{"id":1136827,"url":"https://alion.io/job/city-of-guelph-legal-counsel-land-use-planning-and-development-law","title":"Legal Counsel – Land Use Planning and Development Law","company":{"id":1049739,"name":"City of Guelph","domain":"guelph.ca","url":"https://alion.io/company/guelph","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"is_intermediary":false,"ats_vendor":"iCIMS","truth_index":null},"role":"Legal","role_family":"Legal","seniority":"senior","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Ontario, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":121204,"max":151505,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":151505},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Microsoft Office","optional":false},{"name":"Microsoft Teams","optional":false},{"name":"Outlook","optional":false},{"name":"SharePoint","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-23T08:32:56Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-23","last_verified_at":"2026-09-23T08:32:56Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":0,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":0},"description":"Job Summary\nService Area: Corporate Services Department: Legal and Court Services Work Location: City Hall, 1 Carden Street Work Mode: Hybrid Job Type and Duration: Permanent, Full Time Vacancy Position Availability: 1 existing vacant position Salary Range: $121,204.72 - $151,505.90Affiliation: Non-Union Posting Period: August 27, 2026 to September 30, 2026 11:59 p.m.\nWhen you join the City of Guelph, you join a team of over 2000 employees who deliver services the community relies on every day. Together, we are bringing to life Guelph’s vision of an inclusive, connected, and prosperous city where we look after each other and our environment. As a single tier municipality, we offer a variety of occupations and career specialities within our organization. Guided by the goals and objectives of the Future Guelph: Strategic Plan and committed to the Corporate Values of integrity, service, inclusion, wellness and learning, the candidate will aid in the achievement of the Community Vision for an inclusive, connected, prosperous city.\nWhat we offer\nWe offer competitive wages and comprehensive benefits to meet the needs of our diverse employees. Many of our positions offer:\nPaid vacation days, increasing with years of service\nPaid personal days;\nDefined benefit pension plan with OMERS, including 100-per-cent employer matching;\nExtended health and dental benefits, including Health Care Spending Account;\nEmployee and Family Assistance Program;\nParental leave top up program; \nLearning and development opportunities including tuition assistance\nEmployee recognition programs.\nPosition Overview\nResumes are being accepted for the position of Legal Counsel - Land Use Planning and Development Law in the Legal and Court Services Department within the Corporate Services service area. Qualified candidates with five (5) or more years of relevant experience may be considered for the position of Legal Counsel. Candidates with a minimum of three (3) but less than five (5) years of relevant experience may be considered for the position of Junior Legal Counsel.\nReporting to a senior leader within the Legal Services department, this role will provide legal representation and advice to City Council and City Departments related to land use planning and development law, including providing strategic legal advice with respect to legislative and policy frameworks related to housing.\nKey duties and responsibilities\nGeneral\nThe incumbent will provide high quality and effective legal advocacy, advice, and services to the management and staff of the City in areas of land use planning, development law, development charges and agreements, as well as advocacy on behalf of the City before administrative tribunals including the Ontario Land Tribunal.\nAdvocacy\nAssume carriage of (or assist in) a variety of Ontario Land Tribunal matters on behalf of the City, including preparation of pleadings and other documents, and appearing before the Tribunal.\nConduct preparatory work including file review, research, verifying and investigating facts, interviewing witnesses, compiling and drafting documentation.\nAnticipate probable and possible legal outcomes and present solutions to staff and Council (or provide assistance in such matters).\nAdvice and Legal Documents\nConduct legal research and prepare memoranda and legal opinions on a variety of legal matters relevant to the municipality and the legal implications of matters of law on operational and strategic decisions.\nDeliver competent and timely oral and written legal advice on the Municipal Act, 2001, Planning Act, Development Charges Act, and other relevant municipal legislation.\nDraft (or contribute to the drafting of) and review municipal agreements, by-laws, and other legal documents relating to municipal land use planning and development.\nPrepare (or contribute to the preparation of) and review Council and Committee reports.\nAttend (or contribute to preparations for) Council and Committee meetings and other public meetings, as required.\nNegotiate\nProtect the City’s interests and advance the City’s objectives by discussion and negotiation (or in an assisting capacity) with external groups, lawyers, government bodies and others.\nKnowledge and Expertise\nStay abreast and provide advice relating to changes in legislation, regulation and case law impacting the City.\nMaintain current knowledge and provide strategic legal advice on land use planning-related matters in a manner that is responsive to the needs of City Council and City departments. \nOther\nUndertake or contribute to special projects within the Legal Services department or with other City departments in furtherance of the Corporation’s strategy and objectives.\nWork in multi-disciplinary teams, both in leadership and support roles as required.\nWork in accordance with the provisions of applicable Health and Safety legislation and all City of Guelph corporate and departmental policies and procedures related to Occupational Health and Safety.