Vice President for Policy, Compliance, and Government Relations - General Counsel
Job Description
Position Summary
- *Candidates must send their materials directly to www.acctsearches.orgfor full consideration!Located 45 minutes from the Nation’s Capital, nestled in a history-rich community of southern Maryland, The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) has been twice named in the top 150 community colleges by the Aspen Institute with academic programs in over 100 disciplines. CSM is among America’s top 100 producers of Minority associate degrees in twenty categories, according to Diverse Issues in Higher Education. CSM offers excellent health insurance benefits; State Retirement Pension plan; wellness programs; Code Green early closure Fridays in the summer; college closure for spring break and several major holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year; and for several days in March for Spring Break. We are an innovative institution committed to student success and well known for our flexibility to meet student and community needs.
Position Summary
The Vice President for Policy, Compliance and Government Relations - General Counsel serves as the Chief Legal officer for the college providing expert
legal counsel to the President, Board of Trustees, senior leadership, and other college stakeholders. This role is responsible for overseeing all legal aspects of the college’s operations, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations, managing legal risks, and representing the college in legal matters. The Vice President and General Counsel plays a critical role in policy development, governance, and strategic initiatives, ensuring alignment with the institution’s mission and goals. This position is responsible for overseeing compliance and risk management and managing litigation and agency complaint investigation and response. This position oversees and provides direction to the government relations function.Application ProcessThis search is being facilitated by ACCT Searches. Candidates are asked to apply directly through the company website at www.acctsearches.org to be considered.
The following items are required to be submitted with the college employment application:
1. COVER LETTER: should be limited to no more than four typed pages, detailing how your
education experiences/background align with this Position Profile
2. RESUME: should be limited to six typed pages. Important Note: All attachments must be
in Microsoft Word or PDF format, and file names must begin with the applicant’s initials
(example: ABCcover, ABCres, ABCref). The subject line in the email should reference the
position for which the candidate is applying. Review of materials will begin immediately and
continue until the appointment is made.
3. APPLICATION DEADLINE: This position is open until filled. Semi-finalist candidates will
interview with the Search Advisory Committee, while finalist candidates will participate in
onsite interviews.
4. REFERENCES: will be requested only of finalists to include two supervisors. The references must include names, titles, business and personal phone numbers, and email addresses.
References will not be contacted without prior notification to the applicant.
5. TRANSCRIPTS: will be required of all finalists. The successful candidate must provide official transcripts to the College of Southern Maryland as a condition of hire.
*Important Note: All attachments must be in Microsoft Word or PDF format, and file names must begin with the applicant’s initials (example: ABCcover, ABCres, ABCref). The subject line in the email should reference the position for which the candidate is applying. Review of materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment is made.
The College of Southern Maryland conducts background checks in order to ensure the safety and well-being of the College's staff and students. The final candidate for this position will be subject to the following background checks: Criminal History Check and Sex Offender Registry Check.*For best consideration, please apply by January 6, 2025. Applications will be accepted until position is filled. The College of Southern Maryland is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Specific Duties and Responsibilities
20% Legal Counsel and Advice
• Provides comprehensive legal advice to the President, the Board of Trustees, and senior administration on matters affecting the college and its operations.
• Guides the President, Board of Trustees, and senior administration on a wide range of legal issues including contracts, employment law, compliance, litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory matters.
• Draft, review, and negotiate legal documents, contracts, and agreements on behalf of the college.
• Advise on issues related to governance, academic freedom, student affairs, and institutional policies.
20% Risk Management and Compliance
• Develop and implement strategies for managing legal risks across the college.
• Oversee compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations impacting higher education, including Title IX, FERPA, ADA, and labor and employment laws.
• Ensure the institution’s policies and procedures are legally compliant and aligned with best practices.
• Identifies college risk management, compliance and legal issues, and, when appropriate, develops and implements, when appropriate, proposed actions to address the legal risk.
• Drafts, reviews and negotiates contracts, agreements, and other legal documents that impact the college, including those related to real estate, construction, partnerships, and employment.
10% Litigation and Dispute Resolution
• Manage and oversee all legal disputes and litigation involving the college.
• Engage and manage outside counsel as needed for specialized legal matters.
• Represents the college in litigation and external agency complaints or investigations and selects and supervises appropriate outside counsel.
20% College Board Relations
• Collaborate with college leadership in the development, implementation, and enforcement of Board policies that govern the college’s operations.
• Serves as a key legal advisor on institutional governance issues, including ethics and compliance with board member fiduciary responsibilities, policies, and bylaws.
• Assists with the preparation of Board resolutions and other related documents.
• Recommends and reviews proposed changes to college administrative and board policies and drafts new policies as advised.
• Manages a comprehensive insurance program, assesses insurance coverages, and evaluates and obtains appropriate insurance.
10% Strategic Planning and Policy Development
• Collaborate with senior leadership on strategic initiatives, including institutional governance and long-term planning.
• Assist in the development and review of college policies, ensuring they support institutional goals and are legally sound.
10% Ethics and Governance
• Advise on issues of governance, board policies, ethics, and conflict of interest, supporting a strong culture of integrity and accountability.
• Serve as a key resource for matters relating to institutional governance, board relations, and the legal aspects of fiduciary duties.
10% Government Relations
• Prepares, reviews, monitors and analyzes state and federal legislation and advises on impact and provides guidance to ensure compliance with laws and regulations.
• Manages and coordinates the government relations function and assists in legislative advocacy initiatives.
• Liaises with external regulatory agencies, accreditors, and other relevant bodies in response to audits and investigations to ensure compliance and appropriate defense.
• Directs and/or participates in internal investigations related to discrimination or misconduct claims to ensure fair and thorough processes.
Additional Duties
• Leads and manages a team, including their recruitment, development, and evaluation.
• Creates, monitors, and oversees the budget for the office.
• Performs other related work as required.Minimum Education and Training
Qualifications
• Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school.
• Must be licensed to practice law in Maryland and in good
standing with the Maryland Bar within 18 months of start date.
• Minimum of 7 - 10 years of increasing legal experience in a
government, higher education or other regulated institution
on a range of matters.
• Three years’ experience representing or working for a higher
education institution.Minimum Qualifications and Standards Required
Preferred Qualifications
• Demonstrated experience advising institutions on employment and labor law and human resource practices.
• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Experience with compliance program development, implementation and/or oversight.
• Experience with policy and procedure development in a higher education institution.
• Three years of experience in a managerial or supervisory capacity.
• Familiarity with the unique challenges and regulatory environment of public institutions of higher education.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• Knowledge of complex legal, risk and policy issues facing higher education.
• Demonstrated ability to provide legal advice to management concerning unions and collective bargaining agreements desired.
• Strong knowledge of laws and regulations affecting higher education institutions, including labor, employment, compliance, and regulatory matters.
• High degree of ethics, integrity, and confidentiality consistent with the position.
• Strong problem-solving and conflict resolution skills.
• Ability to work effectively as a key strategist who is innovative, collaborative, flexible and committed to diversity and inclusion.
• Ability to successfully work independently and collaboratively with diverse populations and members of the various college constituencies.
• Proven track record of effectively managing litigation, risk, and legal compliance within complex organizations.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and leadership skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders.
Physical Demands
The work is sedentary work which requires exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly.
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