Senior Corporate Legal Counsel, Commercial Insurance

As a Senior Legal Counsel for Desjardins’ property and casualty insurance corporate legal team, you play a key role in protecting the organization’s legal interests by ensuring its rights are protected and regulatory obligations are met. You will be responsible for advising on operational matters, insurance products and best practices for the commercial insurance, surety and property and casualty personal lines of business.  You lead and influence development projects and complex, highly innovative strategic initiatives. You make recommendations on the planning and execution of operationally and conceptually complex projects and initiatives that require comprehensive analysis and understanding of the organization and lines of business. Coordination is critical, so you frequently interact with stakeholders working in many other fields. Interpersonal savvy is therefore essential. Areas of responsibility include legal research, insurance policy wording review, regulator interactions, broker distribution knowledge, marketing, commercial contracting and supporting strategic and innovation initiatives. The role may also involve oversight of some strategic litigation. You serve as specialist advisor and subject matter expert, as well as resource person and coach for decision-making bodies.  At Desjardins, we emphasize the legal affairs department as a strategic partner of the business units. More specifically, you will be required to:

• Review insurance products/wordings and regulatory framework for commercial insurance and surety, and personal home and automobile lines of business.

• Draft and negotiate commercial contracts including broker distribution channel.

• Assist and provide legal advice to claims department, including policy coverages.

• Lead specialized development projects, initiatives and activities that significantly impact the entire organization.

• Advise your clients and partners to help them position, plan, develop, execute and monitor strategic projects and initiatives.

• Identify, analyze and diagnose major issues and make recommendations to decision-making bodies.

• Interpret laws and regulations, issue legal opinions, and prepare and validate rules, standards, policies, procedures, forms and agreements affecting the organization.

• Represent the company with regulator engagements as appropriate and represent your department before senior management committees and decision-making bodies.

What we offer*

• Competitive salary and annual bonus

• 4 weeks of flexible vacation starting in the first year

• Defined benefit pension plan that provides predictable, stable income throughout retirement

• Group insurance including telemedicine

• Reimbursement of health and wellness expenses and telework equipment

* Benefits apply based on eligibility criteria.

What you bring to the table

• Bachelor's degree in law or Juris Doctor or in a related field

• A minimum of seven years of relevant experience

• Please note that other combinations of qualifications and relevant experience may be considered

• Experience in a law firm or in-house legal practice

• A member in good standing with the Law Society in Ontario or Quebec

• Knowledge of French is required for positions in Quebec

• Advanced proficiency in English due to the nature of the duties or work tools or because the position involves interactions with English speaking partners, members and/or clients

• Advanced knowledge of insurance regulatory law

Business insight, Interpersonal Savvy

#LI-Hybrid

Trade Union (If applicable)

At Desjardins, we believe in equity, diversity and inclusion. We're committed to welcoming, respecting and valuing people for who they are as individuals, learning from their differences, embracing their uniqueness, and providing a positive workplace for all. At Desjardins, we have zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind. We believe our teams should reflect the diversity of the members, clients and communities we serve.

If there's something we can do to help make the recruitment process or the job you're applying for more accessible, let us know. We can provide accommodations at any stage in the recruitment process. Just ask!

Job Family

Legal Affairs (FG)

Unposting Date

2025-04-14