(Lead/Senior) Legal Counsel

  • Senior-level, Full-time staff position
  • Posted on 9 January 2026
  • Save for later

Job Description

Are you ready to advance your career while impacting change in emerging markets?

We are looking for a (Lead/Senior) Legal Counsel!

Welcome to FinDev Canada, Canada’s development financial institution! We are looking for talented professionals to join our growing organization. At FinDev Canada, we are guided by our mandate and the opportunity to positively impact climate and nature action, gender equality and market development. We drive sustainable development by working with and through the private sector.

This is your opportunity to join a growing, dynamic team and leave your mark on our organization, development finance, and on the world at large.

Team: Legal Transactions

Employment Type: Permanent

Salary:

• Lead Legal Counsel - Legal Services 20: Salaries typically range from $129,928 - $173,235 annually plus a performance-based incentive.

• Senior Legal Counsel - Legal Services 19: Salaries typically range from $112,006 - $149,341 annually plus a performance-based incentive.

• Legal Counsel - Legal Services 18: Salaries typically range from $96,557 - $128,743 annually plus a performance-based incentive.

Location:

• FinDev Canada headquarters is in downtown Montreal. For the right candidate, Ottawa or Toronto will be considered, with the flexibility to work under a hybrid model (home/office).

Why You’ll Love Working Here

Impactful Work - At FinDev Canada, we are committed to promoting sustainable and inclusive growth in emerging markets and developing economies. Your work here will make a real difference, contributing to meaningful projects that have a lasting impact on communities around the world.

Your Colleagues - Join a diverse and talented team that brings a wealth of experience, knowledge, and passion to everything we do.

Collaborative Culture - Collaboration is at the heart of our success. At FinDev Canada, we believe that working together not only enhances our business but also strengthens our ability to achieve our mission. Our culture is built on mutual support and teamwork, ensuring that we collectively drive our mandate and strategy forward.

Perks and Benefits - Our Total Rewards offering goes beyond just a paycheck. We provide a comprehensive package designed to meet the diverse needs and life stages of our employees.

Position & Team Overview

FinDev Canada is seeking an entrepreneurial and solution-oriented finance lawyer with experience in debt investments and project financing to join its legal team. The successful candidate will be a member of the Legal Transactions team and a trusted advisor to the investments team and subject matter experts (including business integrity, impact and E&S experts) of FinDev Canada. You will be responsible for providing legal advice on investment transactions and asset management across FinDev Canada’s portfolio, which includes sustainable infrastructure, financial industry and Agri businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific, aligning with FinDev Canada’s mandate. The successful candidate will report to the Director, Legal Transactions.

FinDev Canada legal team consists of approximately 10 lawyers who provide a wide range of legal services. FinDev Canada’s legal team is dynamic, diverse, client-focused and has a builder mind-set. The legal team assists FinDev Canada on all its product offerings (including loans and equity investments) and supports FinDev Canada’s corporate function.

What You Will Be Doing

The responsibilities for the position relate to a variety of tasks representing transaction and non-transactional work, as well as knowledge and relationship management. Key responsibilities include the following, but lawyers are expected to handle a broad range of business needs that may not be fully summarized below:

• Advise on all stages of debt and equity investments, including structuring, negotiating, executing and asset management matters related to financing and investment products;

• Identify legal risks and appropriate mitigation measures and strategies for transactions;

• Collaborate with the investment teams and subject matter experts (including business integrity, impact and E&S experts) of FinDev Canada to ensure that transactions are managed and executed in a timely manner;

• Review documentation prepared by external counsel (and in some instances draft documentation) for a broad range of debt and equity transactions;

• Manage external counsel on transactions;

• Build and share know-how and best practices, including training and precedents; and

• Lead / support FinDev Canada initiatives, including designing, reviewing, drafting enterprise wide, as well as business unit-specific, policies and procedures.

What We Are Looking For

Must-haves

• Education: LL.B./LL.M or JD required.

• Years of Experience:

  • Grade 18: Minimum of 5 years of relevant legal experience at a major law firm or an in-house corporate legal department in each case with a focus on transactional matters.
  • Grade 19: Minimum of 7 years of relevant legal experience at a major law firm or an in-house corporate legal department in each case with a focus on transactional matters.
  • Grade 20: Over 10 years of relevant legal experience at a major law firm or an in-house corporate legal department in each case with a focus on transactional matters.

• Experience advising lenders on project finance transactions and debt transactions (such as bi-lateral loans, secured, unsecured, syndicate participation, bonds etc.) is essential.

• Strong execution and transaction management abilities.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including ability to work with many different stakeholders and senior business leaders.

• Interest in development finance and private capital mobilization.

• Interest in developing policies, procedures and guidelines at business unit level.

Nice-to-Haves

• Experience advising on fund investments and negotiating limited partnership agreements and side letters for funds domiciled in various jurisdictions.

• Legal transactional experience in one or more of the following regions is an asset: Latin America, the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Indo-Pacific.

• Experience working with multilateral development banks an asset.

• Bilingual in both official languages (English and French) or bilingual in English and Spanish.

• Experience developing policies, procedures and guidelines.

Ready to take the next steps?

Apply now! Your application must clearly demonstrate how you meet all the requirements.

Want to learn more about FinDev Canada? Check out our website here: http://www.findevcanada.ca/

FinDev Canada’s Commitment to Employment Equity

FinDev Canada is committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment that respects people from all cultures, backgrounds and with a range of ability, and nurturing a culture of inclusion and belonging where everyone has equal opportunity to grow, develop, succeed and be their truest selves in an inclusive environment. We are committed to employment equity and actively encourage applications from women, Indigenous peoples, visible minorities, persons with disabilities, and members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community.

Your application must clearly demonstrate how you meet all the requirements. We thank all applicants’ interest in a career at FinDev Canada; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Please note that qualified candidates may be considered for similar roles at this level within FinDev Canada.

About the Organization

FinDev Canada is Canada's development finance institution (DFI), supporting the private sector in developing markets to promote sustainable development. 

In today’s increasingly complex world, development finance is needed more than ever to drive sustainable and inclusive economic growth. DFIs are an important tool in this regard, providing financial services aimed at growing the local private sector in developing countries. 

Through our loans and investments, we look to mobilize private sector investment in developing markets to support business initiatives which enable gender equality, climate and nature action and market development, all under the banner of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals

Learn more about our development impact approach here.

We offer financial services such as investments, loans and guarantees. Additionally, through our Technical Assistance Facility, we help our clients become more proactive and inclusive agents in their respective markets. Learn more about our approach here and browse our portfolio here.  

Learn more about FinDev Canada’s mandate and activities in our FAQ

More Jobs from Development Finance Institute (FinDev Canada)

Similar Jobs