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General Counsel & Safeguarding Focal Point

Location:

Status:

Current, Full time, Permanent

B

The Position

Plan Canada is seeking a legal counsel that provides strategic, practical, and risk-based legal support across the organization’s operations, partnerships, and growth initiatives. This position reports to the General Counsel & Safeguarding Focal Point.

Plan Canada’s Legal Department partners closely with business unit leads across programs, marketing, philanthropy, communications, finance, IT, and Talent & Culture to advance Plan Canada’s mission while managing legal, regulatory, and reputational risk. The legal team provides a broad range of corporate services to the organization with a focus on corporate/commercial agreements, international program agreements, corporate governance, compliance, policy development, employment law, privacy, IT, intellectual property, and child protection and safeguarding matters.

This role supports both day-to-day operations and evolving strategic priorities, including diversification of funding modalities such as innovative finance initiatives, commercial contracts, and leveraging public-private partnerships. The legal counsel will also support Plan Canada’s position as a strategic connector and platform-level convenor, helping to structure relationships that align donors, institutional funders, private sector partners, and local implementing partners to deliver impact at scale.

What success looks like?

- Draft, review, and negotiate a range of corporate agreements including service agreements (e.g. technology, consultants, vendors, etc.), grant, sub-grant and international program agreements,



data sharing and data processing agreements, and sponsorship and corporate partnership contracts.
- Provide clear, practical, and risk-based legal advice related to contract interpretation and dispute risk, and legislative requirements including Canadian charity law and regulatory compliance (e.g., CRA requirements).
- Support development and implementation of diverse and innovative funding models such as results-based finance, commercial contracts linked to program delivery or impact, public-private partnerships, and blended funding approaches.
- Support cross-functional strategic initiatives by identifying legal risks, dependencies, and structuring considerations in enterprise-level projects (including new funding models and partnerships).
- Provide legal advice on employment and workplace matters, including employment agreements, workplace policies, accommodation, performance management, leaves, terminations, workplace investigations, and employment standards.
- Provide legal guidance on public-facing initiatives, including campaigns, advocacy, partnerships, and brand positioning.
- Work with the business unit leads to carry out reviews of applicable national and international policies and guidelines as part of Legal’s compliance function.




- Monitor and advise on legislative and regulatory developments impacting the organization such as those related to privacy, data protection, employment, tax, marketing and advertising, artificial intelligence, intellectual property, etc.
- Manage legal files independently from intake through execution.
- Contribute to policy development and updates.
- Assist with Board, Board Committee, and Executive Management meeting materials including briefing notes and presentations.
- Support corporate governance under the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act and internal bylaws.
- Contribute to continuous improvement of the legal processes and tools including maintaining contract templates and guidance documents to align with legislative/regulatory requirements and industry best practices.

As our ideal candidate you will have:

- Juris Doctor or LL.B. required as well as membership in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario.
- 3-5 years’ knowledge and experience in corporate law in Ontario gained in private practice, an in-house legal department, or a comparable environment.
- Experience with charitable / not-for-profit organizations and innovative funding models desired.
- Proficient in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a wide range of commercial agreements.
- Demonstrated ability to lead and manage several complex files, initiatives, and demands concurrently.
- Proficient in issue spotting and risk analysis in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills that reflect the information, opinions and observations understood and acted upon.
- Strong interpersonal, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Time management and or

📌 Legal Counsel (Canada)
🏢 Plan Canada International
📍 Canada