Vice President, Legal Services

About Ontario Health atHome

Ontario Health atHome partners with patients and caregivers, family physicians, hospitals, long-term care and retirement homes, service providers and Ontario Health Teams, to deliver responsive, accessible, integrated, patient-centred care.

Ontario Health atHome is comprised of 9,200 staff who serve or support more than 669,000 patients of all ages, including seniors, persons with physical disabilities and chronic diseases, children and others who require ongoing health and personal care to live safely and independently in the community. The patients we serve are some of the most vulnerable in the province. Annually, Ontario Health atHome facilitates more than 26,800 long-term care home placements. Each day, there are more than 29,500 nursing visits, 4,400 therapy visits, and 112,400 hours of personal support care with the help of over 150 service provider organizations.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Are you a strategic senior legal professional who drives effectiveness, system modernization and high-quality performance related to legal operations and the provision of expert counsel to senior leaders? Do you have experience overseeing legal operations and providing professional legal guidance in a complex healthcare or government sector during times of transformation? Are you passionate about exceptional healthcare and driven by a desire to help others? If so, this is a rewarding career opportunity to work alongside a supportive and collaborative team of regulated healthcare professionals.

We are seeking an experienced senior legal professional with in-depth knowledge of governance and applicable legislation in the healthcare sector, experience in corporate commercial law and expertise in providing legal counsel to executive-level staff, including Boards of Directors and senior government officials. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Vice President, Legal Services will be responsible for the strategic leadership and oversight of legal services, establishing an internal legal services team and developing an external legal services roster to support the organization's legal needs while supporting the Board of Directors.

As a key executive team member, the Vice President Legal Services will support the organization in modernizing the delivery of home care services, impacting the lives of thousands of patients across Ontario. They will provide proactive and solutions-based legal advice, ensuring the organization complies with its legal obligations and mitigates business and legal risks. The Vice President Legal Services will manage legal issues arising on enterprise, departmental, and program levels, providing strategic legal advice to the CEO, the executive team, and the Board of Directors and will develop and implement strategic initiatives while acting as a legal representative on organization-wide strategy initiatives. The Vice President Legal Services will administer legal operations, manage resources, and engage key internal and/or external stakeholders. They will support compliance with government policies and directives and will be subject matter expert within the organization on a broad base of legal matters, providing counsel and support directly to organizational portfolios and senior leaders.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide practical, solution-oriented, risk-based legal advice on a broad spectrum of the agency’s operational and strategic work.
• Facilitate the engagement of external legal counsel, as necessary.
• Advise the Board on corporate governance matters and attend all Board and Board Committee meetings as part of the executive team.
• Function as a strategic partner with the CEO and the executive team members, to define, action and model the agency’s vision, mission and values and actively contribute to developing and articulating a vision for the agency’s role in the public health sector.
• Champion the organization’s values and ethical standards in all agency business.
• Develop and maintain various corporate and Board policies, processes, and practices to enable the organization to meet its obligations and accountabilities as a Crown agency and follow best practices in Board governance.
• Ensure that the organization’s leadership team receives the necessary strategic legal advice.
• Demonstrate commitment to and experience in leading by example, exercising sound judgment in interpersonal engagements, displaying integrity and emotional intelligence in decision-making and prioritizing respect and authenticity in relationships.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Law degree (LLB, JD) and membership in good standing as a lawyer with the Law Society of Ontario.
• 10 or more years of corporate commercial legal experience, preferably in the public and/or healthcare sector (healthcare experience would be an asset).
• Proven ability to produce high-quality work under tight deadlines with changing and competing demands.
• Experience with government decision-making processes and procedures is preferred.
• Proven expertise in developing and maintaining executive-level relationships with senior government officials, members of Boards of Directors and health system leaders.
• Demonstrated knowledge of relevant legal practice areas, including Crown agency governance (relevant legislation, regulations, and government directives), procurement, conflict of interest, freedom of information and privacy law in the health sector, information technology, and contract and employment law.
• Ability to communicate complex legal concepts to a variety of audiences.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to convey complex legal concepts to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with senior leadership to advise on, facilitate, mitigate, and resolve legal matters.
• Ability to influence others to engage in solution-focused dialogue and follow a recommended course of action.
• We have a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy. As a condition of employment, all employees are required to submit proof of COVID-19 vaccination status before the start date.

WHAT OUR CLIENT OFFERS

We know wellness is supported by work-life balance. In an inclusive culture committed to supporting your passion for continuous learning, growth, and innovation, we offer: ​

• Attractive comprehensive compensation packages and benefits​
• Valuable development opportunities​
• Membership in a world-class defined benefit pension plan. 
• Flexible work location including a hybrid work model (this position can be located at any of the Ontario Health atHome offices)

HOW TO APPLY

To express interest in this exciting opportunity, email your cover letter and resume to:

Patrick Rowan, Partner, Feldman Daxon Partners

45 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario

Tel: 416-515-3302

Email: prowan@feldmandaxon.com

EQUITY, INCLUSION, DIVERSITY AND ANTI-RACISM COMMITMENT

Ontario Health atHome is committed to a culture of equity, inclusion, diversity and anti-racism. They are committed to attracting, engaging and developing a workforce that reflects the diverse communities they serve. They welcome and encourage applications from all qualified applicants. Accommodation for people with disabilities required during the recruitment process is available upon request.