Deputy General Counsel

POSITION SUMMARY The Deputy General Counsel (DGC) serves as a senior legal leader within the Office of the General Counsel, providing strategic legal guidance, managing complex legal matters, and supporting the organization's mission, operations, and governance. The DGC assists the General Counsel in directing the legal department's activities, supervising legal staff, and serving as acting General Counsel in the General Counsel's absence. This position requires exceptional legal acumen, sound judgment, and the ability to advise executive leadership on a broad range of legal, regulatory, and compliance issues. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES Legal Leadership & Strategy Advise the General Counsel, executive leadership, and Board of Directors on legal matters affecting organizational strategy, risk, and operations. Serve as acting General Counsel during periods of absence, assuming full responsibility for department oversight and legal decision-making. Develop and implement legal strategies aligned with the organization's goals, risk tolerance, and regulatory environment. Monitor legislative and regulatory developments and proactively advise leadership on potential impact. Legal Operations & Supervision Supervise and mentor attorneys, paralegals, and other legal department staff, fostering professional growth and a high-performance culture. Manage the department's day-to-day legal operations, including workflow management, matter tracking, and outside counsel relationships. Oversee the selection, retention, and evaluation of outside counsel; review and approve legal invoices and budgets. Establish and improve legal department processes, policies, and systems to enhance efficiency and service delivery. Contracts & Transactional Matters Draft, review, and negotiate complex contracts including vendor agreements, partnership agreements, licensing arrangements, and other commercial transactions. Provide guidance on mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and other significant business transactions. Maintain and update standard contract templates and playbooks. Compliance & Risk Management Lead or support the organization's compliance programs, including regulatory compliance, ethics policies, and internal controls. Identify, assess, and manage legal and regulatory risks across the organization; present risk findings to leadership. Investigate and respond to potential compliance violations, working with relevant stakeholders to remediate issues. Litigation & Dispute Resolution Manage litigation matters, including coordinating with outside litigation counsel, overseeing discovery, and advising leadership on litigation strategy and risk. Represent the organization or supervise representation in regulatory proceedings, mediations, and arbitrations. Implement and oversee litigation holds and legal document preservation obligations. Corporate Governance Support Board of Directors governance activities, including preparation of Board materials, resolutions, and minutes. Advise on corporate governance best practices and ensure compliance with applicable corporate law. Maintain corporate records and manage entity formation, qualification, and dissolution activities. CORE COMPETENCIES Legal Expertise: Legal Expertise Strategic Thinking: Strategic Thinking Leadership & Team Development: Leadership & Team Development Communication & Influence: Communication & Influence Problem Solving & Judgment: Problem Solving & Judgment Integrity & Ethics: Integrity & Ethics Collaboration: Collaboration Adaptability: Adaptability Competency Descriptions Legal Expertise: Demonstrates deep knowledge across multiple areas of law relevant to the organization; stays current with legal and regulatory developments; applies sound legal judgment to complex and novel situations. Strategic Thinking: Anticipates legal challenges and opportunities; integrates legal strategy with business objectives; provides proactive, solution-oriented counsel rather than reactive legal opinions. Leadership & Team Development: Inspires, develops, and retains top legal talent; builds a collaborative team culture; delegates effectively and provides meaningful feedback and mentorship. Communication & Influence: Communicates complex legal concepts clearly and persuasively to non-legal audiences; builds trusted relationships with executive leaders and Board members; skilled in written and oral advocacy. Problem Solving & Judgment: Exercises sound, independent judgment on high-stakes issues; balances risk and opportunity; escalates appropriately while maintaining decisiveness. Integrity & Ethics: Models the highest standards of professional conduct and ethical behavior; ensures organizational activities comply with legal and ethical requirements. Collaboration: Partners effectively across departments, including Finance, HR, Operations, and Compliance; builds cross-functional relationships to advance legal and organizational objectives. Adaptability: Thrives in a fast-paced, evolving environment; manages competing priorities; adjusts strategies in response to changing business or regulatory conditions. REQUIRED EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE Education Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an ABA-accredited law school. Active bar admission in good standing in the state of primary employment; admission in additional jurisdictions a plus. Experience Minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible legal experience, with significant time spent in both a law firm setting and in-house legal environment. Minimum of five (5) years in a supervisory or managerial legal role with demonstrated responsibility for leading teams and managing legal department functions. Substantial experience advising executive leadership and/or Boards of Directors on complex legal, regulatory, and governance matters. Demonstrated expertise in at least three of the following: commercial transactions and contracts, corporate governance, employment law, regulatory compliance, litigation management, intellectual property, real estate, or data privacy. ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY QUALIFICATIONS Must maintain active bar licensure and satisfy all applicable continuing legal education (CLE) requirements throughout employment. Ability to pass a comprehensive background check, including criminal history review and verification of professional credentials and bar status. No prior disciplinary action by any state bar association, unless fully disclosed and resolved to the organization's satisfaction. Must be legally authorized to work in the United States; the organization does not sponsor employment visas for this position. Ability to work extended hours, including evenings and weekends, as required to meet critical deadlines or manage time-sensitive legal matters. Willingness and ability to travel domestically and, if applicable, internationally, up to approximately 15–20% of the time. Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and comply with all attorney-client privilege and work product protection obligations. Where applicable, ability to obtain and maintain required security clearances or other regulatory authorizations specific to the organization's industry. This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the position and is not an exhaustive list of skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities, or working conditions. The organization reserves the right to modify this description at any time. This position is subject to applicable employment laws and organizational policies. Originally posted on Himalayas