Legal Counsel - Solicitor

Position Details

• Job Type: Permanent, Full-time, Non-Union
• Salary Range: per year
• Posted: Wednesday, October 14, 2026
• Application Deadline: Wednesday, November 4, 2026
• Department: Legal Services

The Opportunity

The Legal Services Department provides timely and comprehensive legal advice to City Council, the CAO and City staff, and provides a full range of legal services to the Corporation, its boards and agencies. It also provides guidance on insurance administration and risk management. This department provides professional execution of the City's real estate program including acquisition, disposition, leasing and encroachments. The department strives to ensure that every measure is taken to provide a cost effective, high quality standard of service.

Under the general direction and guidance of the Director of Legal Services, the Legal Counsel – Solicitor is responsible for protecting and advancing the legal interests of the City of Barrie by providing expert legal advice, analysis, and representation across a broad range of municipal practice areas, including municipal and tax law, planning and development, environmental law, real estate and property matters, and corporate commercial and contracts law. This position contributes to sound corporate governance, risk mitigation, and regulatory compliance by ensuring that City actions, policies, programs, agreements, and by-laws are legally sound and enforceable within the applicable legislative and regulatory framework. Additionally, this position supports the City's ability to deliver services and pursue corporate objectives with confidence by providing timely and accurate legal counsel to internal clients across departments and divisions. Overall, the position plays a key role in enabling informed decision-making at all levels of the organization, including through the interpretation and preparation of corporate documents and by-laws, and the coordination of outside legal counsel where required. In doing so, the position safeguards the City's legal interests across a complex and evolving political, regulatory, and legislative environment.

Our Culture and Qualifications of the Job

Corporate Culture

Your workplace values align with our corporate values of Strive, Share and Care and you want to join us in providing exceptional services and programs to build a prosperous, growing and sustainable community.

Equally important to what we do is how we do it - your actions reflect our core accountabilities of Personal Awareness, Teamwork and Collaboration, Respect and Inclusion, Innovation, and Service Excellence, which define how we work together to succeed.

Education

(degree/diploma/certifications)

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) or Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from a recognized university.
• A member in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario and licensed to practise law in Ontario

Don’t meet the credentials as outlined but have years of directly related experience? Please see the City’s Education Equivalency Policy to determine if you may qualify for equivalency. Further information is available at www.barrie.ca/government-news/jobs

Position Equivalency Code: E

Experience

Five (5) years of experience performing duties related to the above-mentioned major responsibilities, including broad legal experience in the practice of municipal law in one or more areas such as municipal and tax law, planning and development, environmental law, real estate and property matters, or corporate commercial and contracts law.

Knowledge/Skill/Ability

• Thorough knowledge of the following legislation, regulations, or requirements: Municipal Act, 2001, Planning Act, Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA), Municipal Elections Act, Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, Development Charges Act, Ontario Building Code Act, Environmental Protection Act, Environmental Assessment Act, Business Corporations Act (OBCA). Condominium Act, 1998, Land Transfer Tax Act, Code of Professional Conduct of the Law Society of Ontario
• Thorough knowledge of the following principles and standards
• Municipal operations, City organizational structures, and departmental business requirements, complexities, and inter-relationships
• Principles, practices, and procedures relating to negotiation, dispute resolution, mediation, and facilitation
• Corporate governance, legal documentation standards, and preparation of legal opinions
• Protocols for preparing reports, briefing notes, and correspondence for senior management and Council
• Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Work collaboratively in a group setting to achieve a desired objective, goal, or outcome
• Exercise discretion and judgment when handling confidential, sensitive, and controversial information
• Identify complex problems; develop and evaluate options; and implement solutions utilizing reason, judgment, and prescribed resources
• Think and act strategically in a political and community service environment
• Interact effectively and courteously with all levels of staff and contacts in a political and community/client service environment
• Communicate and present information to a wide range of internal and external contacts using the appropriate medium
• Interpret and analyze data; identify challenges or opportunities; and make recommendations
• Lead, coach, mentor, and support staff
• Set priorities; meet deadlines; and manage work demands
• Lead and coordinate simultaneous projects
• Deal with difficult customers; diffuse emotionally-charged situations; and resolve customer issues in a diplomatic and professional manner
• Advanced skills include: Analytical, Attention to Detail, Decision Making, Interpersonal, Judgment, Leadership, Negotiation, Organizational, Presentation, Problem Solving, Report-writing, Research, Verbal Communication, Written Communication
• Intermediate skills include: Coaching, Supervisory
• Intermediate computer literacy using the following systems and software: Microsoft 365 (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint), Lega...