Director, iA Auto Legal Services

The Director of iA Auto Legal Services reports to the Senior Director, Legal Services, Insurance (Canada) and will have functional links with the Vice Presidents, Senior Directors, and Directors for the iA Auto business sector. You will be part of the core Legal Services leadership team and will lead a team of legal professionals assigned to the iA Auto sector. You will be at the heart of the legal issues in this sector, and you will support the business partners of the sector on all legal aspects concerning them.   

The iA Auto sector is a key sector of activity within iA Financial Group including through several of its subsidiaries. This sector involves the following key business operations: (a) Dealers Services (b) iA Auto Finance (c) iA Home and Auto (d) Surex. As the person responsible for the delivery of legal services for this sector, you and your team will be a strategic partner in achieving its business objectives. You will have an overview of the legal needs of this business sector and ensure that objectives are proactively met. This will require you to maintain close relationships with the leadership and other business partners in this sector and understand their business objectives and strategies.

As a member of the legal management team, you will provide advice and thought leadership on the strategic goals and priorities of the Legal Services team as well as certain matters in which the Legal Services team is involved. This requires you to be able to lead legal strategy and support the Vice-President & CLO, the Senior Director, or other members of the Legal Services department generally as well as more specifically as it relates to the iA Auto sector.

As a strategic legal advisor to your business partners, to the Vice-President & CLO, and to the Senior Director, you will be expected to stay ahead of key legal developments and regulatory trends that impact the organization’s business strategies, its key stakeholders and the industry as a whole.

Your Day to Day

• Being the main point of contact for all the legal needs of the iA Auto sector.
• Ensuring your team is providing the legal services for this sector in a timely, proactive and business focused manner.
• Leading and/or providing support on strategic files with varying degrees of complexity and risk.
• Solving unique and complex problems that have a significant impact on the company.
• Proactively influencing, recommending and using business-orientated solutions while focusing on being client-centric.
• Working with or reporting to senior management on key legal files.
• Participating in the sector’s daily management leadership meetings
• Actively participating in key industry committees on various subjects to represent the company's position, work in collaboration with key market players and developing networking opportunities for you and for your team.
• Working closely with the sector’s Chief Risk & Compliance Officer and the Senior Director & Head of Government Affairs to provide legal support and strategic advice in this sector’s files. This can include positioning with regulators, assisting with the response to regulatory audits and reviews, as well as providing legal commentary and strategy in regard to new laws and regulatory consultations.
• Providing strategic analysis and solutions for senior management in relation to important legal and regulatory developments and trends.
• Planning, organizing, and managing team activities and priorities, and ensuring they are aligned with the goals and vision of the Legal Services team.
• Collaborating with other legal leaders to harmonize practices and ensure consistency in the delivery of legal services within the group.
• Collaborating with other legal leaders to ensure a positive employee experience by developing and supporting your team members in their development.
• Supporting your team in carrying out their legal mandates for the iA Auto team, such as
  • Drafting, reviewing or negotiating contracts entered into for this sector including policy contracts, agency contracts, distribution or marketing agreements and third-party administration agreements.
  • Participating in product and business development processes and implementation, such as the review or development of insurance and financial products and tools.
  • Producing legal and impact analyses with respect to legislative or regulatory changes as well as helping the sector’s business partners operationalize such changes.

What You Have

• Demonstrates strong business acumen, understands the realities and issues of the business sectors and can simplify complex legal issues.
• Propels success; takes courageous actions and achieves ambitious goals with their team; agility and resilience; leader in change.
• Collaborates with impact: teamwork, ability to influence, networking, good self-knowledge, authenticity and openness to feedback.
• Develops high-performing teams, deploys the vision, develops resources in action and shares responsibilities with the team; provides honest and timely feedback; promotes the career of team members (knowing their ambition, their strengths, their development opportunities).
• Bachelor of Laws and member in good standing of a provincial law society/bar in Canada.
• Minimum of 7+years of relevant legal experience,
• Knowledge of the insurance industry will be an asset.
• Excellent communication skills. Due to frequent interactions with English and French speaking partners across Canada, fluency in both languages will be an asset.