General Counsel

Job summary

Establish and lead the legal function as the first General Counsel, serving as a strategic advisor to the CEO. Manage a broad portfolio including commercial contracts, M&A, governance, and regulatory matters across Canada and the US.

Job details

Who We Are Techo-Bloc is a North American manufacturer and distributor of landscape products, with 9 manufacturing facilities, 15 distribution centres, and more than 900 employees across 20+ locations. We combine entrepreneurial drive with innovation, operational excellence, and a strong commitment to customer experience. Job Description We're hiring our first General Counsel to build and lead the legal function at Techo-Bloc. Reporting to the CEO, you'll provide clear legal guidance, strengthen governance, and manage risk across our operations in Canada and the US — inheriting an active portfolio while building the processes and external counsel relationships the function needs. Your mandate spans commercial, governance, risk, acquisitions, employment, litigation, IP, privacy, and regulatory matters, balancing sound judgment with commercial pragmatism. We're looking for a commercially minded, resourceful lawyer and strong negotiator, comfortable moving between daily business needs and enterprise-level decisions. This is a rare chance to become Techo-Bloc's first General Counsel and a trusted advisor to the CEO — with real influence, autonomy, and the opportunity to build something lasting. First 6–12 Month Mandate Review key contracts — insurance, employment, warranty, customer, lease, supplier, service, confidentiality, and other commercial agreements — and identify gaps, risks, and template improvements. Meet with all external legal counsel in Canada and the U.S.; assess scope, quality, spend, open matters, and what should move in-house. Review policies, governance practices, approval processes, and escalation points; recommend practical improvements to reduce risk and improve consistency. Review NDAs, non-competes, non-solicits, confidentiality, employment, and restrictive covenant templates; recommend what to update, standardize, or replace. Review active legal files, disputes, warranty claims, insurance, employment, and other open matters; prioritize issues, make recommendations, and establish a clear handoff process. Support M&A activity, including due diligence, risk review, contract analysis, and integration support. What You'll Own Executive Leadership & Strategic Advisory Serve as the principal legal advisor to the CEO and senior leadership team. Provide strategic guidance on growth initiatives, investments, corporate transactions, organizational changes, and enterprise-wide risk. Partner with leaders across Operations, Manufacturing, Sales, HR, Finance, IT, Marketing, and Innovation to support business objectives while protecting the organization's interests. Identify legal, regulatory, governance, and reputational considerations that may affect strategic decisions and long-term business objectives. Commercial Contracts, Corporate Transactions & Growth Initiatives Lead the drafting, review, and negotiation of commercial agreements, including dealer, distribution, supplier, service, technology, confidentiality, licensing, and warranty agreements. Develop scalable contract frameworks, templates, and approval processes that improve efficiency, consistency, and risk management. Lead the legal aspects of acquisitions, strategic partnerships, financings, and other corporate transactions. Direct legal due diligence, transaction negotiations, and integration support for strategic growth initiatives. Litigation, Claims & Regulatory Matters Serve as the escalation point for significant disputes, claims, investigations, and regulatory matters. Oversee external litigation counsel, legal strategy, exposure reporting, and legal spend. Partner with business leaders to proactively manage legal risks and resolve disputes efficiently and pragmatically. Advise on consumer protection, environmental, manufacturing, product-related, and other regulatory obligations. Employment, Insurance & Regulatory Matters Partner with HR on employment agreements, policies, investigations, and compliance across Canada and the United States. Oversee liability insurance and workers' compensation matters, including CNESST, WSIB, and U.S. equivalents. Advise on consumer protection, environmental, manufacturing, product-related, and other regulatory obligations. Intellectual Property, Privacy & Technology Protect Techo-Bloc's trademarks, brand assets, confidential information, and broader intellectual property portfolio. Advise on privacy, data governance, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, software, SaaS, licensing, and data-processing agreements. Partner with IT, Marketing, Product Development, Innovation, and HR to identify risks early and coordinate specialized counsel when required. Building the Legal Function Build a scalable, business-focused legal function and a trusted network of Canadian, U.S., and specialist external counsel. Manage external counsel relationships and legal spend, deciding what should be handled in-house, what requires specialist support, and how to achieve practical, cost-effective outcomes. Coordinate specialist support for workers' compensation, product liability, construction defect claims, environmental matters, land-use and permitting issues, and acquisition due diligence. Qualifications Law degree, member in good standing of a Canadian law society. 7+ years' legal experience, with solid exposure to commercial, corporate, and governance matters. Track record advising senior executives with practical, business-minded counsel. Experience with acquisitions, negotiations, and enterprise-level initiatives. Working knowledge of governance, risk, compliance, privacy, IP, and regulatory matters. Manufacturing, distribution, or industrial sector experience an asset. Experience building legal or governance functions in a growing company an asset. Comfortable with both Canadian and U.S. legal environments. Bilingual in French and English. Pragmatic, collaborative, and effective in a lean, fast-moving environment. Additional Information Techo-Bloc offers a fast-growing dynamic environment where you can build a long-term career. We offer competitive compensation along with a comprehensive benefits package: Group insurance and RRSP with employer contributions 24/7 telemedicine and Employee Assistance Program Flexible work environment Training and development programs Performance-based bonus Employee recognition programs Employee discounts and on-site perks (snacks, events, free parking) We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.

What you’ll do

Establish and lead the legal function as the first General Counsel, serving as a strategic advisor to the CEO. Manage a broad portfolio including commercial contracts, M&A, governance, and regulatory matters across Canada and the US.

Requirements

Requires a law degree and membership in a Canadian law society with over 7 years of experience in commercial and corporate law. Must be bilingual in French and English and comfortable operating in both Canadian and US legal environments.

Benefits

• Group Insurance • RRSP With Employer Contributions • 24/7 Telemedicine • Employee Assistance Program • Flexible Work Environment • Training And Development Programs • Performance-Based Bonus • Employee Recognition Programs • Employee Discounts • On-site Perks

Listed skills

• Regulatory Compliance · Preferred
• Risk Management · Preferred
• Contract Negotiation · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Commercial Law
• Corporate Governance
• Risk Management
• Mergers And Acquisitions
• Employment Law
• Litigation Management
• Intellectual Property
• Privacy Law
• Contract Negotiation
• Regulatory Compliance
• Strategic Advisory
• Bilingual French and English

Job areas

• Legal
• Management & Leadership
• Manufacturing
• Logistics
• Human Resources