Legal Counsel (Research), Office of General Counsel, People and Culture

Description

Legal Services under the Office of General Counsel, People and Culture is currently seeking a Full-time Regular Legal Counsel (Research).

Reporting to the University's Associate General Counsel (Research), the successful candidate for the Legal Counsel position will play a vital role in the research process at the University, helping University researchers and administrators negotiate and finalize research related agreements with industry, governments and other agencies. In addition, the Legal Counsel will advise on intellectual property policy issues, regulatory matters, and research-related strategic initiatives and collaborations.

The ideal candidate will possess strong legal expertise, excellent drafting and communication skills, and experience advising on important issues within a dynamic and fast-evolving environment. A strong background in commercial or public sector contracts, research administration, intellectual property, or technology transfer will be considered assets for this role.

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

• Provide timely, business-oriented legal advice and support to researchers, faculties, institutes, and administrative units across the University in connection with research-related agreements and initiatives.
• Negotiate, draft, and advise on a wide range of research agreements, including funding agreements, services agreements, collaboration agreements, and IP-related agreements.
• Maintain a collaborative and professional practice both within the organization and with external stakeholders.
• Apply legal expertise and sound judgment to identify and mitigate legal, reputational, and financial risks in complex contracts.
• Draft clear and concise legal documents, memoranda, and correspondence.
• Support the development and continuous improvement of legal processes and workflows within the Research Legal team to ensure efficient, high-quality service delivery in a high-volume environment.
• Collaborate with the broader legal services team, faculties and departments in ensuring that proper governance procedures are followed and that decision making involves key internal stakeholders and subject matter experts.

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Undergraduate degree and a law degree from a recognized university. Must be eligible to practice law in Alberta.
• 4 years of post-call experience, ideally with a focus on research, commercial, or public sector contracting.
• Experience with research funding agreements, intellectual property, or public-private partnerships is a strong asset.
• Member in good standing of the Law Society of Alberta (as required by provincial legislation).
• Proven ability to perform well on complex matters in a stressful environment, prioritize and deal with multiple assignments, all under significant time and other pressures.
• Demonstrated ability to work with senior management and commitment to client service.
• Strong drafting and negotiating skills, with demonstrated strength in risk and legal analysis.
• Excellent judgment and the ability to prioritize and address legal issues by developing solutions that are practical and mitigate risk.
• Ability to navigate large or complex organizations. Familiarity with public sector governance structures and/or experience working for a public-sector or post-secondary organization is considered an asset.
• Cooperative, team player attitude and excellent interpersonal skills.

Application Deadline: August 20, 2025

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

This position is classified in the Professional Career Band, Level 4 of the Management and Professional Staff Career Framework.

For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website.

About the University of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments (equity@ucalgary.ca) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources (hrhire@ucalgary.ca).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role.

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.