General Counsel & Chief of Staff

Position Overview: 

A member of the President’s Cabinet and reporting directly to the President, the General Counsel represents San Francisco Bay University in all legal and regulatory matters and provides advice and counsel to the President and university administrators in their official capacities. The General Counsel oversees and coordinates the University’s commitment to remain compliant with all applicable legal and regulatory obligations and plays an essential role in supporting the University's ongoing work to advance a diverse and inclusive campus community. 

General Counsel Responsibilities:

• Provides counsel, legal representation, and support to the President and University on a broad spectrum of legal issues to help fulfill the University mission and meet all legal and compliance obligations.
• Reviews, analyzes, interprets and advises the President and senior leadership on laws, regulations, and guidance on changing governmental requirements such as civil rights, affirmative action, Title IX, SEVIS, equal opportunity, reporting obligations under the Clery Act, dispute resolution, and internal auditing and reporting.
• Directs and collaborates in the development of multifaceted compliance and risk training programs for members of the university community.
• Drafts, reviews, and negotiates legal documents.
• Composes policies, organizational by-laws, committee charters, resolutions, and other governance documents.
• Retains and supervises outside counsel as necessary for litigation and specialized matters.
• Provides counsel to the President and serves as a sounding board and advises on sensitive matters. Synthesizes information from a variety of internal and external sources and ensures the President has all the information necessary to make informed decisions.
• Assists in coordinating University‐wide projects that cross various University areas.
• Handle various special projects and advise the President on a wide variety of executive and administrative matters, help set the tone for communications emanating from the President’s Office, and represent the President, as needed, with internal and external constituents.
• Implement protocols and procedures to maximize the effectiveness of the Office of the President with respect to workflow, scheduling, communications, events, and interactions with key internal and external constituencies. Ensures the President’s priorities and initiatives are effectively implemented.
• Ensures all organizational units of the President are in line with overall University policies, goals, and mission. Helps lead in change management efforts, partnering with appropriate leaders and staff to achieve goals.
• Collaborate with the associated departments on campus to develop content and structure for internal meetings, town halls and events and ensure follow up on action items.
• Serve as liaison or represent the President’s Office as needed and provide leadership to key administrative groups, task forces, and committees as assigned by the President.
• Work with the President to drive and coordinate various cross‐departmental projects, maintaining and communicating timelines and documenting progress.
• Facilitate information flow and sharing among staff in support of effective and timely decision making.
• Aid in the planning, execution and communication of Cabinet meetings and follow up on action items.
• Attend meetings and conferences with the President and provide support for preparation and follow-up activities as appropriate.
• Manage annual goal setting and tracking progress for the President’s Cabinet.
• Serves as the University’s chief liaison with the Board of Directors, working on behalf of the University President.
• Provides advice and resources to the Board on relevant topics including governance matters, fiduciary duties, and adherence to bylaws and compliance.
• Handles program support activities and matters of institutional significance for the Board on behalf of, and in collaboration with the President.
• Serves as the primary conduit for communication between the Board and senior leadership through timely distribution of materials such as agendas, meeting minutes, and other Board materials.
• Working closely with the President, Board chair, and senior leadership, builds and coordinates agendas for all Board of Directors meetings. Serves as the internal administrator for the Governance Committee. Helps establish meeting cadences and follows up on necessary matters to accelerate completion.
• Ensures proper recording and management of meeting minutes and board actions in a timely way. records.
• Performs other duties as assigned. 

Minimum Qualifications and Skills

• JD degree from an accredited ABA law school.
• Licensed and in good standing as a member of a state bar.
• Must be a member of the California Bar or become a member of the California Bar within 12 months of hire date.
• A minimum of 5 years experience as a practicing attorney.
• Exceptional communication (written, verbal, and digital) and interpersonal skills.
• The aptitude to be a generalist.
• Demonstrate ability to use sound judgment, discretion; diplomacy; objectivity; integrity, and ethics. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in higher education
• Demonstrated knowledge of legal issues affecting private institutions of higher education. 

Salary Range:  

• $220,000 - $240,000  

Application Materials:

• Current CV/resume.
• Letter of interest that describes your communication style, leadership experience, and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice.
• Applications will be reviewed beginning February 29, 2024 and continue until the position is filled.