Director, Idea Programs

Siskinds LLP is a leading law firm located in Southwestern Ontario. We are a team of over 240 lawyers and staff covering personal legal services, business law, personal injury law, and class actions law as well as over 25 specialized practice areas. We help clients make the right legal choices, manage their legal affairs, and resolve complicated matters. Our culture and working style strive to make our clients’ experiences comfortable, reassuring, and productive while delivering excellence in the services we provide.

Director, IDEA Programs – Full-time

What are you looking for?

•Be part of a cohesive team that promotes collaboration and teamwork

•Option for hybrid remote work schedule in a technologically advanced environment with exposure to many specialized computer applications

•Competitive compensation and benefits

•Professional development opportunities

•Strength of a big firm with the culture of a small firm

•Subsidized downtown parking

•Working within a state-of-the-art building

Who are we looking for?

We are growing and currently seeking a Director, IDEA1 Programs.

Qualifications

•A demonstrated track record of bringing diversity and inclusion to a professional or corporate setting or organization

•Track record of program implementation, strategic planning, and managing across multiple important priorities

•Success in relationship building and a track record of leveraging resources to accomplish strategic objectives

•Excellent leadership, communication and inter-personal skills, and cultural competencies to interact with a wide range of individuals

•Proven ability to support and empower leaders who are less experienced in diversity and inclusion

•Exceptional professional communication and advanced presentation skills

•Willing to work flexible hours as needed and to travel occasionally

•Legal education (JD, LLB or LLM) is a strong asset but not a prerequisite for consideration

Siskinds aspires to lead by example with an inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible workplace that values humility, compassion and cultural intelligence, and reflects and supports the communities we serve. Working with a leading consultant, Siskinds has developed a detailed and ambitious plan for meeting that objective.

1Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility

Excellence * Integrity * Leadership * Collegiality * Inclusion

The Director, IDEA Programs will lead the implementation and execution of Siskinds’ existing IDEA Strategy and Action Plan, and is responsible for identifying, developing and implementing new strategies to meet Siskinds’ long-term IDEA objectives.

Reporting to the Chief IDEA Officer, the Director, IDEA Programs will work closely with firm leadership and management, including the Chief Community Officer, and will be responsible for longer term planning and day-to-day execution of initiatives designed to:

•enhance the IDEA capacity of Siskinds’ leadership, including their understanding of the benefits of a human-centred approach to people management (i.e.: humane, compassionate, service-oriented, flexible, transparent, development-focused);

•ensure that Siskinds’ hiring, retention and promotion policies and practices are, to the greatest extent possible, free from bias so that we are able to attract and retain the best and brightest and that all of our people are set up for success and can reach their full potential;

•champion the value of a diverse and inclusive firm culture, and ensure that our workplace is welcoming and inclusive, and that all of our people feel seen and valued;

•engage our people in the IDEA program and build and design education and training initiatives to promote cultural understanding and competency and a climate of equity and inclusion;

•demonstrate our commitment to IDEA in the community through the development of pro bono, volunteer and community giving programs.

Responsibilities:

Planning:

•Outline steps and identify resources necessary to reach IDEA objectives

•Identify training needs and opportunities for leaders, managers, and legal and business professionals

•Identify and source training resources

•Coordinate planning and implementation of IDEA Programs with other firm professionals and senior management including the Director, Student and Associate Professional Resources, the Director, Human Resources, the Director, Marketing, the Chief Operating Officer, the Chief Information Officer and the Chief Financial Officer

•Develop metrics and methods for assessing progress toward IDEA objectives

Implementation

•Support the Chief IDEA Officer who is primarily responsible for the IDEA plan

•Support the Chief Community Officer who is responsible for the firm’s commitment to IDEA in the community

•Support and empower firm leadership and management to champion IDEA; advise on best practices in IDEA

Excellence * Integrity * Leadership * Collegiality * Inclusion