Senior Legal Counsel, Major Projects

Are you ambitious and looking to make the right move in your career?  Now is the perfect time to join Egis.  Egis is experiencing substantial growth in North America, highlighted by our recent acquisition of McIntosh Perry—now made up of over 1,000 engineers, architects and planners across Canada and the USA. This strategic move underscores our commitment to investing in North America, propelling our expansion to new heights. 

Our values showcase everything we believe in:

A Responsible Company - We care about people, and we care about our impact; acting responsibly wherever we work and whatever we do.  

A People-First Company - This is an environment of mutual respect where every team member matters, no matter who they are. 

A Creative Company - Creativity is in our DNA. This is the fuel that helps us tackle the major challenges of our time.  

The more important question you likely have is: Are we the right company for you? 

Joining Egis is an opportunity to make a valuable, positive impact on the world, while growing and developing as a person. Our culture is very collaborative, and we care about people and our impact.  We take great pride in being responsible for our clients, for each other and for our planet and its people. You’ll work and innovate in an environment where high standards and personal consideration go hand-in-hand.

Learn more about the exciting opportunity below where you’ll be part of projects renowned for technical excellence, ambition and sustainability.

About the Role

As the Senior Legal Counsel, Major Projects, your role will focus on supporting the Head of Legal in Canada with major projects throughout the complete project life cycle. You will provide advice and guidance on various legal matters for all Egis Business Lines in Canada.

You will navigate complex legal landscapes and provide strategic legal support to major engineering and construction projects, while also offering general support on other legal matters in Canada and on as needed basis in the US.

The ideal candidate will be bilingual in French and English to support the operations in Quebec and can be based in either Toronto, Ottawa or Montreal.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

As a member of the Group’s Legal, Ethics & Compliance (LE&CD) team, you will work in collaboration with the team based in France as well as other in-house Business legal counsel in other regions, ensuring adherence to centralized practices of the department (corporate, IP, insurance, Ethics & Compliance, etc.).

Your duties will include, but are not limited to: 

• Under the direction of the Head of Legal in Canada, serving as point of contact for legal matters related to major projects, as assigned.
• Providing expert legal advice on different types of project delivery modes, including standard design-build and alternative delivery approaches.
• Leading the legal review and negotiation of consortium agreements, customer contracts, subcontracts, and other ancillary agreements.
• Ensuring that all agreements align with the company's legal and business objectives.
• Implementing and monitoring ethics and compliance requirements for major projects, in line with the group Ethics and Compliance requirements.
• Ensuring adherence to legal standards and internal policies, promoting a culture of integrity and ethical behavior.
• Collaborating with project managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to ensure legal aspects are integrated into project planning and execution.
• Resolving legal disputes and issues that may arise during project execution.
• Exercising a high degree of autonomy in making legal decisions and recommendations.
• Working independently to solve complex legal challenges and provide strategic legal guidance.
• Taking initiative in identifying potential legal risks and proactively addressing them.
• Preparing and presenting legal reports and updates to senior management and project teams.
• Providing day-to-day legal support to operations and functions, providing solution-oriented advice, recommendations, support, and training on legal issues and regulatory risks.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Providing support in corporate entity housekeeping, including changes of D&O, approval of annual financial statements, and maintenance of operational licenses.
• Under the direction of the Head of Legal in Canada, you will play an active role in contributing to the design, implementation and follow up of Group Legal E&C Department processes, developing and sharing best practices and procedures in Canada in coordinating with the other members of the Regional team.
• Supporting the M&A process under the lead of the M&A central team and actively participating in the integration of new acquired entities in Canada.

• J.D. or LL.B with a minimum of 10 years post-qualification experience as an in-house counsel in an international environment and preferable within the consulting engineering or construction space; 
• Bilingual in French and English;
• Must have previous experience in alternative delivery projects such as Progressive Design Build and Alliance Contracts;
• Ability to identify and manage risks associated with high-value engineering and construction projects;
• Demonstrated knowledge of international contracts such as FIDIC;
• Extensive experience negotiating and drafting complex multi party agreements in the engineering and construction space;
• Demonstrated experience in commercial law, corporate law and regulatory or administrative law in Canada;
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills;
• Ability to collaborate with colleagues and business stakeholders and coordinating with cross-functional and cross-country teams on complex transactions;
• Ability to work independently, strategically and with sound judgement;
• Hands-on business partner, professional, high integrity and capacity to challenge the status quo while striving for excellence and quality;
• Excellent organizational and critical thinking skills with the ability to manage multiple and competing projects under tight deadlines and fast paced environment;
• Stakeholder management combined with experience working with different cultures and champions DEI.

Egis Canada is an equal opportunities employer offering a competitive salary and benefits to those with the skills suited to the needs of our clients.

We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

This role is eligible for a referral bonus in line with the Referral Program.  If you have been referred, please provide the name of the employee who has referred you at the time of your application.

At Egis, we embrace innovation to tackle challenges and utilize AI in our recruitment process under stringent ethics and compliance policies and in alignment with our values of being a Responsible Company, a People First Company and a Creative Company. Committed to diversity, growth and collaboration, we may leverage AI to support the recruitment process.