Legal Counsel, Employment

Your career is an investment that grows over time!

Wealthsimple is on a mission to help everyone achieve financial freedom by reimagining what it means to manage your money. Using smart technology, we take financial services that are often confusing, opaque and expensive and make them transparent and low-cost for everyone. We’re the largest fintech company in Canada, with over 4 million users who trust us with more than $50 billion in assets.

Our teams ship often and make an impact with groundbreaking ideas. We're looking for talented people who keep it simple and value collaboration and humility as we continue to create inclusive and high-performing teams where people can be inspired to do their best work.

About the role

The Legal Counsel, Employment will help Wealthsimple scale its employee relations function. Reporting to the Senior Director, HR Services and Employment Law, this position is responsible for dealing with a variety of employment related legal matters, including helping the Company comply with a broad range of legal requirements, supporting policy development, providing strategic legal advice on various business and human resources initiatives, managing employment litigation files and human rights matters, managing investigations, as well as providing legal training to stakeholders across Wealthsimple.

Role Responsibilities:

• Monitor and maintain current knowledge of developments in employment laws and regulations across Canada and the US
• Create, review, and enhance global employment templates, including offer letters, employment agreements, non-disclosure agreements, sales commission plans, and other related documents.
• Draft and implement employee-related policies and procedures.
• Provide legal support for various aspects of the employee lifecycle, including hiring, performance management, compensation, employee relations, immigration and terminations.
• Work with the People Operations team to continuously improve employee training programs to ensure legal and regulatory compliance.
• Assist with the company's expansion efforts, including due diligence and integration for acquisitions, and the establishment of new operations in different countries.
• Manage and provide legal support in employment-related disputes, including mediation and litigation.
• Offer legal support on a variety of other employment-related legal matters, as needed, across different jurisdictions.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Experience:

• A law degree and a minimum of 3+ years’ experience practicing employment law, ideally with a mix of in-house and private practice roles
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
• Strong communication skills with the ability to handle sensitive information discreetly and confidentially
• Rigorous analytical skills and ability to proactively issue spot and problem solve
• Ability to work independently while being a team player with a positive attitude
• Fluency in French is considered a plus but is not mandatory

Nice to Haves:

• Fluency in French
• Direct experience with U.S. employment law