Legal Course Specialist

Staff - Non Union

Job Category
M&P - AAPS

Job Profile
AAPS Salaried - Educational Programming, Level B

Job Title
Legal Course Specialist

Department
Senior Licensing Managers | Real Estate Licensing Education | UBC Sauder School of Business

Compensation Range
$6,068.92 - $8,724.25 CAD Monthly

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End Date
February 22, 2024

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.

Job End Date

Your application must include a cover letter and a resume to the attention of:

Devin Kanhai, Executive Director, Licensing Education

Any questions about this position may be addressed to Kelsey Marshall at:

[email protected]

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career. 

Job Summary

UBC Sauder School of Business is one of the world’s leading business faculties. The school consistently ranks among the top 100 in the world and is recognized internationally for excellence in research and learning, an outstanding faculty and unmatched global partnerships. A collaborative and respectful culture within which all members of our community can thrive is a key principle in our strategic plan, and one that underpins our educational mission.

We acknowledge that UBC Sauder at the Vancouver Campus is situated within the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Musqueam. We acknowledge that UBC Sauder at the UBC Robson Square is situated on the traditional territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh.

The Real Estate Division at the UBC Sauder School of Business (the “Division”) is a globally recognized leader in the development and provision of regulatory/licensing, certification, and credit educational programs for the real estate profession. Current and prospective clients include all levels of governmental and regulatory agencies, and provincial, national, and international professional bodies. The Division is a revenue generating unit that is self-funded. As such, success depends upon maintaining a national reputation as a quick response provider of leading edge, award-winning programs.

The Legal Course Specialist, Licensing Education position (the “Position”) works with the Division’s legal content team of practising and non-practising lawyers in the development and delivery of the Division’s licensing education programs, which include pre-licensing and mandatory post-licensing real estate education programs across multiple provinces/territories, and voluntary continuing real estate education programs nationwide.  The Position contributes to the creation of a wide variety of legal materials covering a diverse range of topics, (e.g., real estate sales, mortgage brokerage, property management, etc.) with applicability in a number of different provinces (e.g., British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Alberta). Furthermore, the Position is responsible for various legal aspects involved in developing policies, systems and organizational practices related to the Division’s education and examination operations. 

In fulfilling all of the above-noted responsibilities, there may be opportunities for some travel within Canada.

Organizational Status
Reports to the Directors of the Division. Works with and takes direction from, the Division’s Directors and team of legal associates (practising and non-practising lawyers). The Position also works with Allard School of Law graduate student academic assistants and various full- and part-time staff involved in academic operations and course and examination production and delivery. The Position works with external subject matter experts, legal counsel, and clients to support the legal team’s work with those experts, counsel, and clients.
Work Performed

Legal Content Development - The Position is responsible for and exercises judgement in maintaining the legal academic integrity of the Division’s course materials and examinations.  Responsibilities include:

• thoroughly researching and creating legal content (e.g., textbook material, assignment questions, and study resources such as flashcards, videos, and practice questions) across a broad variety of topics such as land law, contract law, agency law, tax law, and mortgage law, based on legislation in different provinces;

• participating in ongoing evaluation to identify new and existing curricular requirements;

• providing academic expertise in the development and production of program offerings where expertise is appropriate;

• reviewing of existing legal materials for the purposes of improvement and updating;

• creating examination content related to the legal content in course materials; and

• identifying examination content for adjustment in response to psychometric and statistical analyses.

Course and Examination Development and Delivery - The Position is responsible for a wide range of activities relating to the overall development and delivery of the Division’s courses and examinations. This involves and requires the balancing of academic and regulatory integrity, educational best practices, customer-focused student services, program security, and financial viability. Responsibilities include:

• liaising with and assigning instructors to teach lectures;

• assessing program offerings;

• developing, conducting and addressing reports and surveys (e.g., student and instructor evaluation reports);

• providing instructional design support and expertise;

• participating in evaluating education technology for its appropriateness for the Division’s programs;

• planning schedules of course offerings and delivery particulars; and

• liaising with key regulatory body and professional association contacts.

Legal Support and Student Relations – The Position is responsible for various legal aspects involved in developing policies, systems and organizational practices related to the Division’s education and examination operations, and provides legal support to the legal associates and the Division’s Directors on a variety of legal matters, including:

• preparing and redesigning procedural guidelines and policies to meet educational and organizational goals;

• acting as a content expert and academic advisor to a wide range of students, and addressing academic policy issues with students;

• developing and reviewing course and program regulations;

• training and ongoing management of summer and part-time Allard School of Law graduate student academic assistants (i.e., law tutors);

• responding to student enquiries that go beyond law tutor capabilities or in the absence of law tutors;

• ensuring compliance with legal requirements such as the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act , Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation, and intellectual property law (which may involve liaising with UBC’s Office of the University Counsel); and

• performing other duties as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
The Position is involved in the Division’s educational programming and administration, including legal content creation, curriculum designs/planning, program policies, and program delivery strategies, all of which are expected to align with the Division’s overall strategy and internal budgetary constraints. The Position exercises judgement and initiative and has the ability to act independently in establishing priorities and carrying tasks through to completion.  Some decisions involved in the Position have a direct impact on the Division’s students’ abilities to meet academic and professional licensing requirements, and ultimately on their abilities to become and/or remain active members of the real estate industry. Inadequate judgement may have negative effects on the Division’s, Faculty’s, and the University’s reputation and may result in the loss of economic opportunities and of profitability.
Supervision Received
The Position works under broad directives set by the Division’s Directors. The Position receives work assignments and input directly from all members of the legal team and works with them on all legal aspects involved in developing academic content, policies, systems and organizational practices related to the Division’s education and examination operations. The Position is expected to be able to carry out work under limited supervision. Routine matters are handled independently, occasionally consulting relevant legal team members with reference to new or complex problems. Work is reviewed for overall effectiveness and achievement of the Division’s educational programming objectives.
Supervision Given
Responsible for recruiting, engaging, and managing/supervising (1) both internal and external subject matter experts, instructors, editors, and legal counsel in multiple provinces, and (2) summer and part-time Allard School of Law graduate student academic assistants. The Position may oversee the work of summer and part-time Allard School of Law graduate student academic assistants.
Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of four years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• Paralegal certificate or diploma and paralegal experience, or domestic or international law degree, is required.

• Experience as a paralegal in the area of real estate or corporate law is preferred. Education experience is an asset, but is not essential.   

• Knowledge of the legal and regulatory framework of the real estate industry in Canada and abroad is preferred.

• Strong written and oral communication, interpersonal skills, and word processing/computer skills, and a demonstrated ability to operate strategically in a complex competitive environment are required.

• Ability to exercise tact and discretion in dealing with confidential and sensitive matters is required.

• Ability to multitask, adapt to changing priorities, prioritize work, take initiative, and simultaneously work with various staff, internal and external experts, and clients is required.

• Sound judgement and problem-solving skills are required.

• Ability to maintain accuracy and pay close attention to detail is required.

• Ability to travel.