At Doctors of BC our vision is to promote a social, economic, and political climate in which members can provide the citizens of BC with the highest standard of health care, while achieving maximum professional satisfaction and fair economic reward.
Together, we make a difference so our doctors can make theirs. Join us today!
The Job: Associate General Counsel
The Associate General Counsel is a crucial leadership and hands-on role within the Legal and Governance Division, directly reporting to the General Counsel and responsible for guiding the organization through legal complexities and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations. The Associate General Counsel role performs a broad range of corporate legal work, with a particular focus on contract law, procurement, privacy, and employment law. With at least 10 years of relevant legal experience, the ideal candidate will be part of a team in developing legal frameworks and policies, managing risks, and fostering a culture of service excellence and ethical integrity. This role requires exceptional analytical, negotiation, and communication skills, coupled with a commitment to continuous learning.
Key Duties & Responsibilities:
Strategic Legal Leadership and Team Management:
- Guide the organization through complex legal challenges, aligning with strategic objectives.
- Develop and implement legal frameworks, policies, and practices to support a growing organization and new in-house legal team.
- Promote professional development and a proactive professional culture through education and training.
- Manage external legal counsel as required, with a willingness to manage in-house legal professionals as the team grows over time.
Comprehensive Legal and Regulatory Oversight:
- Provide accurate and practical advice on a wide range of corporate transactions, regulatory compliance, risk management, and governance issues.
- Monitor legislation and regulations, advising on impact and compliance.
- Help develop and oversee a compliance program tailored to the organization’s requirements.
- Support the Privacy Officer to ensure compliance with data privacy and security laws, and manage data breaches.
Expertise in Contract Law:
- Negotiate, draft and review complex and varied contracts to protect the organization's interests.
- Manage the entire lifecycle of contracts and safeguard intellectual property rights.
External Engagement and Advocacy:
- Foster collaborative relationships with service partners, rights holders and interested parties in daily operations and when negotiating agreements.
- Provide legal support to various operational teams across the organization, including those engaged in advocacy and public affairs, negotiations, communications and supporting our collaborative relationships with government.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
Leading Through People (E):
- Demonstrates and promotes effective conflict resolution practices, helping others to resolve complex or sensitive disagreements and conflicts, fostering cooperation and a collaborative team mentality.
- Supports team members in learning from each other, being self-directed, and being responsible for their own assessment and learning.
- Mentors and develops critical talent for the future.
- Creates a developmental environment through defining realistic yet challenging work goals with each team member and providing honest performance feedback.
- Is a role model for how to create a diverse and inclusive environment that brings together different ideas, experiences, skills and knowledge.
Leading With Drive (E):
- Understands and conveys organizational vision in an analytical and forthright manner.
- Successfully encourages team to challenge tradition and the status quo to constantly find new ways to raise the level of excellence.
- Fosters an environment of constant self-improvement by facilitating open discussions about personal and team strengths and weaknesses.
Leading to Deliver (E):
- Delegates effectively and has successfully fostered personal responsibility within the team.
- Recommends and advocates for necessary process enhancements, assessing both internal and external implications and providing detailed reasoning.
- Effectively facilitates a team that maintains the flexibility necessary for success while ensuring processes and decisions are based on analysis of all relevant data available.
- Promotes an aligned perspective of the organization and the broader community; fosters and leverages a strategic view to address complex business issues.
Leading Through Vision (E):
- Effectively creates the climate of continuous transformation necessary to keep the organization agile and best able to provide excellence in service.
- Develops a team that speaks openly about personal and team strengths and weaknesses, and analyses past successes and failures to better predict and prepare for future obstacles.
- Proficient in analyzing the environment and leveraging strengths appropriately in response to the identified trends.
- Reviews, sponsors, and approves recommendations for organizational-wide change programs that impact cross-functional key processes.
- Recommends changes that impact strategic business direction, leading the planning and spearheading the implementation of change programs that impact critical functions/processes.
Trusted Advisor (E):
- Uses extensive knowledge of the organization and the health care environment to develop successful strategies consistent with organizational vision and objectives, continuously identifying and considering emerging trends, opportunities, and risks to maintain a broad, strategic perspective and recommend proactive measures in the best interest of Members and the overall association’s strategic plan.
- Displays both strategic and technical expertise, engaging in fact-based decision making for long term strategic success, analyzing project inputs from various elements (e.g., budgetary, technical, compliance, policy) and the wider business and political implications of decisions to correctly prioritize issues and solutions to ensure the delivery of results in accordance with the strategic plan, departmental work plan and mandate.
- Has an established reputation both internally and externally as a subject matter expert in the field.
- Successfully advises peer groups and/or the CEO on how to interpret the current environment and assess for likely future scenarios, proactively redirecting the activities of the organization and team in the direction of new goals and/or priorities.
- Able to objectively and confidently advocate for decisions and outcomes that are in the best interest of the members of the association regardless of potentially intimidating or emotionally charged circumstances and provide the best policy options available based upon technical expertise and an impartial review of the best interests of all Members and the declared objectives of the Association.
- Is a credible and technically aware expert that provides the highest quality of advice on all relevant dimensions of any issue, inclusive of economic, social or administrative considerations.
- Advice must challenge, guide and clarify, and generate new possibilities for improving the professional satisfaction of Members.
Doctors of BC Team Member:
Approaches work with a collaborative spirit recognizing we are better together. Embraces change, provides excellence in service and is accountable for their results and helping others achieve theirs. Does the right thing, not the easy thing. Speaks openly and honestly to tackle tough challenges and enrich relationships. Balances hard work with fun and is genuinely friendly and committed to other’s wellbeing.
What You Bring
- A Law Degree (JD or equivalent) with active membership in good standing (or immediate eligibility for membership) with the Law Society of British Columbia.
- A minimum of 10 years of relevant legal experience, particularly in non-profit, healthcare, government, or Crown corporation environments.
- Proven people leadership and team development skills within a legal setting, such as law firm administration or in-house legal department management roles.
- A proactive stance on identifying and mitigating legal risks through strategic thinking.
- Exceptional abilities in analysis, negotiation, and problem-solving, capable of addressing complex legal issues and formulating strategic, practical legal advice.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills for effectively conveying complex legal concepts to varied audiences.
- The ability to excel both independently and as a collaborative team member, with a positive, 'can-do' approach to challenges.
- A commitment to ongoing learning and staying current with legal and industry changes.
- High integrity, professionalism, and a dedication to ethical practice.
- Knowledge of Indigenous Cultural Safety, anti-racism principles, and understanding of the issues facing Indigenous communities.
- Excellent organizational skills and experience managing a diverse legal file load with minimal administrative support.
Doctors of BC thanks all applicants; however, only those selected for an interview will be notified.
Doctors of BC celebrates diversity, challenges inequality and is committed to sustaining an inclusive and diverse community. We do not discriminate against any applicant regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, political beliefs and affiliations, family circumstances or other irrelevant distinction.