Vice President - Legal

Location: Markham, Ontario

Job Description:

Position: Vice President, Legal

Type: Full-Time | Temporary | Hybrid

Location: Markham, ON

Reports to: Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel & Secretary

About Us

Pet Valu is Canada’s leading pet specialty retailer, dedicated to strengthening the bond between dedicated pet lovers and their pets. With 50 years of animal care expertise, we operate over 800 stores across Canada under several banners, including Pet Valu, Bosley’s, Total Pet, Paulmac's Pet, Tisol & Chico. Guided by our mission to deliver products, care, expertise, and memorable moments, Pet Valu is a place where people build meaningful careers while making a positive impact on pets and communities.

What will you do?

The Vice President, Legal works as part of a cross-functional team to provide practical, business-oriented legal advice on a variety of matters and to support the execution of the Company’s strategic direction and special projects. The incumbent will be primarily responsible for providing in-house legal advice and services pertaining to corporate and commercial law, regulatory compliance, information technology, cyber and data security, trademarks, intellectual property law, privacy law, claims management and other matters as assigned by the Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel & Secretary. Additional experience in various other matters such as corporate secretary and securities compliance, commercial leasing and franchise matters would be advantageous. This is a 6-month temporary contract with an estimated end date for February 2027.

Responsibilities

• Specializing in corporate and commercial law and regulatory compliance:
  • Providing legal expertise to the corporation on matters relating to the business including but not limited to regulatory compliance, commercial matters including marketing, advertising, e-commerce, loyalty, purchasing, information technology, cyber and data security, trademarks, privacy and consumer protection.
  • Drafting and negotiating vendor, supplier, branding, license, information technology, cyber and data security agreements and various other contracts and commitments. 
  • Providing legal expertise on special projects and other non-corporate and commercial related legal matters as required.

• Advising the Company and senior management on a broad range of issues including business law, provincial and federal regulatory and compliance matters, including identifying areas of risk and developing policies and processes for risk management.
• Managing outside counsel and developing strategy for litigation and regulatory proceedings.
• Researching and analyzing the law on complex issues.
• Negotiating with outside parties on contractual issues and legal disputes and drafting contracts.
• Anticipating and mitigating potential legal problems within the organization.
• Developing strategies to achieve efficiencies and reduce potential areas of risk.
• Provide legal support and guidance with respect to other matters as assigned by the Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel & Secretary.

Qualifications & Experience

Education and Experience

• 10+ years of experience practicing corporate and commercial law and regulatory compliance in either private practice (corporate and/or securities law department) or in-house legal department;
• Experience in marketing, advertising and e-commerce law is strongly preferred;
• Experience with corporate secretary and securities compliance, franchise law, privacy legislation, litigation/claims management and other areas related to the retail industry would be an asset.

Knowledge and Skills

• Superior verbal and written English communication skills are essential.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and ethical decision-making with minimal supervision.
• Ability to analyze complex issues, problem solve and provide pragmatic legal advice.
• Ability to work with people at all levels within the organization and cross-functionally.
• Must be detail-oriented, analytical, and self-directed.

Ready to join the team?

We’re looking for passionate people who bring strong skills and live our core values of safety, compassion, expertise, and efficiency every day. If you’re energized by doing meaningful work, taking pride in what you deliver, and making a real impact for pets, people, and communities, you’ll feel right at home here. Join us and build a career where purpose, care, and excellence come together - because love lives here™.

Why work for us?

 At Pet Valu, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We’re passionate about creating an environment where you feel supported, included, and empowered to grow - both personally and professionally. Some of the perks of working with us include:

• Hybrid, Flexible Work Options
• Learning and Development support tailored to you
• An inclusive, collaborative culture where your voice matters
• Fun company events that keep us connected
• Preferred rates for car rentals, hotels, phone plans and gym discounts
• Generous employee discounts on our products

Pet Valu is an equal opportunity employer committed to inclusion and accessibility. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the recruitment and selection process, in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

At Pet Valu, we are committed to transparency and fairness in our hiring practices. This posting is for an existing vacancy. Pet Valu may use AI enabled technology to assist in the recruitment process for positions. The use of AI helps us ensure we are providing an equitable and streamlined recruitment experience for all applicants. While AI tools support our recruitment process, all decisions throughout the process are made exclusively by Pet Valu’s hiring team. At no stage does AI determine recruitment outcomes.