| POSITION TITLE |
Research Counsel |
| DEPARTMENT |
LTRI (Office of Technology Transfer & Industry Liaison) |
| EMPLOYMENT TYPE |
Regular, Full-Time |
| HOURS OF WORK |
37.5 hours per week |
| EMPLOYEE GROUP |
Non-Union |
| REPORTS TO |
LTRI (Office of Technology Transfer & Industry Liaison) |
ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION:
Sinai Health is a leading academic health science centre and a trailblazer for integrated care across the health continuum. Our fusion of science, innovation, care and learning has earned us international, national and provincial leadership for unique programs and compassionate care. Since 2015, Sinai Health has delivered excellent care in hospital, community and home.
Comprised of Mount Sinai Hospital, Bridgepoint Active Healthcare, the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and our system partner Circle of Care, Sinai Health discovers and translates scientific breakthroughs, pushes boundaries for health solutions, and educates future clinical and scientific leaders.
The Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital, a University of Toronto affiliated research centre, is one of the world's leading centres in biomedical research. With ground-breaking discoveries in research areas such as diabetes, genetic disorders, cancer and women’s and infants’ health, the Institute is committed to excellence in health research and the training of young investigators. Strong partnerships with the clinical programs of Mount Sinai Hospital ensure that scientific knowledge is used to promote human health. Your significant contributions will assist in maintaining our momentum in advancing our research.
POSITION OVERVIEW:
Working as part of a team, the Research Counsel is responsible for the review and negotiation of a variety of forms of agreement covering industry-sponsored research. Industry-sponsored clinical study agreements and associated forms of agreement are a core responsibility of this position.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Working under the direct supervision and reporting to the Director, Technology Transfer & Industry Liaison and in consultation with Sinai Health System General Counsel and Legal Counsel, Privacy and Health, Grants Administration, Procurement, REB, fellow Research Counsel, researchers, clinicians, research coordinators, and other advisors;
- Evaluates and generates an assessment as to the expertise required to complete tasks that require the collaboration and input of other departments (e.g. REB, Privacy, Finance, Grants & Administration, Business Development, Privacy, Legal);
- Reviewing, draft and negotiation of agreements for high risk and complex clinical research studies covering industry-sponsored clinical studies, multi-site clinical consortium agreements, confidential disclosure agreements, data sharing agreements, clinical laboratory studies, research services and related forms of agreements;
- Draft agreement templates de novo and responsible for the maintenance of precedent templates and the determination of their applicability to a contract request submission;
- Expertise to manage 100+ contracts within a given time period to ensure compliance with legislation, nationally recognized research ethics policies and internal policies and procedures in a timely and efficient manner;
- Establish partnerships with internal business departments (e.g. Business Development Team) to understand their legal needs and risk exposure make recommendations to ensure management of risk in contractual arrangements to the Hospital and Research Institute;
- Contribute to internal risk management and compliance initiatives by giving direction to senior management as to where high risk activities require attention and provide general legal advice to other members of the office team, particularly with respect to liability issues, privacy laws and health policy;
- Be the primary liaison and respond to inquiries from external stakeholders regarding agreements, including prescribed entities, family health teams, and national and international pharmaceutical companies, clinical research organizations hospitals, universities and external legal counsel;
- Apply a working knowledge of relevant privacy and data management requirements and best-practices and communicate updates on legislative changes and clinical research practices to ensure compliance;
- Take a leadership role in the health law or hospital legal community by leading the quarterly CRAWG meetings of the TAHSN hospitals;
- Be a knowledge reference for clinical research subject matter affecting the TAHSN hospitals through membership in professional working groups (CAHO, CRAWG, TAHSN legal retreat);
- Engage with new principal investigators and research coordinators through introductory meetings to inform and educate new personnel of the purpose of the OTTIL and contract review process;
- Represent the OTTIL at committee meetings including quarterly Clinical Investigator Meetings, to provide knowledge guidance and support to senior clinical research management on best practices and issues affecting the clinical research community;
- Contribute to the maintenance of the contract database and report on the status of contract review and any issues associated with timely drafting and completion;
SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS:
- University degree, LL.B. or J.D., with at least four (4) years’ experience and the ability to practice law in the province of Ontario and in good standing with the Law Society of Upper Canada;
- A well-organized, self-starter in possession of excellent analytical and problem-solving skills who is able to work with very little supervision
- Exceptional communication and negotiation skills and easily able to interact and work cooperatively with colleagues as part of a team
- Experience in reviewing, drafting and negotiating a variety of clinical study agreements;
- Excels in ability to critically read, analyze and write a variety of legal and technical documents including a familiarity with intellectual property law and other forms of industry sponsored research agreements and health law matters including privacy;
- Knowledge of contract, health policy and privacy law, particularly in the context of an academic biomedical and clinical research environment and Canadian Hospitals and institutions;
- Demonstrated satisfactory work performance and attendance record;
- Excellent planning and time management skills to be able to work on multiple agreements in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines to meet the expectations of principle investigators on project goals;
- Demonstrated commitment to career development through a keen interest in learning new areas of law and policy by completing continual education accreditation requirements;
- Displays highly effective professional working relationships developed within the TAHSN community and internally within the corporation;
- Evident industry experience gained from working with hospitals, the Research Institute and their networks
SALARY RANGE:
$118,035 to $147,595
In accordance with Institute’s policy and legislated health and safety requirements, employment is conditional upon the verification of credentials, completion of a health review, and demonstrating proof of immunity and vaccination status of vaccine-preventable diseases. Successful candidates will be required to provide two (2) written reference letters from their former employer(s)/supervisor(s).
We are a fully committed to fairness and equity in employment and our recruitment and selection practices. We encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, members of sexual minority groups, members of racialized groups, women and any others who may contribute to the further diversification of our Sinai Health community. Accommodation will be provided in all parts of the hiring process as required under our Access for People with Disabilities policy. Applicants need to make their requirements known in advance.
The Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute is a scent sensitive environment and all members of the community are expected to refrain from wearing or using scented products while visiting or working at the Institute. We also support a barrier-free workplace supported by the Institute’s accessibility plan, accommodation and disability management policies and procedures. Should you require accommodation at any point during the recruitment process, including accessible job postings, please contact the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Human Resources Department.
Our hiring process uses job posting portals that screen relevant keywords, followed by a review from a human recruiter.
| Posting open until February 13, 2026. We thank all candidates for applying. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted. |
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