Assistant General Counsel

Office of the VP for Finance and Administration

 

About the College

Williams College is a coeducational liberal arts institution located in the Berkshires of northwestern Massachusetts with access to Albany, Burlington (VT), Boston, New York City, and Montreal. Distinguished by a reputation for outstanding, inclusive teaching and scholarship, academic excellence, and exceptional alumni loyalty, the college is committed to building and supporting a diverse learning community of approximately 2,100 undergraduates.

 

Williams is committed to enriching its educational experience and its culture through the diversity of its faculty and staff. Our expectation is that the successful candidate will excel at working in a community that is broadly diverse with regard to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, and religion.

 

About the Position

We seek a collaborative, strategic, and intellectually agile attorney to serve as Assistant General Counsel (AGC), reporting to the General Counsel.  The AGC will provide legal support involving myriad legal issues to a wide array of college offices and constituencies and will help manage and operate the college’s residential mortgage benefit program.  Over time the AGC will develop the ability to represent college before local boards, commissions, and agencies in a variety of permitting, regulatory, and policy matters.

 

The range of activities under the purview of the General Counsel is broad and varied given the complexity of the college’s activities and the current legal and regulatory climate. Some of the business-related legal work includes, but is not limited to, vendor contracts, software purchase and licensing agreements, equipment leases, energy purchase and service agreements, benefit contracts, trust and estate administration, and legal and regulatory compliance related to higher education. In addition to the primary responsibilities described above, we plan to utilize the strengths and experience of our new colleague in ways that will further the needs of the college.

 

Qualifications

The successful candidate will possess:

• A degree from accredited law school, with membership in good standing in at least one state bar; with admission to the bar in Massachusetts or eligibility to become admitted with twelve months of employment.
• Superb analytical, research, writing, advocacy and problem-solving skills;
• The ability to inspire trust, communicate effectively, and build relationships across all college constituencies;
• The ability to identify and manage risk and compliance issues;
• The ability to develop strong working relationships with a wide range of external stakeholders in a small town;
• The highest standard of personal ethics and integrity;
• An understanding of the legal and regulatory challenges facing higher education;
• A commitment to and appreciation for the importance of diversity and inclusion in higher education and at Williams; and
• The ability to succeed within the organizational culture and decision-making processes at a small liberal arts college.

 

Experience

The AGC must demonstrate a willingness to learn new practice areas and the ability to think creatively, exercise excellent judgment, and offer quick and informed opinions. They should have three to five years of relevant legal experience working with some combination of the following:

• Representation of clients before local, state, and federal administrative agencies;
• Real estate transactions, land use, and permitting;
• State and federal laws and regulations applicable to institutions of higher education, including: employment, disability, and anti-discrimination laws, FERPA, Titles VI, VII and IX, the Clery Act, HIPAA, ERISA, FMLA, FLSA, and OSHA, as well as NCAA rules; and
• Negotiating, drafting, and reviewing a broad range of transactional documents, including vendor contracts, software purchase and licensing agreements, equipment leases, energy purchase and service agreements, and pension, retirement and health benefit contracts; and charitable gift planning and estate and trust administration.

 

For optimal consideration, please submit resume materials by June 4, 2018. Review of resumes will continue until the position is filled. Job group 2-B.

 

We welcome applications from members of groups traditionally underrepresented in the field. Applicants are encouraged to state in their cover letter what particular skills, strengths, and experiences they will bring to the position and the college, and to reflect on their experience with and commitment to supporting diverse, inclusive, and equitable communities.

 

To apply for this position, please visit http://staff-careers.williams.edu.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us via phone at (413)597-4247 or email at hr@williams.edu

 

Employment at Williams is contingent on a verification of background information submitted by the applicant, including the completion of a criminal record check.

 

Beyond fully meeting its legal obligations for non-discrimination, the college is committed to building and supporting a diverse and inclusive community where members from all backgrounds can live, learn, and thrive.