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General Counsel and Vice Chancellor: North Carolina State University

Minimum Experience/Education: Graduation from an accredited law school with an LLB or JD degree. Member in good standing of the North Carolina Bar (or, if recruited from outside of North Carolina, employment is conditional on passing the NC Bar and being licensed within 12 months of appointment).

Substantive knowledge of legal principles, practices, and proceedings; and of the broad suite of laws, regulations, and policies that impact the University.

Ability to conduct complex legal research and prepare cogent documents on complex legal matters; to prepare effective cases; to communicate and collaborate effectively; and to effectively plan, assign, and supervise the work of others.

Also required: a minimum of ten years experience practicing law; experience with and depth in legal areas with immediate application to higher education (e.g. employment law; privacy and security laws; intellectual property, research contracting, and technology transfer; construction law, real property law, administrative law, constitutional law, etc.); experience in running a law office; experience as in-house counsel in a higher education, non-profit, government, healthcare, or comparable complex corporate setting; and litigation experience.

Departmental Required Skills: The General Counsel is responsible for managing the diverse legal functions typical of a major public research university with complex legal needs including business transactions, federal, state and local regulatory matters, environmental law, employment law, and intellectual property law. The position ensures the delivery of timely, high quality legal services throughout the University.

The position is responsible for fostering the continuing development of the legal department as a strategic contributor to the University and is responsible for maintaining and further developing the proactive nature of the office through seminars, strategic involvement with clients, and easy accessibility. The position is expected to create an environment where communication is encouraged and clients seek out the advice of the legal staff.

The position must stay current with the breadth of substantive information required to responsibly advise on relevant matters. The position requires the ability to relate at all levels of the organization as well as externally under a wide variety of circumstances and often with little or no notice. The position also requires the ability to negotiate responsibly and -- where necessary and appropriate -- assertively on behalf of the institution when dealing with external entities and agencies, the ability to mediate disputes internally and externally, and the ability to shepherd the University's legal resources in connection with university activities.

The position requires the ability to develop institutional programs "from scratch" and in many cases to implement them. Such activities require skills to responsibly research, advise, write, speak, and negotiate on legal matters.

Preferred Experience, Skills, Training/Education:

Essential Job Duties: The General Counsel serves as the chief campus legal advisor to the Chancellor, Board of Trustees, executive officers, and other senior academic and administrative leaders on a broad range of laws, regulations, and policies that impact the institution, with authority from - and in cooperation with - the Office of the Attorney General of the State of North Carolina. The General Counsel performs highly advanced and managerial level legal work. Responsibilities involve directing and planning legal activities, interpreting laws, regulations, and policies, preparing legal documents, rendering legal advice and counsel, leading the preparation of materials for cases on behalf of the University for hearing or trial.

The General Counsel directs the campus Office of Legal Affairs and leads a team of legal specialists and support staff. The position serves as a primary liaison on legal and policy issues between NC State University and the University of North Carolina's General Administration and its other constituent institutions, as well as other state entities as appropriate.

--Directs and plans legal activities for the institution
--Advises on the interpretation, application, and enforcement of applicable laws, regulations, and policies
--Oversees and reviews policies and regulations affecting the University's operations and administration, and makes recommendations for changes
--Provides legal advice and opinions on policy decision-making to institutional management
--Provides representation of the institution with the state Attorney General's office in civil and criminal actions brought by or against the University.
--Participates in the University's strategic planning process.

The General Counsel provides leadership and active communication on legal and risk management topics of general interest to the University community, and legal consultation services to management to help ensure institutional compliance with law and policy. The position advises on opportunities and issues of concern across the range of topics applicable to a complex university environment; and prepares and delivers periodic reports on risk management and current legal issues to the Trustees, Chancellor, and campus leaders.

The Office of Legal Affairs provides legal support on an array of business and legal compliance issues, including but not limited to: contracts and purchasing; criminal law; tort liability; taxation; employment law; laws related to student privacy and educational access; intellectual property, technology development, and technology transfer, including new business start-ups and standards for monitoring conflicts of interest; complex University-industry business relationships; public and private financing arrangements; relationships with affiliated entities that support the University's mission; advising on institutional standards for investment of endowment and temporary funds; athletics compliance including Title IX; and overall institutional risk management. The Office of Legal Affairs works closely with functional leaders across the institution to help ensure that campus operating policies are in compliance with federal and state laws and with overarching UNC policies. The office participates on a national level with other institutions in the development of policy recommendations for various federal agencies.

The position sets priorities for the work of legal staff to ensure excellent client relations and positive outcomes for the institution.

The General Counsel provides consulting and project leadership as assigned by the Chancellor, as well as educational services on relevant legal topics for a wide range of audiences. These include internal and external programs on legal and policy content for legal and general audiences on matters affecting NC State University and higher education in general.

Other Work/Responsibilities: In addition to advisory authority associated with the General Counsel position, the position also exercises executive authority, by delegation from the Chancellor. Examples of this type of authority include: the responsibility for program development, coordination and implementation within the institution (i.e., corporate and regulatory compliance programs for the University; development of the policy and program for managing conflicts of interest;, developing policies and programs for compliance with NCAA reporting for athletically related outside professional activities for pay; developing programs and procedures for coordinating responsibilities for investigation and reporting matters to the SBI; developing programs and procedures for coordination and administration of tort claims filed against the institution; developing and maintaining systems for revision of Board of Trustees policies and institutional academic and administrative regulations, etc.) The position also exercises administrative, managerial and supervisory authority over the Office of Legal Affairs and its associated legal and support personnel.

The principal internal and external positions, departments, and organizations with which this position must maintain effective working relationships, include:

1)The Board of Trustees - advising and making recommendations on legal and policy matters affecting the institution, preparing policy documents and correspondence for the institution's Board of Trustees, and advising on the legal aspects of BOT meetings. The position may also interact with the Board of Visitors on legal or policy matters on items that come to the BOV for its information. The Chancellor - serving as senior staff advisor and provider of legal services to the Chancellor and serving as the Chancellor's delegate as assigned. The position serves as part of the senior management team of the University and is responsible for program development and implementation as assigned by the Chancellor.
2)Administrators of the University-providing legal consultation services, developing programs, and leading implementation of actions as appropriate. The General Counsel may provide services as a mediator or facilitator to address issues that arise among administrative units. The position must relate well to academic leadership, academic administrators, business and financial offices of the institution, public relations, risk management, human resources, and internal audit.
3)Faculty, Staff, and Students-providing information and guidance concerning a wide variety of legal and business matters related to university activities. The Office of Legal Affairs does not provide personal legal advice to individuals.
4)UNC General Administration and various State agencies-exchanging information and guidance on matters involving legal issues and policies of the University.
5)Outside law firms-evaluating, recommending, and engaging outside legal counsel for the institution when appropriate, in accordance with State of North Carolina procedures, and coordinating, supervising, and evaluating their work. This position determines when the University's legal work cannot be most efficiently and cost-effectively handled internally and when it should be assigned to outside counsel, and secures appropriate approvals from the Attorney General's Office and the Governor's Office.
6)Start-up Companies-representing the University's interests and/or providing information and counsel.
7)Private Industry and Non-Profit and Governmental Organizations-collaborating or providing guidance on a wide variety of issues, including business relationships, financing techniques, capital acquisition, research relationships, technology development, clinical trials, equipment matters, stock purchases, and participation in limited partnerships.
8)Counsel at other Universities around the country-researching and collaboratingNecessary Licenses or Certifications: LLB or JD degree

AA/EEO
NC State welcomes all persons without regard to sexual orientation.

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