General Counsel

North America | Executive Leadership Team| Hybrid - Guelph

Our client is seeking an accomplished and commercially minded General Counsel to join its executive leadership team. Reporting directly to the Chief Strategy Officer, this individual will serve as a key strategic advisor to the business, providing sophisticated legal counsel across Canadian and U.S. operations while helping guide critical business decisions in a dynamic and growth-oriented environment.

This role represents a unique opportunity for a senior legal executive who combines strong corporate and commercial expertise with sound business judgment, operational agility, and a pragmatic approach to risk management. The successful candidate will play an instrumental role in supporting the organization's continued growth, protecting its interests, and enabling strategic initiatives across multiple jurisdictions.

The Opportunity

As General Counsel, you will partner closely with senior leadership to navigate complex legal, regulatory, and commercial matters impacting the organization. You will lead the company's legal function while serving as a trusted advisor on corporate governance, strategic transactions, compliance, litigation, employment matters, and enterprise risk management.

The role requires an individual who is equally comfortable operating at the strategic level and engaging directly in day-to-day legal matters. This is a highly visible leadership position with broad influence across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic legal advice and counsel to executives and senior leadership across a broad range of corporate, commercial, regulatory, and operational matters
• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage complex commercial agreements, including master services agreements, licensing agreements, confidentiality agreements, vendor contracts, equipment rental agreements, and strategic partnership arrangements
• Identify legal and business risks and develop proactive mitigation strategies aligned with organizational objectives
• Lead and oversee litigation matters, dispute resolution, contract enforcement, and external counsel relationships
• Support mergers, acquisitions, financing arrangements, joint ventures, and other strategic corporate transactions, including legal due diligence and transaction structuring
• Ensure compliance with applicable Canadian and U.S. laws, regulations, governance standards, and industry requirements
• Advise on employment, labor, environmental, health & safety, data privacy, and intellectual property matters
• Support and strengthen corporate governance frameworks, policies, ethical standards, and compliance initiatives
• Contribute meaningfully to strategic business discussions and decision-making processes across the enterprise

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a highly credible legal professional with a strong blend of technical expertise, executive presence, and commercial acumen. You are recognized for your ability to provide practical, business-oriented legal solutions while effectively balancing risk and opportunity.

You bring:

• A Juris Doctor (J.D.) or LL.B. from an accredited law school
• Membership in good standing with a Canadian law society
• Strong working knowledge of the U.S. legal and regulatory landscape
• Minimum 8 years of progressive legal experience, including significant corporate/commercial exposure and preferably in-house counsel experience
• Demonstrated success advising executive leadership within complex, fast-paced organizations
• Exceptional negotiation, analytical, communication, and relationship management skills
• Experience working across jurisdictions and with diverse stakeholder groups
• A high degree of professionalism, integrity, sound judgment, and discretion

Why This Role

This opportunity offers the ability to operate as a true strategic partner within an evolving organization where legal leadership is highly valued. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to influence business strategy, support transformative initiatives, and build trusted relationships across the executive team and broader organization.

For a legal leader seeking a broad and impactful mandate with executive-level visibility, this role offers both challenge and opportunity in equal measure.

Travel: Approximately 20% as required.