Director, Legal Services & City Solicitor

Location: Kingston, ON.

Kingston is a smart, growing, livable city in the heart of eastern Ontario where history and innovation thrive. With a population of over 136,000, Kingston’s stable and diversified economy includes global corporations, innovative start-ups and all levels of government. Kingstonians enjoy a high quality of life with access to world-class education and research institutions, advanced healthcare facilities, affordable living and vibrant entertainment and tourism activities.

The City is seeking its next Director, Legal Services & City Solicitor to serve as senior leader of its Legal Services Department.

Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer, the City Solicitor provides vision, leadership, and strategic direction to the City, overseeing the development and implementation of legal strategies that ensure governance and operational decisions and actions are informed by and compliant with the law. Playing a crucial role in integrating strategic planning, operational activities, and the interests and needs of stakeholders, the City Solicitor evaluates legal matters and risks that could affect the municipality while providing advice and service to City Council, the Corporation of the City of Kingston, staff as well as agencies, boards, municipal corporations and commissions.

As an ideal candidate, you are a member in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario with a university degree in law or related program and a minimum of seven years of recent and progressively responsible municipal law experience. The City will benefit from the combination of your knowledge of municipal policies, procedures, applicable legislation and regulations, relevant industry standards, by-laws and acts as well as your experience with the preparation and presentation of complex legal matters brought before courts and tribunals. You are adept at business and strategic planning, budgeting, and the implementation of plans and policies. A proven change agent who champions corporate initiatives, you are a highly respected people leader who enjoys coaching, motivating, and building strong teams. Consistently demonstrating strong judgment, tact, and diplomacy, you are an outstanding communicator, relationship builder and negotiator with a track record of success in building trust and credibility in a highly political environment with competing demands and priorities.

Find out how the City of Kingston values its employees who deliver superior service to those who live, work and play there. To apply for this position, please visit: boyden.thriveapp.ly/job/2443. For more information, please contact rrankin@boyden.com and state the title of the position in the subject line of your e-mail.

Kingston takes its core values of Trust, Respect, Integrity and Pride seriously and apply these standards to everything it does. Kingston fosters a working environment that reflects its community’s diversity and respects people’s dignity, ideas and beliefs. The City of Kingston views diversity as its strength and encourages people from all backgrounds, including but not limited to women, racialized groups, Indigenous peoples, Persons with Disabilities and persons who identify as members of 2SLGBTQ+ communities, to apply.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those under consideration for the role will be contacted.