General Manager, Toronto (CLOSED)
About Gowling WLG
Gowling WLG is an international law firm with more than 1,500 client-facing professionals and more than 2,100 business services team members in 19 cities around the world. The Firm delivers in-depth expertise in key global sectors and a full suite of legal services to its clients. The Firm has been repeatedly recognized as a top employer as a result of its commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and innovation.
Gowling WLG (Canada) is the Canadian arm of Gowling WLG. With seven offices across Canada, an office in Moscow, Russia, and three offices in China, Gowling WLG (Canada) is one of the nation’s leading law firms.
Gowling WLG (Canada)’s Toronto office is home to over 200 lawyers and 300 business services team members. As one of Toronto’s top business law firms, Gowling WLG works with many of the world's leading organizations to solve their most critical business problems. The Firm’s diverse, internationally ranked, and highly experienced team in Toronto provides insightful advice, valuable counsel, and trusted representation across a variety of key industries, including energy, financial services, infrastructure, mining, manufacturing, technology, and life sciences.
The Opportunity
General Manager
Reporting to the Firm’s Chief Operating Officer, Gowling WLG (Canada) is seeking a General Manager (“GM”) to lead the administration of its Toronto office.
The GM will work strategically with the Office Managing Partner and will be a formal member of the Toronto Office Management Committee to direct all operational aspects in contribution to the success of the Firm. As a member of the Firm’s national senior Administrative Management Committee, the GM will also serve as the administrative nexus with the national leadership team to represent regional priorities and locally implement firm-wide initiatives.
They will empower and coordinate a business services team to ensure appropriate service and support is provided by all functional areas of the office. The eight positions directly supervised include:
Office Services & Facilities Manager
Human Resources Manager
Manager, Associate and Law Clerk Programs
Manager of Student Programs
Accounting Supervisor
Senior Financial Analyst
Director of the Scott Library and Information Centre
Business Development & Marketing Manager
Key responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Ensuring appropriate service and support is provided by all functional areas of the office within a matrix organizational structure: finance/accounting, facilities management, human resources, associate and student programs, marketing and business development, library services, and office services.
Being actively involved in the strategic management of the office’s legal services with the Office Managing Partner and the Office Management Committee.
Assuming a leadership role in continuous improvement—Identifying and developing opportunities to streamline processes and working with the appropriate resources to implement them.
Preparing and monitoring the annual Capital and Operating budgets along with the Fee budget in collaboration with the Office Managing Partner.
Managing the daily operations of the office to ensure efficiency and profitability in all areas.
Overseeing practice management of billing professionals, including time entry, billing, and collection.
Leading the management of personnel, including guiding and developing management teams within the functional area(s).
Developing and maintaining a positive organizational climate that fosters motivation, engagement, teamwork, and collaboration.
Managing and developing relationships with key stakeholders in order to fully understand business needs.
Creating, influencing, and implementing strategies related to business operations and organizational change.
Leading the office’s internal communications.
Overseeing the office’s procurement needs.
Participating in other firm management related initiatives as required.
Essential Qualities and Experience
The ideal candidate is a proven leader with a stellar track record of successfully managing within a large top-tier professional services firm. Experience within a comparably complex professional services environment or multi-stakeholder organization would be a major asset as candidates must demonstrate an ability to understand the Firm’s core service areas, financial operations, and the operational nuances amongst practice groups and their sub-specialty teams.
Financial expertise with a command of HR, team leadership, change and project management, combined with a positive attitude and high EQ will be top priorities for this position. It will be critical for the GM to be fluent in data-driven decision-making: gathering, analyzing, and communicating key financial and operational data to inform business approaches and outcomes.
Business sense, responsiveness, a high degree of empathy, optimism, and patience will be keys to success in this role. Our client inclusively welcomes credibly experienced leaders to apply for the role, but will prioritize candidates who possess the following attributes:
Accounting/Business degree, a CPA designation preferred.
Thorough knowledge of accounting and financial procedures.
Minimum of 12 years of experience with at least 7 years of management experience in the professional services industry.
Ability to work with and influence multiple key stakeholders and peers in order to accomplish common objectives.
Strong people leadership and engagement skills.
Excellent analytical skills with an attention to detail.
Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines, as well as changing needs/requests while remaining positive, engaged, and focused on finding solutions to problems.
Strong communication, organizational, time management, and financial planning skills.
Search Process
This position is a strategic leadership role and the Firm will pay competitively commensurate with comparable opportunities. The search process will include conventional longlist, shortlist, and committee interview stages. We will request for finalists to offer comprehensive recent references and to complete a background check.
Gowling WLG (Canada) is proud to offer equal employment opportunities, and actively encourages equity, diversity, and inclusion in its workplaces. Gowling WLG (Canada) welcomes applications from women, racialized persons, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, persons of all sexual and gender identities, and all who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.
Gowling WLG has introduced a COVID-19 mandatory vaccination policy that requires full vaccination against COVID-19 for everyone working in or visiting its Canadian offices effective September 27, 2021. Accordingly, an offer of employment will be conditional upon the successful candidate providing proof of full vaccination. Any exemption request will be considered on a case-by-case basis and granted only where the request meets the requirements of applicable legislation.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. In accordance with provincial legislation, accommodation will be provided by Gowling WLG (Canada) and Mosaic Executive Search throughout the recruitment, selection, and assessment process, upon request, to applicants with disabilities.
Applications (cover letter and curriculum vitae) or nominations for the GM, Toronto Office opportunity with Gowling WLG (Canada) should be submitted in confidence to: info@mosaicsearch.ca
You are also welcome to email:
Dave Namkung (dave@mosaicsearch.ca) or
Jane Hill (jhill@mosaicsearch.ca) with any related questions.
