LAA-26-20 - Governance & Corporate Counsel Facilitator

Legal Aid Alberta•Edmonton, AB

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

Legal Aid Alberta is seeking to fill a Full time, Governance & Corporate Counsel Facilitator in our Edmonton or Calgary office. This position will appeal to an individual that likes to take initiative, is client focused and is exceptionally strong in delivering high-quality results. As a publicly funded, non-profit organization, Legal Aid Alberta provides affordable legal services in family law, domestic violence, child welfare, immigration, and youth and adult criminal defense. We are Alberta-wide, with 300 staff and 1,200 private practice lawyers helping people overcome their legal challenges in more than 75 communities across the province. Working at Legal Aid Alberta means you care about people and empathize with their situation. You have excellent communication skills especially in tough situations. You’re computer-savvy and more organized than anyone you know. Fast-paced work environments give you a rush and you’re always up for a challenge. You love learning new things, solving problems, and can adapt to change quickly. You care deeply about the success of our team and our organization. Reporting jointly to the Director, Governance & Partnerships and Corporate Counsel & Privacy Officer. The Governance & Corporate Counsel Facilitator supports the effective delivery of governance, legal, and privacy functions across the organization. This role provides critical administrative, operational, and research support with a strong emphasis on confidentiality, accuracy, and compliance. The Facilitator plays a key role in supporting board and committee operations, managing sensitive labour relations and legal information, assisting with privacy compliance initiatives, and contributing to the development and implementation of corporate governance and policy frameworks. This position requires sound judgment, high attention to detail, exceptional organizational skills, and the ability to navigate complex and sensitive matters in a dynamic legal and non profit environment. This role will provide timely support for the Director, Governance & Partnerships and Privacy Officer whilst suggesting sound internal recommendations on policies and related content.

Requirements

Minimum of 5 years related progressive experience.
Minimum of three (3) years of directly related experience in corporate sector policy development, governance, legal, or HR functions.
Demonstrated experience handling confidential information related to labour relations, legal matters, and executive operations is required.
A combination of education and experience may be considered.
Post-secondary education in law, public administration, business administration, or a related field is required.
Working knowledge of current labour relations, privacy legislation (i.e. PIPA), and board governance frameworks and best practices.
Understanding of Employment Legislation, Human Rights Legislation, Employment Standards and regulations.
Advanced computer literacy in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and video-conferencing software.
Proven ability to manage highly confidential and sensitive information with discretion.
Excellent interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to express ideas and recommendations clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing, in a manner appropriate to the audience.
Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to draft formal documentation and summarize complex material.
Excellent organizational and time management skills with the ability to handle multiple assignments and changing priorities effectively and efficiently with minimal supervision under tight deadlines.
Advanced research, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Proficient with technology and quick to adapt to new systems.
Strategic thinker with the ability to solve complex issues and assess long-term impacts.
Consistently exercise sound judgment with a strong commitment to ethics, discretion, privacy, and confidentiality.
Strong initiative and action-oriented with a sense of urgency to get things completed.
Strong research and analytical skills
Demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement
Successful candidate will be required to provide an acceptable criminal record check and social media screening.

Nice To Haves

Legal background or training is preferred.
A paralegal/legal assistant diploma or HR diploma is considered an asset.

Responsibilities

Prepare Board and Committee meeting materials, including agendas, briefing notes, minutes, and follow-up documentation.
Maintain accurate and confidential records for Board and Committee activities in accordance with legal and policy requirements.
Support the Director in the maintenance, review, and update of Board manuals, policies, and governance frameworks.
Make recommendations to improve the effects of policies.
Research and determine the benefits and drawbacks of existing policies, as well as the need for future or additional policies, including the rationale for proposed changes.
Support the forward planning and agenda creation for the Board of Directors and Board Committee
Facilitate the development of reports and presentations related to the Board of Directors.
Assist Corporate Counsel in managing labour relations strategy, collective bargaining negotiations, and management of grievances and related litigation.
Handle confidential labour relations and employment documents and files with utmost discretion and confidentiality, including highly sensitive information related to grievances, negotiations, and budgetary/financial data.
Assist in the drafting of collective agreement article language during the collective agreement bargaining process for review by the bargaining committee.
Access to privileged Corporate Counsel emails, including those containing collective bargaining negotiation information, employee discipline decisions, and union grievance responses.
Track important labour relations data, including grievances, statuses, and settlement amounts.
Coordinate meetings with external counsel, take meeting minutes for negotiation preparation meetings, and assist with prompt payment of legal bills (including redacting sensitive/privileged information).
Prepare reports and presentations for the Senior Leadership, Executive, or Board of Directors, which may include budgetary information, status of negotiations or grievances, proposed settlement amounts, and/or legal advice from Corporate Counsel to management.
Support Corporate Counsel in privacy compliance efforts including documentation, policy updates, and monitoring activities to ensure adherence to PIPA and other privacy legislation.
Assist with privacy compliance policy updates, and monitoring activities to ensure adherence to PIPA and other privacy legislation.
Independently research and track legal and policy developments impacting LAA’s operations and labour relations.
Responsible for drafting and reviewing internal compliance-related communications and guidance documentation.
Conduct research to facilitate policy formulation, including comparative jurisdictional analyses and review of legal and governance best practices.
Assist in the drafting, revision, and implementation of internal governance and privacy policies in collaboration with relevant departments.
Prepare summary reports and briefing materials to support executive and Board decision-making.
Responsible for calendar management via the board portal, as well as drafting and sending correspondence related to meetings for the Director and Corporate Counsel as required.
Effectively coordinate logistics for governance events, training sessions, and strategic partnership meetings.
Monitor deadlines and deliverables, ensuring timely and accurate completion of assigned tasks.
Provide proactive and accurate administrative support to the Director and Corporate Counsel, including event planning, scheduling, documentation, presentation/meeting preparation and research.
Successfully carry out tasks as required by the organization, including ad-hoc projects or assignments with minimal supervision.