Manager, Learning & Development

McCarthy Tétrault LLP • Toronto, ON

12d • CA$95,000 - CA$105,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

McCarthy Tétrault is a leading Canadian law firm seeking a Manager, Learning and Development to join their team in Toronto, Vancouver, or Montreal. This role involves designing and delivering innovative lawyer development programs, leading AI-enabled learning initiatives, collaborating with firm leaders and subject matter experts, and evaluating program effectiveness. The firm is recognized for its commitment to excellence, collaboration, inclusion, and innovation, as outlined in 'The McCarthy Way'. Employees benefit from a hybrid work environment. This position is to fill an existing vacancy.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in the design, development, and delivery of professional education programs.
• Ideally, experience within a legal or professional services environment.
• LLB or a Bachelor’s degree combined with 5 years’ experience in the development and delivery of educational programs.
• Experience in legal practice or in working with lawyers in a non-practice environment.
• Substantial experience in designing, delivering, and managing Professional Development programs for legal professionals (lawyers and/or paralegals).
• Proven working experience in instructional design and with instructional technology, including knowledge of adult learning theories and design models, lesson and curriculum planning, solid knowledge of course development software, visual design skills, and ability to write instructional text, audio scripts/video scripts.
• Proficiency in relevant instructional design technology.
• Significant flexibility, including flexible lunch hours, arrival and departure times, as well as some evening work during heavy workload periods.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and comfortable speaking to groups of students and lawyers at programs or meetings.
• Strong interpersonal skills and comfortable working with lawyers, clients, and staff individually and in teams.
• High level of service orientation with the ability to problem-solve independently and practically.
• Self-starter who takes initiative with exceptional organizational and time management skills, and who works efficiently with minimum supervision.
• Ability to maintain a fast pace and manage multiple demands under pressure by prioritizing, being practical, and results-oriented.
• Strong attention to accuracy and detail along with a numeric aptitude.

Nice To Haves

• Law firm or other professional services firm experience preferred.
• Certificate or course in instructional design is an asset.
• Bilingual in French language an asset.

Responsibilities

• Designing, developing, and continuously improving national lawyer education programs including student, associate, income partner, and equity partner programs, as well as targeted, experiential retreats.
• Designing, developing, overseeing effective delivery of, and continuously improving national Leadership and Business Development programs for lawyers at all career stages.
• Leading the design and development of associate retreats for targeted lawyer groups, establishing learning objectives, curriculum, and experiential agenda, and curating faculty and content.
• Overseeing the effective delivery of retreats, providing direction to faculty and facilitators, and ensuring a high-quality participant experience.
• Overseeing end-to-end operationalization of retreats, including partnering with internal stakeholders and vendors on logistics, budget, venue, and execution.
• Evaluating each retreat against defined outcomes to inform continuous improvement.
• Contributing expertise and leadership to ensure the curriculum remains progressive, market-leading, and aligned with the firm’s Professional Journey framework.
• Collaborating on the learning objectives and design of Legal Knowledge and Practice Skills programming across practice areas.
• Ensuring programs are outcomes-driven, aligned with defined competencies and learning objectives, and reflect best practices in adult learning and professional education.
• Designing and developing training solutions using a variety of delivery methods and formats, including in-person, virtual, blended learning, simulations, assessments, and on-demand tools.
• Partnering with the MT Academy Director, internal leaders, and external experts to identify priorities, curate content, and select high-quality faculty.
• Leading program scoping and planning discussions with stakeholders and speakers, developing program outlines, learning objectives, and materials.
• Providing direction and coaching to faculty on content development, delivery approach, and alignment with program objectives.
• Leading needs assessments to identify performance gaps and emerging capability requirements across the lawyer population.
• Identifying critical human skills impacted by the increasing use of AI in legal practice and supporting the design and development of learning solutions.
• Developing and implementing evaluation frameworks and metrics to measure program effectiveness and impact against defined learning objectives.
• Maintaining deep knowledge of trends in legal education, instructional design, facilitation, and e-learning.
• Bringing forward new ideas and approaches to ensure MT Academy programming remains innovative, competitive, and aligned with leading practices.
• Supporting and advancing AI-enabled learning initiatives across MT Academy programs by integrating Client Service Delivery (CSD) workflows and tools into curriculum design.
• Collaborating closely with the Client Service Delivery (CSD) and MT Academy to incorporate AI-enabled workflows into lawyer training.
• Translating CSD-developed workflows into effective learning experiences, embedding them into program design through practical, scenario-based, and experiential learning approaches.
• Designing and integrating AI-enhanced learning experiences that reinforce workflow adoption while maintaining a strong focus on learning objectives and skill development.
• Identifying opportunities to incorporate AI tools into instructional design, facilitation, and learner engagement.
• Contributing to the development and delivery of external strategic AI learning initiatives, including supporting partnerships with law schools and early talent pipelines.
• Supporting work with internal and external stakeholders to incorporate real-world workflows and client scenarios into training content.
• Managing the day-to-day functional activities of the MT Academy Coordinator, including assigning and supervising work.

Benefits

• Outstanding benefits from day one, including insurance premiums paid by the Firm.
• Wellness and technology reimbursements.
• Competitive compensation.
• Generous time off, including a day off to volunteer and a day off for your birthday.
• A commitment to professional development and growth opportunities for our people at all levels.
• A culture that fully embraces and encourages two-way feedback.
• Strong community involvement.
• A commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• A collaborative, cohesive culture that connects lawyers and business teams through collective purpose.

What This Job Offers

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