Research Legal Counsel

UHN is Canada’s #1 hospital and the world’s #1 publicly funded hospital. With 10 sites and more than 44,000 TeamUHN members, UHN includes Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, The Michener Institute of Education and West Park Healthcare Centre. As Canada's top research hospital, the scope of biomedical research and complexity of cases at UHN have made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. UHN has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in neurosciences, cardiology, transplantation, oncology, surgical innovation, infectious diseases, genomic medicine and rehabilitation medicine. UHN is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto.

UHN’s vision is to build A Healthier World and it is because of the talented and dedicated people who work here that we are continually bringing that vision to reality.

www.uhn.ca

Union: Non-Union
Site: 700 University Avenue
Department: Research Legal
Reports to: Director of Research, Legal
Salary: $115,730 - $165,730 annually
Hours: 37.5 hours per week 
Status: Temporary Full-Time (15-month Contract) 
Closing Date: May 11, 2026

Position Summary

UHN is seeking a strategic and results-oriented lawyer to join its Legal Affairs Department supporting Research. Aligned with the UHN’s strategic research direction, the candidate will provide a spectrum of legal services across the organization in respect of a diversity of research-related activities, and diverse clientele, inclusive of commercialization, research grants, research procurement, core support services, research operations, service core support; people & culture, privacy, data security and others.

Duties

• Negotiate, draft, and finalize Research support agreements, including but not limited to license agreements, option agreements, shareholders agreements, joint venture agreements, development agreements, data transfer agreements, service agreements, material transfer agreements, etc.
• Develop and maintain legal agreement templates and guidelines including policies that support research, and working to improve processes and templates to enable non-lawyer processing of agreements on behalf of Research.
• Negotiate and Finalize Commercial Agreements for Intellectual Property Commercialization; Ensure agreements balance commercialization goals with risk management and institutional policies.
• Manage legal and reputational risk related to Research and Commercial agreements.
• Provide legal oversight on Research grants and compliance.
• Coordinate cross-functional legal compliance across UHN.
• Investigate and mitigate potential legal risks and litigation exposure
• Stay current on legal and regulatory developments; maintain expertise in intellectual property, privacy, regulatory law, and health research compliance; advise stakeholders on legal and regulatory changes affecting UHN’s research and commercialization activities.
• Develop and deliver legal education and training for Research and Commercialization teams on contract negotiation, intellectual property rights, and regulatory compliance.
• Support special projects and strategic initiatives related to research legal matters.
• Assist leadership in addressing emerging legal issues outside of standard operational activities.

• Completion of a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant scientific field (such as Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Engineering, Physics,) and a Bachelor’s degree in Law (or recognized equivalent).
• Minimum of 5 years of practical related legal experience.
• Member in good standing of the Law Society of Upper Canada.
• Strong foundation in contract law, intellectual property law, and regulatory compliance, preferably in the healthcare or research sector.
• Experience negotiating, drafting, and finalizing research agreements, IP licensing agreements, and commercial contracts within an academic, healthcare, or life sciences setting.
• Knowledge of Canadian and international IP laws, licensing strategies, technology transfer, and commercialization practices.
• Strong understanding of regulatory and compliance frameworks (e.g., PHIPA, GDPR).
• Familiarity with an academic or hospital research institution is preferred.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Why join UHN?

In addition to working alongside some of the most talented and inspiring healthcare professionals in the world, UHN offers a wide range of benefits, programs and perks. It is the comprehensiveness of these offerings that makes it a differentiating factor, allowing you to find value where it matters most to you, now and throughout your career at UHN.

• Competitive offer packages
• Government organization and a member of the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP https://hoopp.com/)
• Close access to Transit and UHN shuttle service
• A flexible work environment
• Opportunities for development and promotions within a large organization
• Additional perks (multiple corporate discounts including: travel, restaurants, parking, phone plans, auto insurance discounts, on-site gyms, etc.)

Current UHN employees must have successfully completed their probationary period, have a good employee record along with satisfactory attendance in accordance with UHN's attendance management program, to be eligible for consideration.

All applications must be submitted before the posting close date.

UHN uses email to communicate with selected candidates.  Please ensure you check your email regularly.

Please be advised that a Criminal Record Check may be required of the successful candidate. Should it be determined that any information provided by a candidate be misleading, inaccurate or incorrect, UHN reserves the right to discontinue with the consideration of their application.

UHN is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive recruitment process and workplace. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process. Applicants need to make their requirements known.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.