Compliance Counsel I

Edward Jones; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401k retirement plan

Paid holidays and vacation

Job summary

Edward Jones, a Fortune 500 financial services firm, seeks a compliant and collaborative attorney to advance its investment advisory compliance program. You will partner with multiple internal areas to prioritize complex initiatives, ensuring adherence to securities laws and internal policies while supporting clients, regulators, and stakeholders.

The role emphasizes growth mindset, adaptability, and strong partnerships across the organization, with a focus on maintaining and evolving compliance

Qualifications

• Requires J.D. with active license in good standing.
• 3+ years of legal/compliance experience in securities or heavily regulated industry.
• Strong problem-solving, verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide guidance on strategic compliance initiatives to stakeholders across the firm.
• Design, oversee, and enhance the investment advisory compliance program.
• Investigate and resolve complex compliance and regulatory issues in the investment advisory business.
• Coordinate with business areas to ensure compliance with federal/state securities laws and internal policies.
• Develop and deliver regulatory filings and compliance materials as needed.
• Coordinate and conduct assessments of policies, procedures, and controls.
• Assist in due diligence of third-party service providers.

Skills

Legal knowledge

Communication

Leadership

Education

J.D. degree

Job description

Join a financial services firm where your contributions are valued. Edward Jones is a Fortune 500¹ company where people come first. With over 9 million clients and 20,000 financial advisors across the U.S. and Canada, we’re proud to be privately‑owned, placing the focus on our clients rather than shareholder returns.

Behind everything we do is our purpose: We partner for positive impact to improve the lives of our clients and colleagues, and together, better our communities and society. We are an innovative, flexible, and inclusive organization that attracts, develops, and inspires performance excellence and a sense of belonging.

People are at the center of our partnership. Edward Jones associates are seen, heard, respected, and supported. This is what we believe makes us the best place to start or build your career.

¹Fortune 500, published June 2024, data as of December 2023. Compensation provided for using, not obtaining, the rating.

In this role, you will partner with numerous internal business areas throughout the firm to support the continued growth of Edward Jones’s investment advisory business and our commitment to helping serious, long‑term investors achieve their financial goals. Your primary responsibilities will focus on maintaining and continually evolving our compliance program for a suite of discretionary and client‑directed fee‑based advisory offerings currently comprised of over 5 million accounts totaling more than $1 trillion in assets. You will also be responsible for prioritizing numerous complex efforts simultaneously, while creating innovative approaches to successfully achieve optimal solutions for our clients, regulators, and stakeholders. Additionally, you need a growth and adaptability mindset, strong collaboration skills, and the ability to foster meaningful and deep relationships across the organization.

What You Will Do:

• Under general supervision, use seasoned judgment to provide advice and guidance on strategic initiatives to a diverse group of stakeholders across the firm regarding a wide range of compliance, regulatory, and business matters to ensure the firm meets its obligations to clients and regulators
• Uses sound professional judgement to design, oversee, and enhance the firm's investment advisory compliance program to prevent, detect, and promptly address compliance matters
• Effectively partner with stakeholders in investigating and resolving complex and ambiguous compliance, regulatory, and other issues involving the firm's investment advisory business
• Partner with business areas and service providers to ensure compliance with federal and state securities laws and regulations and internal policies and procedures relevant to the firm's investment advisory business.
• Communicate effectively with other compliance professionals, attorneys, associates and leaders.
• Interpret and develop specialized depth and breadth of expertise in laws, rules, and regulations impacting investment advisory offerings, including the Investment Advisers Act
• Oversee and provide guidance to various departments on: (a) compliance with relevant regulatory requirements, including laws, rules, and regulations; and, (b) the design, implementation and operation of the firm's investment advisory compliance program.
• Coordinate and conduct assessments of policies, procedures, and controls
• Assist in the preparation of regulatory acknowledgements, disclosures, filings, agreements, responses, marketing, education, and training materials (e.g. Form ADV Parts 1, 2A, 2B, and 3; Form N-PX; advisory client service agreements)
• Conduct due diligence of third‑party service providers to the firm's investment advisory business.
• Conduct periodic regulatory reviews of the firm's business, namely the Edward Jones Annual Compliance Review pursuant to Rule 206(4)-7 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940

What You Will Need:

• Requires J.D. and license that is active and in good standing
• At least 3 years required, 5 years preferred of legal and/or compliance experience required in the securities (or other highly regulated) industry, private practice, public sector, or in‑house counsel capacity.
• Knowledge of federal and state securities laws relevant to investment advisers and retail investment advisory offerings.
• Excellent problem‑solving, verbal, and written communication skills
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, with an ability to develop meaningful partnerships at all levels within the organization
• Demonstrated ability to influence decision makers across the organization
• Adept at analyzing and creatively solving ambiguous matters that are often complex
• Previous involvement in significant projects and initiatives preferred.
• Highly organized, collaborative, adaptable to change and excited to continually learn in a dynamic organization
• Exceptional judgment, strong work ethic, thought leadership and unwavering integrity
• Candidates that live within a commutable distance from our Tempe, AZ and St. Louis, MO home office locations are expected to work in the office four days per week.

At Edward Jones, we are building a place where everyone feels like they belong. We're proud of our associates' contributions to the firm and the recognitions we have received.

Check out our U.S. awards and accolades: Insights & Information Blog Postings about Edward Jones

Check out our Canadian awards and accolades: Insights & Information Blog Postings about Edward Jones

Edward Jones does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, pregnancy, veteran status, genetic information or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

Edward Jones’ compensation and benefits package includes medical and prescription drug, dental, vision, voluntary benefits (such as accident, hospital indemnity, and critical illness), short- and long‑term disability, basic life, and basic AD&D coverage. Short- and long‑term disability, basic life, and basic AD&D coverage are provided at no cost to associates. Edward Jones offers a 401k retirement plan, and tax‑advantaged accounts: health savings account, and flexible spending account. Edward Jones observes ten paid holidays and provides 15 days of vacation for new associates beginning on January 1 of each year, as well as sick time, personal days, and a paid day for volunteerism. Associates may be eligible for bonuses and profit sharing. All associates are eligible for the firm's Employee Assistance Program. For more information on the Benefits available to Edward Jones associates, please visit our benefits page.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act. Edward Jones is prohibited from hiring individuals with certain specified criminal history as set forth in Section 3(a)(39) and 15(b)(4) and Rule 17a-3(a)(12) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, and conducts background reviews consistent with FINRA Rule 3110(e). A copy of a notice regarding the provisions of the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance is available at: dcba.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/FCOE-Official-Notice-Eng-Final-8.30.2024.pdf.