What are the responsibilities and job description for the SVP Chief Legal Officer position at Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona?
Serves as the Company's chief legal advisor and strategic business partner to the CEO, Executive Leadership Team, and multiple Boards of Directors. Provides enterprise-wide leadership for all legal, compliance, governance, risk management, regulatory, litigation, employment, commercial, contract law, real estate law, trademark, M&A, and corporate matters. This executive develops and executes a legal strategy that supports growth, protects corporate assets, mitigates risk, and enables operational excellence. As a key member of the ELT, the CLO balances legal risk with business objectives, ensuring the organization operates with integrity, compliance, and sound governance while supporting strategic initiatives, mergers and acquisitions, expansion efforts, and stakeholder interests. Establishes the vision, priorities, operating model, and strategic direction of the organization's legal function.
Plans and directs all aspects of the Company’s and affiliated entities for Legal and Compliance and ensures protection of its legal and regulatory rights and interests. Responsible for identifying and analyzing legal issues, drafting key documents, presenting clear recommendations, and managing the work/budget of outside counsel, as needed. Oversees organizational integrations and post-merger transformation, while developing and scaling legal and compliance infrastructure during periods of significant growth.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Foster a culture of integrity, accountability, and ethical business conduct.
- Lead governance practices and advise multiple Boards of Directors and committee chairs on policies, fiduciary responsibilities, governance obligations, and mandatory corporate record-keeping and compliance.
- Support board meetings, resolutions, governance documentation, and strategic transactions.
- Advise on legal/compliance aspects of the organization’s financing, including assessing and advising on current and future business structures and legal entities.
- Prepare and assist with negotiation of business contracts, leases, and consulting agreements, and administer other legal matters relating to real estate acquisition, development, and financing of transactions and projects, as needed.
- Oversight of insurance claims, risk transfer mechanisms, and legal reserves.
- Monitors and consults on corporate compliance matters, including mandatory outside reporting, audits, and reviews.
- Responsible for leading corporate strategic and tactical legal and compliance initiatives.
- Lead legal strategy for significant incidents, including serious injuries, fraud, cyber events, regulatory inquiries, media-sensitive matters, and reputational crises
- Represents GCNA in litigation and all legal proceedings. Acts as agent of organization in various transactions.
- Owns the legal and compliance budget, outside-counsel spend, legal reserves, matter portfolio, risk dashboard, and periodic reporting to the CEO, ELT, and Board committees
- Anticipates legal, regulatory, and business risks that may affect organizational performance and reputation; counsels and/or trains staff on compliance and changes in the law, project/transactional issues and disputes.
- Develop succession plans, cross-training, knowledge-management practices, and continuity plans for the legal and compliance function.
- Responsible for performance management (coaching, discipline, performance improvement plans, and annual reviews), staffing, compensation, and development of Team Members.
- Models Goodwill Core Values – Trust, Collaboration, Engagement, Ownership, and Innovation.
- Plays critical role in driving company culture change efforts and change management processes.
- Performs other related duties, as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications (Education, Experience, Skills):
- J.D. required
- Active membership in the appropriate state Bar
- 15 years of progressively responsible experience practicing law
- Previous General Counsel, Chief Legal Officer, or Deputy General Counsel experience
- Corporate governance and experience advising executive leadership and Boards
- Corporate compliance and strategic legal counsel experience
- M&A/corporate development experience, where required for the role
- Valid drivers' license and clean MVR.
- Ability to speak and read English proficiently.
- Ability to pass a background check and drug screen, where applicable for position.
Reasonable Accommodation Statement:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.