Corporate Paralegal- Compliance & Litigation

Citi Trends; Savannah (GA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Citi Trends in Savannah, GA is seeking a Corporate Paralegal to support governance, SEC reporting, and corporate secretary functions. This role partners with the General Counsel and leadership across Finance, HR, and Operations.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in corporate paralegal work, experience with publicly traded companies, and strong attention to detail, confidentiality, and project management in a multi-location retail environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field.
• Paralegal experience with a publicly traded company is required.
• Experience supporting Board governance activities and SEC filings.
• Strong communication, organization, and discretion.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate Board meetings and governance calendaring.
• Prepare and distribute board materials and minutes.
• Assist with SEC reporting, proxies, annual reports.
• Draft and manage commercial contracts and related documents.
• Support regulatory compliance and internal investigations.
• Collaborate with executives, outside counsel, and cross-functional teams.

Skills

Corporate governance

Board administration

SEC reporting

Contract management

Regulatory compliance

Legal operations

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Legal Studies / Business Administration / Political Science

ABA-approved Paralegal Certificate

Tools

Contract lifecycle management systems

Job description

Corporate Paralegal - Public Company, Governance & SEC Reporting

Position Summary

Citi Trends is seeking an experienced Corporate Paralegal with demonstrated experience supporting a publicly traded company and Corporate Secretary function.

This highly visible role serves as a strategic partner to the General Counsel and Legal Department, supporting corporate governance, Board of Directors administration, SEC reporting, contract management, litigation coordination, regulatory compliance, and legal operations across a national multi-location retail organization.

The Corporate Paralegal will interact regularly with Executive Leadership, the Board of Directors, outside counsel, and cross-functional business partners, including Human Resources, Finance, Merchandising, Supply Chain, Store Operations, and Information Technology.

The ideal candidate has experience supporting a publicly traded company, assisting with Board governance activities, SEC filings, commercial contracts, and compliance initiatives within a retail, consumer products, hospitality, restaurant, franchise, logistics, or other multi-location operating environment.

The successful candidate will have experience supporting an in-house legal department within a publicly traded organization and will be comfortable interacting with executive leadership, board members, outside counsel, and cross-functional business leaders.

This individual possesses exceptional attention to detail, business acumen, discretion, professionalism, organizational skills, and the ability to manage multiple high-priority initiatives in a fast-paced environment.

Experience supporting a retail, consumer products, restaurant, franchise, hospitality, logistics, or other multi-location business is strongly preferred.

Essential Functions

Corporate Governance & Board Administration

• Serve as the primary coordinator for Board of Directors and Committee activities.
• Schedule and coordinate Board and Committee meetings.
• Prepare, organize, and distribute Board materials, agendas, resolutions, and governance documentation.
• Maintain Board calendars and track critical governance deadlines.
• Draft, maintain, and distribute Board and Committee minutes.
• Coordinate annual governance activities and director onboarding.
• Coordinate logistics for in-person and virtual Board meetings.
• Maintain Board portals and governance systems.
• Maintain corporate records, governance documentation, and corporate minute books.
• Partner closely with the General Counsel on governance priorities and Board communications.

SEC Reporting & Public Company Compliance

• Support the preparation, coordination, and filing of SEC documents, including Proxy Statements, Annual Reports, Forms 8-K, Section 16 filings, and other public company reporting requirements.
• Assist with annual shareholder meeting preparation and administration.
• Coordinate information gathering and documentation for disclosure and reporting obligations.
• Maintain insider trading and governance documentation.
• Monitor changes in securities regulations, disclosure requirements, and governance best practices.

Contract Management & Commercial Legal Support

• Draft, review, administer, and maintain contracts, including:
• Service agreements
• Non-disclosure agreements
• Marketing agreements
• Real estate and lease-related documents
• Technology and software agreements
• Manage the contract lifecycle process, including execution, amendments, renewals, expirations, and compliance obligations.
• Track contractual deadlines and key business commitments.
• Partner with business stakeholders to ensure appropriate legal protections and risk mitigation.

Regulatory Compliance & Licensing

• Support regulatory compliance initiatives across the Company's multi-state retail operations.
• Assist with licensing, permitting, and registration requirements.
• Maintain compliance records and reporting documentation.
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments impacting retail operations and corporate compliance programs.

Litigation & Legal Operations

• Coordinate legal holds and litigation-related document preservation activities.
• Support discovery requests and outside counsel management.
• Organize and maintain litigation files, pleadings, correspondence, and documentation.
• Track litigation matters, deadlines, and status updates.
• Support legal department budgeting, reporting, and operational processes.

Intellectual Property & Risk Management

• Maintain trademark and intellectual property records.
• Support trademark filings, renewals, and brand protection initiatives.
• Assist with internal investigations, claims management, and compliance matters.
• Support enterprise risk mitigation efforts and legal process improvements.

Reporting & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Develop and maintain legal department metrics, dashboards, and reports.
• Prepare quarterly and annual legal department summaries for executive leadership.
• Serve as a trusted legal resource to internal business partners.
• Support special projects and strategic initiatives as assigned by the General Counsel.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Legal Studies, Business Administration, Political Science, or a related field.
• Paralegal Certificate from an ABA-approved program preferred.
• 5+ years of Corporate Paralegal experience.
• Experience supporting a publicly traded company is required.
• Experience supporting Board of Directors and Committee governance activities is required.
• Experience supporting SEC reporting obligations and public company compliance requirements.
• Experience maintaining corporate records, resolutions, governance calendars, and Board documentation.
• Experience managing commercial contracts and legal documentation.
• Strong executive communication, project management, and organizational skills.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and exercise sound judgment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting a retail, consumer products, franchise, restaurant, hospitality, logistics, or other multi-location organization.
• Experience supporting Corporate Secretary or Deputy Corporate Secretary functions.
• Experience with legal operations technology and contract lifecycle management systems.
• Experience supporting securities compliance and corporate governance best practices.
• Trademark and intellectual property administration experience.

Within this role, you will:

• Successfully support the Company's governance and Board administration processes.
• Ensure timely coordination of Board and Committee meetings and materials.
• Maintain organized and accurate corporate records and legal documentation.
• Support SEC reporting and compliance requirements with a high degree of accuracy.
• Partner effectively with leadership and cross-functional business teams.
• Identify opportunities to improve legal operations, efficiency, and risk management processes.
• Operate as a trusted partner to the General Counsel while maintaining the highest level of professionalism, discretion, and integrity.

Target Candidate Background

We are particularly interested in candidates coming from:

• Publicly traded retailers
• Consumer products companies
• Restaurant and franchise organizations
• Hospitality companies
• Logistics and distribution businesses
• Financial services organizations
• Corporate legal departments supporting Board governance and SEC reporting

Experience with Board administration, corporate governance, SEC filings, and public company compliance will be heavily valued.

Citi Trends is an Equal Opportunity Employer.