Chief Legal Officer

Shape the legal and governance framework behind Ontario’s public procurement and supply chain modernization.

About Supply Ontario

Supply Ontario is a provincial agency transforming how the Government of Ontario and over 6,000 public sector entities buy goods and services, managing approximately $30B in annual spend. It strengthens supply chain resilience, modernizes procurement, and supports Ontario- and Canada-focused economic development through enterprise-wide Vendor of Record (VOR) arrangements, a new procurement portal, and partnerships with shared services organizations. It also manges Ontario’s Strategic Inventory, a centralized, province-wide stockpile of critical supplies that ensures readiness for surge demand and future emergencies while strengthening domestic supply chain resilience.

About the Role

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Chief Legal Officer (CLO) is the executive lead for all legal, procurement-law, and corporate governance matters. This contracts-centric role oversees the legal lifecycle of major procurements and Vendor of Record (VOR) programs, ensuring risk is understood and managed while enabling the organization to move at pace.

Key Focus Areas

Strategy, Leadership & Legal Function Oversight

• Set the vision, strategy, and priorities for a high-performing, contracts-focused legal function aligned with Supply Ontario’s mandate and risk appetite.
• Build and mentor a small, agile legal team and implement practical tools (templates, playbooks, governance gates) to manage high volume and support consistent, timely advice.

Procurement, Contracts & Legal Advisory

• Provide hands-on legal oversight for complex, high-value procurements and VOR arrangements, from pre-RFP design through award, debriefs, and contract management.
• Support the VOR program team in the drafting, review, and negotiation of commercial contracts, ensuring alignment with procurement directives, trade agreements, and fairness principles, while managing external counsel.

Governance, Board Relations & Corporate Secretary

• Lead the Corporate Secretary function and support effective Board and committee governance, processes, and documentation.
• Advise the CEO, Board Chair, and Board on legal, governance, and risk matters, including the implications of new policies, directives, and legislation in a politically visible environment.

Stakeholder Engagement, Culture & Organizational Effectiveness

• Build strong, trust-based relationships with internal leaders, ministries, broader public sector partners, and external legal/commercial stakeholders.
• Champion a client-focused, collaborative, and solutions-oriented legal culture that supports centralization and modernization in a demanding environment where many issues arrive as “urgent.”

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Credentials & Experience – LLB/JD and member in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario, with 15+ years of progressive legal experience, including senior leadership of a legal function in a complex public sector or broader public sector setting.
• Public Sector Procurement & Commercial Expertise – Significant experience with public-sector procurement, competitive processes, and complex commercial contracts (including framework/VOR arrangements), ideally within Ontario’s regulatory environment.
• Governance & Board Experience – Demonstrated experience supporting Boards and executive teams on governance, fiduciary duties, risk management, and strategic initiatives; experience with Corporate Secretary responsibilities is an asset.
• Leadership, Judgment & People Skills – Proven ability to build and lead high-performing legal teams in high-volume settings, with strong judgment, political/business acumen, and exceptional relationship and communication skills to bring people along through change.

Application Deadline: July 23, 2026

To apply for this key role, submit your application to Phelps by clicking: LINK

AI will not be used in the candidate screening process.

This is an existing position with a current vacancy.

To learn more information, visit our website at https://phelpsgroup.ca/