Job Description

Alberta Innovates (AI) is seeking a Senior Legal and Contracts Specialist for our General Counsel team. The Senior Legal and Contracts Specialist plays an integral role in the organization\'s business by working closely within the General Counsel Group in reviewing, drafting, negotiating, executing and managing contracts within the organization, and providing support on legal, contract and governance matters across the organization. Additionally, the Senior Legal and Contracts Specialist will be responsible for providing guidance and support to the General Counsel group on strategic initiatives focused on process improvements and will work closely with the Director, Contracts and Information Management in delivering on key corporate objectives across the organization.

Are you our Senior Legal and Contracts Specialist? You would be a good fit for this position if you:

• Have in depth experience in negotiating and managing high risk, complex, large scale agreements
• Have excellent organizational and time management skills to ensure timely and efficient management of contracts, legal commitments and projects
• Have strong analytical skills, finding innovated ways to solving problems
• Can work collaboratively with a team of diverse and experienced contracts and legal experts
• Have ability to work under tight deadlines, deal with change and adapt to new circumstances in a fast-paced environment

We are game changers.

Alberta Innovates is a provincially funded corporation with a mandate to deliver 21st-century solutions for the most compelling challenges facing Albertans. We do this by building on our province\'s research and technology development strengths in the core sectors of health, environment, energy, food and fibre, and platforms such as artificial intelligence, nanotechnology and omics. We are working with our partners to diversify Alberta\'s economy, improve our environmental performance and enhance the well-being of Albertans through research and innovation.

Our subsidiary, InnoTech Alberta, offers a diversified range of scientific engineering and technological research and testing capabilities, and the facilities to support technology scale-up. Our multidisciplinary team has the depth of experience to work across all sectors, from energy to health to food and fibre. InnoTech Alberta offers you access to research talent, technical expertise, and unique facilities that can help accelerate technology development that serves both the private and public sector.

Intrigued? Here\'s some more information about the position:

Reporting to the Director, Contracts & Information Management, this role works closely and collaboratively with other departments of the organization to ensure compliance with policies, procedures, and corporate risk standards are being met, and focuses on building and maintaining effective collaborative relationships with business lines to understand internal stakeholder needs. The successful incumbent will be accountable for (but not limited to) the following:

• Leading the drafting, reviewing and negotiation of highly complex, high value and high-risk agreements including large scale contracts
• Acting as an expert resource and advisor to managers and executives across the organization
• Providing direction and guidance to project leads and managers to develop strategies to limit, manage, and mitigate risk on contract and proposal reviews by having a strong ability to interpret and understand contract structure, and terms and conditions
• Providing transactional and contract management guidance and direction to business units and functional groups on complex commercial transactions
• Providing mentoring, training, and coaching to Contracts Administrators and supporting staff
• Providing guidance and support in development and implementation of group strategic initiatives focused on processes improvements that support business optimization
• Providing guidance and support as needed across the General Counsel Group on various legal, governance or corporate matters
• Fostering close working relationships with internal and external clients and stakeholders
• Ensuring compliance with policies, procedures, and corporate risk standards

Educational Requirement:

• Diploma in business, contracts administration, legal, paralegal work and/or training on governance matters

Experience and Qualifications we are looking for:

• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible contracts, legal and governance experience
• Experience working in a private firm setting or in an in-house, corporate, or government environment as a paralegal or legal assistant with broad exposure to multiple disciplines
• Experience working as Contracts Specialist with a broad range of business units and transactions
• Experience working on governance matters
• Experience in leading, coaching, mentoring and training others
• Familiar with contract and business law, insurance and risk management, intellectual property, reviewing and negotiation legal terms and conditions

Skills Required:

• Strong dispute and conflict resolution and negotiation skills
• Exceptional skills in Microsoft Word and is familiar with database contract management system
• Ability to prioritize and multi-task
• Working in a team environment and independently
• Knowledge of software program(s)
• Effective collaboration and communication skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and adapting to change is required
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Why Alberta Innovates?

We offer our employees opportunities to work on projects that will expand their skill sets while witnessing the visible impacts of their efforts. We value the development of our employees and create opportunities for working in capacities that allow new skills to be learned. We know that the wellness of our team is the most important part of our business, so we offer a strong benefits package and generous vacation and paid time off programs to promote work-life balance.

The final candidate will be required to undergo a security clearance. All interviewees must be able to meet the requirement specified in the Physical Demand Analysis. This document will be supplied during the interview process to the successful candidate. This competition will remain open until a successful candidate is found.

ALBERTA INNOVATES IS COMMITTED TO THE PRINCIPLE OF EQUITY IN EMPLOYMENT AND ENCOURAGES APPLICATIONS FROM ALL QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS. WE WISH TO THANK ALL APPLICANTS FOR THEIR INTEREST. HOWEVER, ONLY THOSE INVITED FOR AN INTERVIEW WILL BE CONTACTED.

Alberta Innovates