The University of Windsor is a globally relevant, regionally focused University that welcomes over 16,000 students in a range of comprehensive and research-intensive undergraduate and graduate programs. The University of Windsor is located next to North America’s busiest international border crossing and looks out on one of Canada’s most beautiful waterfronts on the Detroit River.

The University of Windsor is seeking a seasoned, forward-thinking, and dynamic lawyer to join its Executive Leadership Team as University Counsel & Chief Legal Officer. Reporting to the President and Vice-Chancellor and as a member of the Executive Leadership Team, the University Counsel & Chief Legal Officer acts as the principal legal officer to the University and works closely with senior leaders, the Board of Governors, Senate, and internal and external stakeholders to provide leadership and support in all matters with legal implications for the University. The University Counsel & Chief Legal Officer will lead the University's legal strategy to ensure coordinated and informed legal support to advance the strategic mission of the institution and the University’s goal of enhancing fairness, equity, and inclusion in the enactment of that mission.

The University Counsel & Chief Legal Officer works collaboratively across the University in supporting and advising internal University stakeholders on a wide range of legal matters, ensuring compliance with University policies and areas of the law that impact the University’s operations. This broad scope of responsibility includes matters related to employment and labour relations; human rights; student affairs and policies; university governance; equity, diversity, and inclusion; access to information and protection of privacy; contracts and commercial matters; construction and renovation; real estate; intellectual property; and more. The University Counsel & Chief Legal Officer directly manages a small legal team, as well as the University’s relationships with external law firms, to ensure consistent, informed, effective, and efficient legal support in order to further the University’s academic mission and institutional sustainability.

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 10 years of broad legal experience with a strong background in labour law, labour relations, human resources, and human rights matters. Exposure to relevant areas such as administrative law, corporate/commercial law, litigation, charities, real estate, and regulatory law is important. The ideal candidate will possess deep knowledge of equity and anti-oppression, together with evidence of sustained and active commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion as well as Truth and Reconciliation. Prior experience in the field of post-secondary education is an asset, but not required. The successful candidate will have demonstrated leadership skills and a proven history of advising on strategic planning and risk management for a large organization with multiple constituencies. This is an exciting opportunity to work with a collaborative team in a role that requires legal expertise, broad community-minded thinking, and excellent judgment.

For more information on this outstanding opportunity or to submit your application in confidence, please contact executive search partner Four Corners Group:

Sup Das, Principal, 416-593-0900 x2285, sdas@fourcornersgroup.com

The University of Windsor acknowledges that our campus sits on the traditional territory of the Three Fires Confederacy of First Nations, which includes the Ojibwa, the Odawa, and the Potawatomi. The University of Windsor is an equal opportunity employer committed to developing a staff team that reflects the diversity of the communities it serves. The University of Windsor and Four Corners Group encourage applications from individuals from underrepresented groups, who may contribute to further diversification of our community. We are committed to accommodating applicants with disabilities throughout the hiring process, in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

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