Senior Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel Greater Baltimore, MD Area

We invite applications for the position of Senior Vice President (SVP) for Legal Affairs and General Counsel. Serving as the chief legal advisor to the President, the SVP is an integral part of the senior leadership team. Through effective leadership and communication, the SVP will provide legal advice and direction on complex projects with university-wide impact.

As the chief legal officer for the University, the incumbent will collaborate with members of the President’s Executive Leadership Team, the President’s Cabinet, Deans and other university leaders in advancing TU’s continued upward trajectory and providing legal counsel and advice on a wide variety of issues.

The incumbent will lead the Office of the General Counsel (OGC), overseeing a fast-paced, high-volume office that provides guidance on a wide range of legal issues that requires an innovative and critical approach. The OGC currently consists of two Senior Associate General Counsels, the Office of Equity Compliance led by a senior attorney, one Paralegal, a Contracts Administrator and an Executive Administrative Assistant that all work collaboratively to provide advice, manage cases and establish, implement, and communicate policies, systems, and procedures that support the needs of the University.

The ideal candidate for the SVP will be an experienced lawyer and strategic leader that embraces TU’s mission and culture, possesses senior administrative experience, and demonstrated exemplary communication and interpersonal skills. Critical to the success of this position is the ability to proactively identify and manage the various challenges facing institutions of higher education.

Chief Legal Officer to the University

The Senior Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel will serve on the Executive Leadership Team and the President’s Cabinet and advance the University’s mission and functions while advising on the legal implications of University policies, initiatives, strategies and decisions.

The SVP will actively:

Provide strategic and legal counsel to the President and senior leadership members to drive institutional growth and advance strategic initiatives in a risk-aware manner.

Participate in the creation, development, and achievement of institutional legal strategy and policy, advising on legal and regulatory issues, ethics and risk appetite.

Lead and manage a team of knowledgeable and experienced legal professionals that collectively advise the larger university community on a very broad range of issues, including sponsored research, employment and student affairs issues, civil rights laws, NCAA compliance, State of Maryland requirements, and a wide variety of transactional matters.

Serve as an advocate for improvements in policies, laws, and regulations to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the management of a public institution.

Manage high-stakes government investigations and litigation with sensitivity towards institutional goals and needs.

Support TU by assessing the merit of legal claims for the purpose of defense, compromise, and settlement, managing the process for review of University contracts and business relationships, and monitoring trends in higher education, legislative, regulatory, and associated legal matters.

Proactively build and maintain collaborative working relationships and develop preventive legal strategies and institutional policy and compliance programs to help minimize litigation and third party disputes and other potential project development and implementation issues with leaders across the university, the general counsels of other USM institutions and the State of Maryland Office of the Attorney General.

Serve as chief spokesperson for negotiating legal agreements and settlements as needed.

Executive Leader of Office of Equity Compliance

Manage the activities and work of the Associate Vice President for Equity Compliance and support that university official as they manage and lead the day-to-day affairs of the Office of Equity Compliance.

Support the Office of Equity Compliance as it conducts investigations into allegations of sexual harassment and civil rights violations impartially, equitably, and efficiently.

Ensure all allegations are handled timely and efficiently.

This position requires a(n):

Juris Doctorate from an ABA accredited institution; Current and active Maryland Bar Admission license or ability to become licensed within 12 months of employment

Minimum ten (10) years of legal experience, with a significant portion including oversight and management of investigations, audits, and legal guidance to experience overseeing, coordinating, and managing the legal affairs in a university, government, nonprofit, or corporate setting, to include providing legal advice/services to a wide range of stakeholders (both internal and external) with varying interests;

Minimum five (5) years of experience leading, supervising and directing the work of other attorneys, legal professionals and support staff;

Exemplary personal and professional integrity and the highest of ethical standards;

Ability to strategically and creatively meet the unique and dynamic legal needs of the campus to facilitate change and build strong relationships;

Thorough understanding of the legal issues facing a public sector university, knowledge of state and federal laws and regulations applicable to higher education, and the ability to recognize issues of institutional importance;

Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Proven ability to distill complicated legal issues into accessible, concise advice for sophisticated non-lawyer clients.

Demonstrated proficiency in applying best practices to academic legal issues and affairs with diligence, integrity and successful outcomes;

Demonstrated experience and success with handling multiple priorities and tasks;

Pragmatic and flexible thinker with demonstrated ability to advance key stakeholder goals. Comfortable with legal risk when necessary to push forward institutional strategic objectives;

Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders representing a wide array of interpersonal and communication styles;

Maintains the highest level of ethical standards.

Preferences include:

Legal experience serving as counsel within a college or university Office of General Counsel.

Familiarity and experience with Maryland higher education institutions.

Experience providing legal advice on a wide range of topics within a complex shared governance organization that includes varying constituencies, including university faculty.

Positive, flexible attitude and ability to maintain positive relationships with colleagues while working through challenging situations.

Collaborative work style and ability to work well with senior university leaders, peers and subordinates.