Leader, Legal Strategy and Operations

Interac Corp. • Toronto, ON

60d • $115,000 - $125,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Who We Are: Every transaction matters. Every Canadian matters. At Interac, we protect both — driving trust, security, and inclusion, so our digital economy thrives. Founded in 1984, Interac connects Canadians through secure digital payments, advanced identity verification and industry-leading fraud protection. Connecting banks, businesses, and individuals, Interac enables millions to send, receive, and manage money safely and effortlessly every day — across both digital and physical environments. As the backbone of Canada’s financial ecosystem, Interac facilitates over 20 million transactions daily, supported by trusted partnerships with government and financial institutions. Consistently ranked as Canada’s most reputable financial technology brand, Interac is deeply embedded in the daily lives of Canadians. Who You Will Work With: The vacant Leader, Legal Strategy and Operations role will report to the Head, Deputy General Counsel and will work collaboratively with a close-knit team of sharp, solution-oriented lawyers, auditors and compliance professionals to oversee and advance departmental operations. You will oversee the strategic execution of the legal, internal audit and compliance team’s operations at Canada’s domestic debit card network, all the while gaining exposure to dynamic areas of legal, internal audit and compliance within the financial services and FinTech environment. This role combines legal operations expertise with strong people leadership to ensure alignment with organizational goals and continuous team development. You will have the ability to shape key operational improvement initiatives that enable the business and will be responsible for designing processes and systems to ensure efficient performance of the team. We are looking for a self-motivated, innovative, and responsible team player and leader, with demonstrated maturity, sound judgement and professionalism who can lead strategic and operational planning processes for the team, including a 3-year strategy, annual business planning, objective setting and tracking, and a team technology strategy. In addition, the Leader will provide strategic guidance and support to the leadership team and play a central role in managing the day-to-day operations of the LCR team, including financial management, technology management and strategy, LCR vendor management, knowledge management, business and operational planning. The Legal Strategy and Operations Leader will be a leader, facilitator and enabler of key projects, communications, reports and other activities that support the mandate of the LCR team. Interac requires someone with exceptional organizational and interpersonal skills.

Requirements

• You have an undergraduate degree and a minimum 7 years’ related experience in legal operations
• You have knowledge and understanding of departmental operations and related competencies (financial, human resource management, business development, records management, technology, information governance, vendor management, data analytics, and knowledge management)
• You have experience in strategic planning, design, and facilitation
• Proven leader with strong people management experience
• You are a process-oriented self-starter with a continuous improvement mindset who stays informed on best practices in operational management and technology developments
• You are results-oriented with demonstrated abilities in operational excellence and working both independently and collaboratively to move projects forward
• You have excellent verbal and written communication skills, including presentation and training/education skills
• You are a highly collaborative, relationship-builder with strong interpersonal skills with the ability to develop trust and confidence, work effectively and collaborative with individuals across multiple functions and levels
• You can comfortably manage and prioritize workloads in a fast-paced environment that is continuously evolving
• You have strong organizational and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment
• You are meticulous, diligent, and attentive to details with the ability to produce high quality work under pressure
• You are technologically savvy with the ability to leverage technological tools to enhance process efficiency and build reports as necessary, proficient with Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Power Point, Excel, Power BI, MS Teams)
• You can independently manage competing priorities with sensitivity to internal stakeholders and deadlines
• You have demonstrated maturity, sound judgement and discretion and an ability to maintain the confidentiality of sensitive material and information
• You have a proven ability to solve problems independently and a willingness to tackle new challenges and upgrade skills when required
• You have strong meeting/event planning skills and an ability to lead virtual and in-person meetings

Nice To Haves

• Preferably, you have experience in business management, project management, change management and process development
• Preferably, you have knowledge and understanding of the legal industry and corporate legal departments systems, processes, procedures and best practices

Responsibilities

• Develop the team’s strategy and annual work plans to formalize the build out of the operational function in the team and ensuring achievement of milestones and objectives
• Partner with IT and Vendor Management teams to develop and achieve a technology strategy and successfully implementing and managing technology solutions, including document management, contract lifecycle management, various tools, applications, licenses and subscriptions
• Support the leadership team in developing and maintaining a talent strategy, including recruitment, retention, on-boarding/off-boarding, new hire training, resource allocation employee engagement and organizing team-building events and meetings
• Ensure both the team’s and organization’s EDI goals are built into talent sourcing and pipeline strategies
• Drive and support team operational excellence, conduct research and provide education to the leadership team on best practices to improve overall operational effectiveness
• Optimize operational effectiveness by identifying opportunities for greater efficiency and implementing practices, tools and technology to improve workflows and processes
• Lead strategic and operational planning processes for the team, including annual business planning, objective-setting and developing the team’s technology strategy
• Create data and metrics to enhance reporting capabilities that demonstrate value, measure progress and provide insights into opportunities for improved effectiveness, and better-informed decision-making
• Oversee project planning to ensure successful implementation of team-sponsored projects through effective management of stakeholders, timelines, budgets and resources
• Successfully collaborate and align with business partners on cross-functional initiatives and provide required team responses on organization-wide initiatives such as cost reporting, business continuity planning and coordination of responses to internal and external auditing requests.
• Design and implement processes and procedures to improve workflow management, create efficiencies and advance departmental strategies
• Facilitate training and enablement sessions for team members to ensure effective adoption of new technology and processes
• Develop the legal team’s external counsel program and manage and maintain successful team vendor relationships
• Develop team knowledge management practices and facilitate organization-wide training on legal topics and/or legal processes and procedures
• Oversee team information and data governance and record management practices including any litigation hold practices
• Ensure a consistent and efficient approach to the delivery of legal, compliance and audit services across the organization and making recommendations to the leadership team on continuous improvement opportunities
• Craft clear, concise, articulate and timely communications and materials (including presentation decks) with an appropriate level of detail
• Maintain visibility into team performance, engagement, and workload
• Effectively delegate tasks across the team
• Conduct one-on-one meetings and team check-ins to foster open communication
• Identify skill gaps, coordinate training, and support career progression
• Keep a pulse on individual career aspirations and integrate them into development plans
• Lead performance reviews, provide feedback, and ensure transparent evaluation processes
• Address and escalate challenges impacting team well-being or delivery
• Review proposed OKRs, lead annual planning sessions, and align team goals with organizational priorities

Benefits

• Generous vacation and wellness days to help you recharge
• Comprehensive employer-paid benefits coverage for peace of mind
• Market-leading employer-funded RRSP program to invest in your future
• Flexible hybrid work model for better work-life balance
• Access to a free and confidential 24/7 employee & family assistance program to offer support for you and your immediate family
• Pregnancy and parental leave top-up to support growing families
• Charitable donation matching with United Way to amplify your impact

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level