General Counsel

The General Counsel is a key member of the leadership of WestEd with responsibility for leading the in-house legal department and management of outside legal counsel. The General Counsel provides legal representation to the organization on all legal matters, including interpreting laws, regulations and policies, overseeing investigations, responding to regulatory complaints/inquiries, and directing litigation. S/he will play a critical role in ensuring that WestEd has the dynamic leadership needed to effectively advance its mission while navigating changes in laws and requirements that affect how we operate and achieve our goals for growth and impact. The ideal candidate is a skilled legal professional who understands how to (1) work as a collaborative partner with organizational leaders to manage risk and opportunities that support the achievement of organizational goals, and (2) implement and manage efficient and effective processes to address the agency’s legal needs.

This position reports to the Chief Administrative Officer and will serve as a trusted advisor and partner to WestEd’s Executive Team and Department/Program Leaders and provide supervision to a staff attorney and paralegal.

Responsibilities

Risk Management, Policies, and Compliance

Develop, interpret, periodically review and revise agency policies
Monitor compliance with agency policies, responding to questions about policies, flagging issues, reviewing alleged violations of policies and recommending appropriate resolutions
Stay informed of federal and state regulations and policies pertinent to agency business, provide advice and recommendations regarding changes in practice and process to maintain compliance with requirements
Provide counsel on risk management matters for the agency
Contracts, Proposals, and Reports

Work to improve and to standardize transactional documents and the process for their review
Regularly review contracts, memorandum of understandings (MOUs), non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and other legally binding agreements routed for review and approval pursuant to the agency’s policies and procedures
Negotiate and draft major transactional and relational agreements and documents
General and Specialized Legal Assistance

Provide general legal advice to the agency, particularly with respect to personnel matters, data privacy, and compliance issues
Conduct research on various issues as requested
Provide support for matters related to agency Governance (e.g., Board and Executive Leadership)
Provide legal advice and strategic counsel regarding the management of agency intellectual property and assets
Manage outside legal counsel and the legal advice they provide
Provide “self-help” resources (e.g., check-lists, standard forms, policies, etc.) and build the agency’s formal store of legal knowledge capital
Provide subject matter expertise in the following areas:
Joint Powers Authority
Contracts law
Employment law
Internal investigations
Litigation and disputes
Insurance
Retirement Plans
Qualifications

Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school and member of the California State Bar
Minimum of 10 years of professional legal experience, including at least five years as General Counsel or equivalent responsibilities
Commitment to the mission of WestEd with a commitment to and knowledge of national education, research, and service communities
Knowledge of governance, compliance, regulatory environments, and litigation in a government or non-profit environment
Experience with Federal government contracting
Current knowledge of corporate legal issues including intellectual property, conflict of interest, corporate filing (e.g., JPA)
Ability to exercise flexibility, creativity, judgment, integrity, and comfort when dealing with a broad range of legal matters
Proven successful leader with ability to establish and maintain positive relationships with staff, management, vendors, and others
Outstanding organization, collaboration, problem solving, and project management skills and experience
Strong supervisory skills; excellent customer service skills; patience, creativity, and flexibility
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to explain legal concepts to business leaders, and business concepts to the legal and contracts staff; in addition, must be able to effectively present to Executive and Board-level leadership
Strong ethical bearings
Strong business acumen with the ability to improve/enhance organizational and process effectiveness
This is WestEd Salary Level K.  Salary is competitive depending on experience.  

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.