Job Information
BDC VICE PRESIDENT, LEGAL AFFAIRS - FINANCING in Toronto, Canada
We are banking at another level.
Choosing BDC as your employer means working in a healthy, inclusive, and skilled workplace that puts forward the best conditions to bring together unique teams where employees are empowered to act. It also means being at the centre of ambitious economic and financial projects to see further and to do things differently, to fuel the success of Canadian entrepreneurs.
Choosing BDC as your employer also means:
Flexible and competitive benefits , including an Employee Savings and Investment Plan where BDC matches part of your voluntary contributions, a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, a $750 wellness and health care spending account, to name a few
In addition to paid vacation each year, five personal days , sick days as necessary , and our offices are closed from December 25 to January 1
A hybrid work model that truly balances work and personal life
Opportunities for learning , training and development , and much more...
POSITION OVERVIEW
The position of Vice President, Legal Affairs - Financing, reporting to the Assistant General Counsel, is a newly created position with a bold mandate to propel the Legal Affairs department to instill the organization’s new values and nurture a culture of performance, innovation, and accountability. BDC's ambition is to advance the impact of our organization with an array of financial and advisory products and the development of innovative programs and initiatives to build an inclusive economy for entrepreneurs. In this context, the candidate will have oversight over the Legal Affairs department’s Financing functions (which include providing legal support to BDC’s financing teams located in over 100 business centres across Canada and online financing), responsible for a national team of more than 25 lawyers and support professionals, across 3 offices. The mandate includes reviewing, evolving, and managing our processes to ensure that the provision of legal support and advice to BDC's Financing functions supports and fuels the bank’s growth objectives while remaining within the boundaries of its compliance and risk management framework. The candidate is also responsible for ensuring that emerging legal and regulatory risks are identified with a view to proactively advising and influencing strategic decision-making for loan structuring and financing at all levels of BDC.
STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
Lead and develop a high performing national legal team of lawyers and support professionals located in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, including establishing performance objectives, monitoring progress, and assessing results, with a view to foster a culture of performance, innovation and accountability.
Provide innovative and strategic leadership in the provision of legal services to support the organization's business objectives, projects and strategic initiatives relating to the Financing functions, with a goal to harmonization of processes to achieve maximum efficiency.
Ensure that practical, business-oriented legal advice is provided proactively on a wide range of key strategic legal matters, including strategic corporate initiatives as well as emerging legal and regulatory trends in areas impacting commercial financing.
Represent the Legal Affairs department on various internal committees, including as relates to operations, risk management and other internal governance committees relating to the Financing functions.
Responsible for oversight of Legal Affairs’ approval for the organization’s new product business initiatives and recommendations relating to risk management assessments and operational risk events.
Responsible for approving Legal Affairs’ business rules and procedures.
Support the Chief Legal Officer and the Assistant General Counsel in the development of talent and succession planning within the Legal Affairs department. In this regard, the candidate will ensure that all resources are coached, have formal development plans, and receive ongoing support and feedback.
Develop, initiate, and maintain actions to support the continuous high engagement of Legal Affairs – Financing team members.
Participate as an active member of the Legal Affairs management committee in the development and implementation of the Legal Affairs department's annual strategic business plan including key performance metrics.
Responsible for initiating, supporting and reinforcing continuous improvement initiatives in the delivery of legal services to all internal partners involved in Financing functions.
Develop and maintain strong internal networks with organizational leadership.
Manage key relationships with external law firms, including SLAs and legal spend, with responsibility for ensuring adherence to operational budgets and policies.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Minimum of 10 years of corporate and commercial law
Minimum of 5 years of legal management and leadership experience building and leading a high performing, highly engaged, legal team and working to achieve strategic goals.
Proven experience in leading a legal team through transformation.
Member of the Law Society of Ontario or of another provincial bar
Bilingualism, written and spoken, in English and French an asset.
Creative and innovative with excellent business judgement
Ability to analyze and synthesize complex and ambiguous information to provide legal recommendation to the business.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Excellent interpersonal and team-building skills
Proudly one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers , we are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible environment where all employees can thrive and feel empowered to bring their whole selves to work. If you require an accommodation to complete your application, please do not hesitate to contact us at accessibility@bdc.ca .
While we appreciate all applications, we advise that only the candidates selected to participate in the recruitment process will be contacted.
BDC is a bank unlike any other. We are the only bank dedicated exclusively to the development of Canadian businesses. The only institution whose purpose is to promote the growth of the Canadian economy by focusing on the success of small and medium-sized businesses, with a human touch and a genuine presence. At BDC, we’re changing people’s and businesses’ lives for the better. That’s what makes us unique as a bank.
That’s why we are banking at another level.