Legal Counsel and Manager, Contracts and Governance

Full-time (1.0 FTE, 37.5 hours per week), permanent

Salary: $74.36 - $80.00 per hour, will be commensurate with skills and experience

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer & Director, Research Operations

The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute Inc. ("CHEO RI") is the research arm of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario – Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre ("CHEO") and an affiliated research institute of the University of Ottawa.

We respectfully acknowledge that CHEO RI is located on the unceded, traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabek People, who have lived on and cared for this land since time immemorial.

We honour their enduring presence and the ways their culture and stewardship have shaped and continue to nurture this land.

CHEO RI also recognizes and values the historic and ongoing contributions of all First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.

CHEO is a deeply trusted institution and workplace, widely regarded as a cornerstone of our community.

CHEO RI advances this legacy by generating new knowledge and evidence to support CHEO in delivering world‑class care to children and youth.

Our mission is to connect exceptional talent and innovative technologies to pursue life‑changing research for every child, youth, and family in our community and beyond.

The CHEO Research Institute (CHEO RI) has an immediate requirement for a Legal Counsel and Manager, Contracts and Governance.

The CHEO Research Institute is seeking an experienced and strategic Legal Counsel to provide expert legal advice and leadership across a broad portfolio of health research, pharmaceutical, intellectual property, employment, governance, and commercial matters.





This position will serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, researchers, clinicians, operational leaders, and external partners, supporting the Institute's mission to advance innovative child health research while ensuring legal compliance, effective risk management, and strong governance practices.

The successful candidate will serve as primary legal counsel to the CHEO Research Institute, providing strategic, practical, and risk-based legal advice to executive leadership, researchers, administrators, and operational teams.

In partnership with the Research Institute’s operational management team, advise on a broad range of legal matters, including health research, corporate, commercial, not-for-profit, regulatory, employment and labour, intellectual property commercialization, privacy, governance, and strategic partnership matters.

Provide legal leadership in the negotiation, drafting, and management of complex health research agreements, while supporting collaborations with industry, government, academic institutions, and funding agencies.

The successful candidate will balance legal risk with organizational objectives, ensuring compliance and enabling innovation within a complex and highly regulated health research setting.

- Draft, review, negotiate, and interpret a wide range of agreements, including clinical trial agreements, sponsored research agreements,



confidentiality agreements, data and material transfer agreements, funding and grant agreements, licensing agreements, commercialization agreements, service agreements, and other strategic partnership contracts.
- Identify legal risks and opportunities and develop mitigation strategies that align with organizational objectives, regulatory requirements, and risk tolerance.
- Monitor and interpret legislative and regulatory developments affecting health research and provide recommendations regarding organizational impact and compliance requirements.
- Conduct legal reviews and risk assessments related to emerging technologies, innovative research programs, and strategic organizational projects.
- Develop, review, and implement legal, governance, risk management, and compliance policies, procedures, frameworks, and best practices.
- Support corporate governance activities, including Board and committee processes, governance documentation, policy oversight, corporate records management, and regulatory compliance obligations.
- Build and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, and act as a trusted advisor capable of influencing decision-making at the executive and Board levels.
- Provide education, guidance, and training to stakeholders.
- Lead, mentor, and develop a small but mighty team of contracts and governance professionals, each with their own portfolio of clients, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, service excellence, and continuous improvement.
- Coordinate and manage external legal counsel where specialized expertise is required.
- Collaborate with other Team CHEO legal and privacy prof

📌 Legal Counsel and Manager, Contracts and Governance | Permanent Full Time (Ottawa)
🏢 Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario
📍 Ottawa