Director, Legal & Corporate Affairs

If you are looking to join one of Canada’s fastest growing companies, goeasy Ltd. is the place for you! Recognized as one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures, one of Canada’s Top 50 Fintech’s and one of North America’s Most Engaged Workplaces, we want the best and brightest to join our team.

We are a publicly traded company on the TSX with over 4000% shareholder return since 2001, goeasy operates two main business units. easyfinancial is our consumer lending business that offers secured and unsecured installment loans of up to $35,000 and easyhome is Canada’s largest merchandise lease-to-own company. It is our mission to provide everyday Canadians the chance for a better tomorrow, today by giving them access to the credit they need and by offering them a second chance when they have been turned down by banks and traditional lenders. With a retail network of nearly 400 locations across Canada and over 2000 employees, we are able to build lasting relationships with our customers as we help them rebuild their credit and graduate towards prime rates and a brighter financial future.

About the Opportunity

The Director, Legal & Corporate Affairs is responsible for providing the full spectrum of expert legal and corporate affairs advice and service, to all functional areas of goeasy. The incumbent will ensure that the organization is effectively and efficiently supported by timely counsel and direction, while providing added value to the operation of the business. They will also ensure that goeasy is well-positioned from a legal and regulatory standpoint where legislative, regulatory or other external factors could affect the business’ operations today or new initiatives and ventures in the future.

Responsibilities (not limited to):

• Identifying, addressing and managing the business’ legal and government relations needs in support of strategic objectives; providing support and triage of legal and government relations affairs to the SVP, Legal & Corporate Affairs
• Closely monitor government relations activity in every jurisdiction in which goeasy operates.
• Advise on complex legal matters and effectively tailor recommendations and solutions to meet business goals as outlined by the Senior Leadership Team and as applicable to a publicly traded company (TSX: GSY)
• Continue to implement the strategic government relation plan of the Company with the SVP, Legal & Corporate Affairs, including the implementation of government relations objectives based on the current need of the business
• Apprise the SVP, Legal & Corporate Affairs of issues, opportunities and threats related to legal and government relations items that arise
• Develop a strong and effective working relationship with all levels of the business in order to provide proper direction, influence and counsel with respect to all legal matters (for example: corporate, commercial, real estate, trademarks employment, litigation, etc.)
• Ownership and development of policies and procedures under the domain of or touching legal risk
• Contribute to a framework for contract management, including oversight for contract review and negotiations, and work with Legal & Corporate Affairs team to input into same.   Participating in the management/procurement of external legal counsel, when required, for specific business initiatives
• Provide support, advise and provide legal direction enabling execution in connection with applicable regulatory and governance requirements relating to merger and acquisition, partnership and sponsorship initiatives and proposals that may evolve through strategic planning or in the normal course of goeasy’s growing business model.
• Lead (or instruct external counsel, as required) on legal proceedings, as assigned, on behalf of or against the Company. Initiate legal action, as may be necessary or required, to safeguard the legitimate interests of the Company.
• Draft and review legal agreements with third party service providers and partners, ensuring that they are appropriately worded and protect goeasy’s interests and performance.
• Draft and present legal opinions covering a wide range of functional areas as required.
• Responsibility for contributing to the maintenance and administration of all corporate records and registrations, particularly in the context of a public company with operations and registrations in all provinces.
• Support drafting and review legal agreements with third part service providers and partners, ensuring that they are appropriate worded and protect goeasy’ s interests and performance.
• Provide practical and pragmatic legal opinions covering a wide range of functional areas as required
• Provide support with privacy matters, as required, by the SVP, Legal & Corporate Affairs

Qualifications: 

• 4-8 years of working experience, obtained at a law firm or in-house in a corporate legal department; a candidate with the best combination of in-house experience supporting financial services and/or a public company will be preferred;
• Experience supporting corporate finance functions with projects such as, but not limited to, financing, high debt yeild, securitization etc 
• Membership in good standing with the Law Society of Upper Canada, with demonstrated expertise in all relevant areas of the law
• A specialty and/or deep knowledge in corporate securities matters and corporate finance transactions is required.  Public company experience, particularly supporting TSX-traded companies, is highly preferred.
• Exhibits a strong entrepreneurial spirit and is not afraid to challenge the status quo and introduce opportunities/solutions and best practices that enhance the Company’s strategic objectives
• Projects a strong presence, with superior relationship building skills and proven success in connecting with different functional areas, partner groups, and member groups;
• Experience in government relations preferred; however, consideration will be given to those interested in growing their government relations skills with the Company
• An articulate communicator and presents well in front of all levels of management, large groups of people, as well as one-to-one.
• Confident and pro-active self-starter, skilled in taking initiative, assessing requirements, coming up with plans and taking the lead in making plans a reality.
• Sound judgment and strong decision-making skills with an ability to be a person of influence to the senior leadership team
• Communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills are also key components of the ideal profile for this role
• Knowledge of the French language is a plus

Inclusion and Equal Opportunity Employment

goeasy is an equal opportunity employer. In addition, goeasy is committed to providing accommodations for applicants upon request at any stage of the recruitment process in accordance with all legislative requirements throughout Canada. Please let us know if you require an accommodation due to a disability during any aspect of the recruitment process and we will work with you to address your needs.

Additional Information:

All candidates considered for hire must successfully pass a criminal background check, credit check, and validation of their work experience to qualify for hire.

We thank all interested applicants, however we will only be contacting those for interview who possess the skills and qualifications outlined above.

Why should you work for goeasy?

To learn more about our great company please click the links below:

www.goeasy.com/careers

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