General Counsel

NWEA™ is a research-based, not-for-profit organization that supports students and educators worldwide by creating assessment solutions that precisely measure growth and proficiency—and provide insights to help tailor instruction. For 40 years, NWEA has developed innovative Pre-K–12 assessments, including our flagship interim assessment, MAP® Growth™; our progress monitoring and skills mastery tool, MAP® Skills™; and the OECD Test for Schools (based on PISA). Educators trust our professional learning offerings to accelerate student learning and our research to support assessment validity and data interpretation. Our tools are trusted by educators in 140 countries and more than half the schools in the U.S.

Position summary

As the Organization’s chief in-house counsel, and key member of NWEA’s leadership team, the Vice President of Legal Services & General Counsel is responsible for the oversight of NWEA’s legal matters, including deal management, litigation, corporate governance, compliance, privacy, information security. As a key advisor to the CEO, CFO and other C-level executives, your decisions and recommendations will have significant impact on NWEA’s future viability. The Vice President of Legal Services & General Counsel assures advancement and protection of NWEA’s interests and ensures that obligations are fulfilled. This position works closely with Executive management and others throughout the organization to identify and analyze opportunities and risks, and provide strategic and actionable advice and options. The Vice President of Legal Services & General Counsel also serves as negotiator and decision maker with respect to high value legal agreements. Reporting to the CFO and Executive Vice President of Corporate Services, this position also directs and develops legal and information security staff, manages external counsel engagements, and works closely with other senior leaders in Corporate Services to provide a secure and stable foundation enabling NWEA to fulfill its mission.

Responsibilities

•   Provide legal oversight for all organizational contracts
    o Oversee the development, negotiation, and approval of customer, strategic partner, and vendor engagements through legal review, workflow management, policy, and standardized terms and templates.
    o Provide legal direction for research and product development initiatives in the Organization; partner with the sales organization to protect NWEA’s interests while enabling aggressive growth.
    o Partner with business stakeholders to proactively identify issues, triage risk, and offer viable options to further NWEA’s mission. Educate leadership and other staff members and direct the organization towards addressing key priorities with respect to risk.
    o Monitor, analyze and interpret relevant domestic and international legislation and regulations that may impact the Organization, and provide guidance to senior leadership with respect to risk management in these markets.
    o Protect NWEA’s the Organization’s intangible assets and ownership rights to ensure business continuity.
    o Manage the Organization’s responses to external requests for information, reporting, complaints from external governmental or non-governmental organizations.
•   Privacy and information security
    o Develop forward-looking privacy and security strategies, policies, and tools to engender trust in privacy and data usage while positioning our security practices as a competitive advantage.
    o Analyze and apply domestic and international laws relating to privacy and data disclosure.
    o Maintain and enhance NWEA’s comprehensive enterprise information security program
    o Minimize risk to NWEA by educating staff and vendors on privacy compliance, employing “Privacy by Design” principles and integrating privacy reviews during multiple stages of the product life cycle.
•   Assure the availability, continuity and quality of competent, timely, and cost-efficient legal services by managing legal staff and outside counsel
    o Align the Legal Services team goals to support and drive organization-wide goals. Develop each team member’s skills to anticipate and address the NWEA’s expanding needs and to leverage individual talents and skills.
    o Engage outside counsel when needed for specialized services or resource augmentation; maintain a portfolio of cost effective and high quality outside legal support.
    o Identify knowledge gaps in the Organization and implement relevant training
    o Manage the Legal Services operational infrastructure, workflow, and processes; maintain and monitor internal organizational policies.
    o Remove barriers that prevent legal services team from accomplishing its goals.
    o Serve as active, supportive member of Corporate Services leadership.
•   Manage litigation as needed
    o Provide legal counsel to the Organization on disputes which may lead to litigation and address and respond to lawsuits and complaints directly or through managing outside counsel.
    o Recognize potential legal risks and disputes and coordinate all litigation matters.
    o Provide ongoing guidance to senior executives on key legal exposure areas
•   Conduct merger and acquisition due diligence as needed
    o Lead due diligence for mergers and acquisitions, create legal analysis of deal elements and provide counsel on legal risk to executive team on complex transactions.
    o Negotiate and draft related agreements, including letters of intent, term sheets and purchase and sale.
    o Provide direct and responsive support to CEO, CFO, and other senior leadership
•   Support corporate governance
    o Manage corporate governance pertaining to NWEA’s Board of Directors; maintain by-laws, draft resolutions and manage support to Board of Directors through legal staff and outside counsel.
    o Deliver support and legal advice to Board of Directors upon request

Skills and abilities
 
Legal skills
• Well-grounded in contract, information security, privacy and software industry law, with ability to perform electronic legal research to support analyses and opinions
• Proficient in identifying legal issues embedded in daily and potential transactions and providing options, when available, and clear explanation of associated risks
• Proven ability to analyze complex data and integrate legal advice with business knowledge, and to effectively communicate analyses and applicable information to a variety of audiences
• Exceptional listening and interpersonal skills for partnering with outside counsel, clients, staff, and other stakeholders in developing and maintaining long term supportive relationships
• Resourceful in identifying and gaining expert assistance in unfamiliar areas of law

Leadership skills
• Possess a strong balance of business acumen and technical knowledge.
• Highly-developed interpersonal and leadership skills, with the ability to collaborate with a diverse population and ability to relate well with executives, staff, and external audiences
• Ability to work from an organizational perspective, with demonstrated sense of urgency and responsiveness in dealing with issues, and ability to handle multiple tasks in a timely manner
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and quickly under pressure
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to evaluate and leverage team members’ individual strengths; demonstrated ability to delegate and manage staff to deliver consistent quality results
• Ability to coach, mentor and guide peers and staff around priorities, performance, and individual development

Other
• Ability to organize time effectively, determine priorities, delegate work and move work forward
• Superior attention to detail, with skill to inquire beyond the obvious in order to learn and provide support.
• Ability to assess the effectiveness of processes, identify barriers, and recommend improvements
• Ability to be effective in a growing organization that changes rapidly and often
• Willingness to accept coaching to remove barriers to effective working relationship
• After-hours availability in person or electronically to the executives on a regular basis
• Must be able to perform the physical and intellectual requirements of the role, with or without accommodation
 
Education and experience

• A current state license to practice law; history of U.S. bar memberships preferred
• Minimum ten years’ experience with contract review and negotiation
• Minimum eight years’ experience as corporate legal counsel, handling a combination of technology licensing, intellectual property and data privacy issues;
• Minimum four years’ experience in directing a legal team including direct supervision of other lawyers.
• International data privacy and technology law experience a plus
• Record of exercising excellent judgment on behalf of clients including large and complex organizations and issues
• Commitment to the highest ethical and professional standards

Benefits

At NWEA we not only offer a competitive base salary, we offer a 15% contribution of eligible employees’ base salary to a defined contribution 403(b) retirement savings plan; career development opportunities; an awesome work culture and environment; we also offer industry leading benefits and perks that are focused on supporting our employees’ holistic wellbeing. To learn more about what we can offer more, click here.