Senior Legal Counsel - Privacy

Job category: Legal

Employment status: Regular full-time

Position's anticipated start date: 2026-01-05

Classification: PTS/MGT/IT B

Salary/Rate of pay: $108,000 - $145,000

About the role

Canadian Blood Services is looking for a Regular Full-time Senior Legal Counsel - Privacy to join our dynamic Legal division.

The Legal division provides legal, privacy, ethics, governance, policy, and risk leadership across Canadian Blood Services' product and service areas.

Reporting to the Chief Privacy Officer, you will play an integral role in providing proactive and practical legal advice to support Canadian Blood Services' compliance with privacy and access to information relevant laws, regulations, policies/procedures. Leveraging your subject-matter expertise in privacy and access to information, you will act as a trusted advisor across the organization, providing professional, practical, timely legal guidance and support.

As the Senior Legal Counsel - Privacy you will perform all functions in alignment with Canadian Blood Services' values and operate with the highest level of integrity and ethical standards.

Formula for success

• Leveraging your skills in providing accurate, relevant, and timely legal advice, you will advise on a wide range of legal matters, including key issues and risks related to legal developments, regulators' orders and findings.
• Negotiating and drafting, you will prepare data sharing agreements and other related privacy and/or legal documents.
• Monitoring evolving legal, regulatory and policy developments in privacy, access to information, artificial intelligence and other emerging areas, you will advise the business regarding risks, implications, and best practices while maintaining current knowledge of applicable privacy and access-to-information laws at the international, federal and provincial/territorial level.
• Guiding strategic direction, you will advise on strategy for the management of Canadian Blood Services' privacy and access to information programs, and ensure legal risks are identified and mitigated to protect the organization and its assets.
• Conducting and/or advising on privacy risk evaluations, privacy impact assessments, and investigations of privacy/access complaints or incidents, you will support informed, timely and appropriate decision-making.
• Collaborating with cyber-security, data analytics and ethics teams, you will support joint initiatives in cross-functional areas such as incident management, AI and data governance.
• Drawing on your experience engaging with regulatory bodies, you will provide advice regarding, and/or participate in, engagements and consultations with applicable regulatory agencies and other internal and external stakeholders.
• Advising senior leadership, internal client groups, and working with subject matter experts, you will provide professional, practical, timely legal advice and support on complex matters with organization wide implications.
• Contributing to a positive, proactive culture, you will support continuous improvement, high performance, collaboration, and the educational development of students and other team members.

Desired education and skills

• Required completion of a law degree from a recognized academic institution.
• Required Membership in good standing in a law society for a Canadian province or territory.
• Minimum 7 years of legal experience (privacy, health law, and/or compliance)
• Certification by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) - CIPP/C.
• Substantial knowledge of relevant legislative and regulatory frameworks and jurisprudence in a pan Canadian setting.
• Ability to practice law with a high degree of autonomy and professional expertise.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent analytical, problem solving, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to translate complex issues and to provide practical legal advice to clients, communicating in a clear and accessible manner and incorporating all relevant business risks.
• Ability to understand and think critically about business needs and tailor advice accordingly.
• Ability to provide responsive client service in the context of competing demands.
• Other legal, ethics, risk, compliance and/or other privacy related credentials are an asset.

What we offer you

• 4 weeks' vacation.
• Annual performance award up to 10%.
• Comprehensive group health, dental and vision benefits for you and your family.
• Employee discounts, wellness program, professional resources.

What you can expect

• This role will work in a hybrid environment with requirements to be onsite at Canadian Blood Services location at least 40% of the time/2 days of the week.
• If you are located outside of Ottawa, you may be required to travel to the Head Office in Ottawa 2-4 times a year to attend department meetings. This requirement is subject to change at Canadian Blood Services' sole discretion.

Diversity and inclusion play a vital role in ensuring health equity for patients across Canada. We are committed to reflecting Canada's population in our organization and fostering an environment where all employees can be their authentic selves, with equal opportunities to succeed and contribute.

Apply

If this role resonates with you, we encourage you to apply by providing your up to date resume. This could be your first step toward a meaningful and inspiring career. Come to work each day knowing that you save lives.

We thank all applicants for their interest. However, only those considered for an interview or those invited to participate in an assessment will be contacted.

Applicants who require accommodation should discuss their needs with us.