Vice President, Legal & Corporate Affairs

About Vancity

Vancity is a globally recognized, purpose-driven credit union committed to transforming the economy by placing people and planet at the core. As a values-based financial cooperative, Vancity sees itself, its 2600+ staff, and its more than 570,000 members as a financial force for change, working together for a fair and clean world.

Founded in 1946, Vancouver City Savings Credit Union, known simply as Vancity, is Canada's largest community credit union, with $35.5 billion in assets plus assets under administration. Its offices and 52 branches are in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Victoria, Squamish and Alert Bay, within the unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples. Vancity is the largest private sector Living Wage Employer in Canada and has been consistently recognized as one of the Top Employers in Canada.

About the workplace

This is a permanent, full-time role that will enjoy hybrid working arrangements which can be fulfilled primarily from the Vancity head office location and your Lower Mainland based home office. Periodically, you’ll be required to attend in-person activities or events.

As the Vice President (VP), Legal & Corporate Affairs, you are a strategic leader, partnering with the Chief Legal Officer (CLO) to provide expert legal advice and help mitigate risk while supporting key business operations and divisions through trusted partnerships. This role delivers pragmatic, solution-oriented approaches to complex legal and business challenges, with particular emphasis on identifying, analyzing, and mitigating risks related to financial institutions at both provincial and federal levels.

A typical day would involve:

• Develop and help provide proactive, strategic leadership aligned to Vancity's business strategy and goals. Provide strategic, expert legal advice on corporate, regulatory, litigation and business matters.
• Develop and help provide proactive risk management strategies to address potential legal issues and mitigate legal risk across all support teams and line of business of the Vancity Group.
• Provide expert, strategic legal advice and help manage litigation, regulatory enforcement, and labour and employment matters across the Vancity Group.
• Manage the negotiation, drafting, and review of key agreements, including vendor, member, and employment contracts.
• Support corporate initiatives, acquisitions, and major transactions.
• Build and lead a high-performing legal team. Foster collaboration, mentor team members, and oversee professional development initiatives.
• Optimize legal processes and workflows to enhance efficiency and service delivery. Leverage legal technology to manage contracts, track metrics, and support data-driven decision-making.
• Manage the legal department’s budget to ensure efficient resource use.
• Oversee and coordinate with external legal counsel to ensure quality and cost-effectiveness.

You have:

• Juris Doctor and/or Bachelor of Law from a recognized institution.
• Active membership in good standing with the Law Society of BC.
• 15+ years of progressive legal experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership role. A mix of in-house and law firm experience is preferred.
• Proven ability to build and lead diverse legal teams, ensuring effective oversight of both the credit union and the subsidiary.
• Familiarity with financial services, credit unions, or cooperatives is strongly desired.
• Deep understanding of regulations governing credit unions, including AML legislation, privacy laws, and consumer protection requirements in the banking and credit union sectors.
• Comprehensive knowledge of federal banking laws, including OSFI regulations, the Bank Act, and FINTRAC requirements.
• Experience in managing and aligning legal operations across both provincial and federal jurisdictions is preferred.
• Expertise in contracts, employment law, and governance structures applicable to multi-jurisdictional entities.

You are:

• An excellent communicator - You use your interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills to guide leaders and managers on regulatory and legal matters, while leading with a high degree of professional ethics and integrity.
• A people leader - You have strong people leadership skills to manage a team of direct reports and support the technical/transactional activities and carry out all people practices. You have the ability to be adaptable to manage and lead yourself and your team through change.
• Analytical – You’re able to review information, detect anomalies, and investigate and resolve discrepancies. You can assess processes and identify opportunities to enhance legal service delivery and compliance tracking.
• Strategic – You are a strategic thinker and are able to balance the long-term mission of Vancity with the legal practicalities it might face.

Posting Deadline: Posted until Filled

In accordance with BC’s Pay Transparency Act, the expected base salary range for this role is $225,000 – $235,000 plus bonus and benefits commensurate with experience.

Please note that all shortlisted candidates for this role will be required to complete a background check which includes employment verification, credit check, and a criminal record check.

Vancity is an inclusive and equitable employer and actively seeks to advance racial equity, inclusion and belonging across the organization.

We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment experience for all candidates. If you require any accommodations at any stage of the recruitment process, please reach out to our Talent Acquisition team at recruitment@vancity.com for confidential support.