Board of Directors, President & CEO, and Senior Leadership Team in establishing and maintaining a systematic and structured Corporate Regulatory Compliance Program that promotes a proactive culture of compliance at the OCS.
- Working with your functional leadership group, you will further establish a foundational Corporate Regulatory Compliance Program that includes the responsibilities of Compliance Program Administration & Controls, Corporate Policies & Procedures, Records & Information Management, Privacy, and Ethics Investigations & Disclosures of Wrongdoing.
- Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with legal and compliance peers at other Ontario Crown agencies, cannabis agencies in other provinces, legal cannabis businesses (producers and retailers), and federal and provincial public sector bodies (such as the Office of the Integrity Commissioner of Ontario, Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, Competition Bureau Canada, etc.).
About You
- Juris Doctor (JD), Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or Master in Law (LLM)
- Masters of Business Administration and relevant Compliance designations are preferred
- Member in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario with license to practice law in Ontario
- 10+ years as a General Counsel or General Legal Advisor with broad legal practice experience, with emphasis on internal counsel support.
- Exceptional leadership skills – including role-modeling company values, coaching and mentoring employees, developing and upholding a performance culture.
- Experience developing and delivering corporate communication both written and verbal.
- Multi-disciplinary legal generalist with knowledge in the areas of administrative, compliance, regulatory and commercial law.
- Ability to excel within highly regulated environments and/or knowledge of the public sector.
- Strong business acumen and ability to partner with business leaders across various verticals.
- Exceptional writing and verbal communication skills – including precise drafting of corporate and legal documents.
About the Job
- This position currently offers a hybrid work schedule. The current in office requirement is a minimum of 3 days/week (may be more depending on business needs). The OCS office is located near York Mills and Yonge St. However, OCS reserves the right to change this policy and its office location at any time.
- City: Toronto, ON
- Employment Type: Permanent, Full-Time
- Required Travel: none
Compensation
The target hiring range for this position is $179,000 – $209,000. Base pay is not inclusive of eligible performance pay, or other total reward offerings. This is a pay grade 10b role, with a salary range of $145,046 – $219,000. Placement in the salary range will be based on factors such as market conditions, internal equity, and candidate experience, skills, and qualifications relevant to the role.
We are committed to providing an accessible, equitable and inclusive candidate and employee experience. We provide reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process and in employment. If you require an accommodation, please let us know, we will work with you to meet your needs.
