Counsel

The closing date of this posting has been extended.

The Ministry of the Attorney General has a challenging opportunity for a counsel to provide legal advice to the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) and the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade (MEDJCT). The successful candidate will provide advice on policy initiatives including energy policy, draft legislation, and may be called upon to work on corporate commercial and transactional documents.

About the job

Duties will include:

• Providing risk-based legal advice to support client policy and program development, agency matters, board governance, appointments and operational work relating to the energy sector;

• Providing legal advice in policy development relating to the energy sector, including legal advice on policy development that may impact Indigenous communities;

• Negotiate, draft, review and interpret legislation, regulation, term sheets, grant; agreements, secured loan agreements, memorandums of understanding, procurement agreements, venture capital documents and other complex commercial legal documents;

• Drafting and interpreting legislation and regulations;

• Preparing legal opinions and briefing senior ministry officials;

• Drafting and reviewing agreements and memorandums of understanding.

The Legal Services branch welcomes applications from candidates who can contribute to the goal of promoting a diverse, respectful and supportive workplace.

What you bring to the team

Mandatory requirements

• Membership in good standing as a lawyer with the Law Society of Ontario

Knowledge and Skills

• Experience with the energy sector, including any of the following: transmission policy or development, energy supply, nuclear policy, compliance, or indigenous partnerships;

• Experience advising on legal issues that intersect Indigenous concerns and Energy policy;

• Experience advising on development of or compliance with legislation, regulation and policy;

• Experience drafting and reviewing agreements and memorandums of understanding;

• Ability to recognize and assess legal implications in proposed and existing programs and initiatives and ability to provide innovative, strategic, risk-based and solutions-oriented legal advice on complex, time-sensitive and high-profile issues that arise;

• Demonstrated ability to deliver in a fast-paced environment with short turnaround times while working proactively and cooperatively with sophisticated clients and colleagues;

• Knowledge of energy law, corporate governance and understanding of government policies and practices;

• Well-organized oral and written communication skills and as well as demonstrated research and opinion writing skills

• Experience in developing documents using MS Office tools including Word, PowerPoint, Excel and experience in using on-line legal research tools;

• Proven customer service orientation and demonstrated ability to be proactive on files, responsive to client requests and inspire client confidence;

• Demonstrated experience with mentoring others and contributing to teams on collaborative work projects.

How we support diversity, inclusion and accessibility

We are building an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage everyone interested in working with us to apply, including people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black and racialized individuals, as well as people from all ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.

Our hiring process is accessible, consistent with Ontario's Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. We are working to prevent and remove barriers in our hiring processes and can offer accommodation to address specific needs related to Code-protected grounds such as disability, family status and religion. For more information about accommodation during the hiring process please contact us.

Learn more about the work the OPS is doing to create an inclusive, anti-racist, accessible and diverse workplace:

• diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
• accessibility
• Anti-Racism Policy

Additional information

Address:

• 1 English Temporary, duration up to 12 months, 56 Wellesley St, Toronto, Toronto Region, Criminal Record Check

Compensation Group: Association of Law Officers of the Crown

Schedule: 6

Category: Legal Services

Posted on: Friday, May 1, 2026

Note:

• About security checks:
• A criminal or other federal offence record does not automatically disqualify you from the position. We consider each situation based on the position's responsibilities.
• If a check is needed and you've lived outside of Canada in the past 5 years for 6 or more months in a row, or if you are not a Canadian resident, you'll need to provide an out-of-country police clearance certificate from the country you lived in.
• Employment screening checks are only reviewed and evaluated by the Transition and Security Office, which also maintains them and keeps them strictly confidential.
• For issues with submitting applications, or questions, please contact [email protected]

How to apply:

1. You must apply online.
2. Your cover letter and resume combined should not exceed five (5) pages. For tips and tools on how to write a concise cover letter and resume, review the Writing a Cover Letter and Resume: Tips, Tools and Resources.
3. Customize your cover letter and resume to the qualifications listed on the job ad. Using concrete examples, you must show how you demonstrated the requirements for this job. We rely on the information you provide to us.
4. Read the job description to make sure you understand this job.
5. OPS employees are required to quote their WIN EMPLOYEE ID number when applying.
6. If you require a disability related accommodation in order to participate in the recruitment process, please Contact Us to provide your contact information. Recruitment services team will contact you within 48 hours.

All external applicants (including former employees of the Ontario Public Service) applying to a competition in a ministry or Commission public body must disclose (either in the cover letter or resume) previous employment with the Ontario Public Service. Disclosure must include positions held, dates of employment and any active restrictions as applicable from being rehired by the Ontario Public Service. Active restrictions can include time and/or ministry-specific restrictions currently in force, and may preclude a former employee from being offered a position with the Ontario Public Service for a specific time period (e.g. one year), or from being offered a position with a specific ministry (either for a pre-determined time period or indefinitely). The circumstances around an employee's exit will be considered prior to an offer of employment.

Remember:

The deadline to apply is Monday, May 25, 2026, 11:59 pm EDT. Late applications will not be accepted.

We thank you for your interest. Only those selected for further screening or an interview will be contacted.

The Ontario Public Service is an inclusive employer.

Accommodation is available under the Ontario's Human Rights Code .