\nContribute to organizational culture of service, inclusiveness, wellness and learning.\nPerform other duties as assigned.\nModification of Duties for Junior Legal Counsel\nA Junior Legal Counsel would have the duties above, primarily under supervision of the City Solicitor or the senior Legal Counsel, Land Use Planning and Development Law.\nA Junior Legal Counsel would also have an opportunity to work closely with the City Solicitor and other senior Legal Counsel in the Legal Services department to gain experience in a variety of areas of municipal law\nQualifications and requirements\nCompletion of an undergraduate degree and law degree. \nFive (5) or more years practicing land use planning and development law, preferably at a municipality or a law firm representing municipalities. Exceptional candidates with an undergraduate degree, law degree, and some practice experience in land use planning and development law, as well as other applicable work experience, may be considered for the position of Junior Associate Solicitor.\nLicensed to practice law in Ontario and a lawyer licensee in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario. \nExcellent legal research and analytical skills and strong ability to explain and present complex ideas in a clear and understandable fashion.\nExcellent oral advocacy with the ability to clearly and persuasively communicate and influence.\nConsiderable knowledge and understanding of municipal legislative framework, planning statutes, regulations, and by-laws.\nDemonstrated awareness and understanding of recent legislative changes impacting municipalities.\nDemonstrated understanding of the key industry trends and legislative changes and the ability to develop legal strategies accordingly.\nUnderstanding of municipal obligations, objectives, and challenges.\nExcellent organizational skills and time-management with the ability to manage multiple assignments in order to meet deadlines in a very demanding environment.\nAbility to communicate effectively with a variety of stakeholders, including senior lawyers, all levels of City staff, and City Council and external stakeholders as required.\nAbility to work well both independently and in a team environment, under tight deadlines, and the ability to adjust to changing priorities in a busy and demanding environment.\nCreative and innovative problem solver with the ability to handle complex and sensitive issues.\nAbility to accurately scope out length and difficulty of issues and set priorities.\nExcellent customer service skills with the ability to resolve inquiries in an effective manner.\nActive listener, approachable and composed under pressure.\nAdvanced skills in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook) and familiarity with Microsoft Teams, Webex and SharePoint.\nExperience working on matters before the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal would be an asset.\nExperience in environmental law, construction law or real estate law would be considered an asset.\nCandidates with an equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.\nNotes Applicants are required to demonstrate in their application how their qualifications match those specified above. Assessments based on all of the objectives and qualifications listed above will be a part of the interview, written and/or practical test and reference checking.\nHours of work 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday, between the hours of 8:30 a.m and 4:30 p.m. This position is eligible for hybrid and flexible work arrangement options (as per current corporate policy).\nHow to apply Click \"Apply Now\" on the top right hand side of your screen by September 30, 2026.\nHiring Process Transparency The City of Guelph is committed to fair and transparent recruitment practices. Candidates who participate in an interview for this position will be notified of the hiring decision within 45 days of their interview. Notifications will be provided in writing, or through technology.\nCommitment to Diversity & Accessibility The City of Guelph is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where employees feel welcome, valued and engaged. Our employment policies strictly prohibit all forms of discrimination on any of the grounds in relevant laws. All employment practices are solely based on individual merit, qualifications, and organization's needs at the time. In keeping with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, we are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals in our job application procedures. If you need an accommodation in order to participate in the hiring process, you may contact us to make your needs known in advance.\nPrivacy Notice Personal information collected through the recruitment process will be used solely to determine eligibility for employment. We thank all candidates in advance; however, only those being considered for an interview will be contacted.","description_format":"text","description_chars":10009,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":5,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":null,"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Flexible schedule","Parental leave"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Land Resources","Urban Planning"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-23T08:32:56Z"}],"liveness":{"score":86,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.86,"p_room":1,"age_days":0,"expected_fill_days":32,"reasons":["conf:3","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-09-23T11:40:46Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":151505,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/city-of-guelph-legal-counsel-land-use-planning-and-development-law","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/city-of-guelph-legal-counsel-land-use-planning-and-development-law.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-09-23T11:40:46Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers"}}