Job Description

Overview

A global nuclear renaissance is creating an exceptional pipeline of complex opportunities: new nuclear development, reactor refurbishment and life extension, engineering and technology programs, decommissioning, strategic partnerships and international projects. Our Nuclear Legal Affairs team works alongside project executives, commercial leaders, engineers, procurement professionals and project controls teams to turn those opportunities into executable, defensible and commercially sound projects.

We are expanding our legal team and are seeking a senior, business-minded lawyer who understands both sophisticated contracting and how major projects are delivered. This is not a traditional contract-review role. You will lead legal strategy for major pursuits, shape delivery and governance structures, challenge assumptions, negotiate material risk allocation and help ensure that the deal developed at pursuit stage can be administered, performed and defended in execution.

Why this role is unique:

- This role places legal counsel at the centre of project formation, not at the end of the approval process. You will help shape the commercial and contractual architecture for major nuclear opportunities before execution commitments crystallize.
- The position combines strategic legal judgment, sophisticated negotiation, construction and project-delivery insight, commercial acumen, executive advisory work and direct engagement with technical and commercial leaders on some of the most consequential energy projects in Canada and internationally.

Your role

The Senior Counsel will be a member of the Nuclear Legal Affairs team. The role reports to the Senior Director, Legal Affairs Candu.



The role will work closely with other nuclear counsel, IP and Technology counsel, embedded project lawyers, external and local counsel, project leadership and Candu corporate functions.

- Lead legal support for major nuclear infrastructure projects from chance development through contract award and execution.
- Structure, draft and negotiate development agreements, design collaboration agreements, early works arrangements, framework agreements, teaming and consortium arrangements, supply-chain agreements and other project related contracts.
- Advise on, negotiate and work with external counsel in developing agreements for a variety of project delivery models, including EPC, EPCM, alliance, IPD, hybrid and other collaborative contracting structures.
- Develop and negotiate risk allocation relating to scope, interfaces, schedule and delay, change, completion, pricing, performance security, liability, indemnities, warranty, force majeure, claims, dispute resolution and governance.
- Translate legal positions into practical project outcomes by working closely with commercial, estimating, project controls, engineering, procurement, finance and project delivery teams.
- Support executive and gated risk reviews by identifying material departures, bad-deal risk, execution implications and recommended mitigations.




- Challenge assumptions constructively and elevate risks that could materially affect margin, liability, intellectual property, schedule, execution readiness, governance approval or dispute position.
- Coordinate with IP and Technology counsel on retained IP, technology transfer, licensing, software, data, tooling and design rights.
- Direct and manage external counsel and local counsel where specialist or jurisdiction-specific advice is required, while retaining internal ownership of strategy and institutional knowledge.
- Prepare formal handover materials for embedded project lawyers, including negotiated risk allocation, key commitments, open issues, approvals, notice and change requirements, claims-sensitive provisions and lessons learned.
- Develop and maintain major project playbooks, standard risk positions, model clauses and lessons learned, and promote consistent positions across the portfolio.
- Provide surge support, continuity and redundancy across domestic and international pursuits as part of a collaborative pooled team.

About you

- License to practice law in a Canadian jurisdiction and membership in good standing with the applicable law society.
- 7 or more years of relevant legal experience gained in a leading law firm, sophisticated in-house environment, or a combination of both.
- Substantial experience supporting major infrastructure, nuclear, energy, transportation, construction or industrial projects.
- Strong construction law and complex commercial contracting experience, including demonstrated exposure to EPC, EPCM, alliance, integrated, hybrid or collaborative delivery models.
- Demonstrated experience leading complex, high-value negotia

📌 Senior Counsel, Nuclear (Canada)
🏢 AtkinsRéalis Group
📍 Canada