Paralegal

CME Group; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 51,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

CME Group in Chicago is seeking a governance paralegal to support securities laws compliance, Nasdaq listing requirements, and corporate governance policies. The role collaborates with Compensation, Investor Relations, Accounting, and Finance teams.

Key duties include proxy preparation, annual meeting coordination, insider trading compliance, EDGAR filings, and maintaining minute books and governance documents.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or ABA-approved paralegal certificate.
• 3+ years in Corporate Secretary functions, shareholder relations, SEC filings, and governance.
• Ability to manage multiple schedules, prioritize workload and meet deadlines.
• Excellent judgment and communication skills, including with the C-Suite.
• Discretion handling confidential information in a professional manner.
• Proactive, detail-oriented and collaborative.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a range of partners and manage complex projects.

Responsibilities

• Manage relationship with transfer agent and respond to shareholder inquiries.
• Prepare and distribute questionnaires and board evaluations via board portal.
• Assist with insider trading compliance and Rule 10b5-1 coordination.
• Lead proxy statement preparation, disclosures, and proxy calendar management.
• Coordinate annual shareholders’ meeting logistics and voting.
• Assist with Section 16 compliance and filing Forms 3/4/5 via Workiva.
• Prepare and file SEC periodic and citizenship reports with internal stakeholders.
• Support audit responses and regulatory examinations with documentation.
• Maintain minute books, governance records, and governance documents.
• Update governance documents on investor relations site.
• Assist in preparing Board and committee meeting materials.

Skills

Time management

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Discretion handling confidential info

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree or Paralegal Certificate (ABA-approved)

Tools

EDGAR

SEC filing platforms

Board portals

Job description

CME Group is looking for a skilled and experienced governance paralegal to join the Corporate Secretary’s Office. This role will support the Company’s compliance with securities laws, Nasdaq listing requirements and CME Group’s corporate governance policies. The ideal candidate will be a highly organized professional with the utmost attention to detail. The role is focused on corporate securities compliance, corporate governance, public company reporting obligations, and transfer agent responsibilities. Ability to closely collaborate with the Compensation, Investor Relations, Accounting, and Finance teams will be essential.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage relationship with CME Group’s transfer agent and provide effective customer service to the Company’s retail shareholders. This involves coordinating with Treasury and Compensation on processes such as stock issuances, dividend distributions, tax withholding, DWAC/DRS transactions, share balancing, and addressing specific nuances related to CME Group’s market participants, including timely responding to shareholder inquiries.

• Manage preparation and distribution of questionnaires, including director and officer questionnaires and related party questionnaires as well as Board and Committee evaluations through a board portal.

• Assist with insider trading compliance, including managing the insider list and trading window communications, assist with coordinating pre-arranged trading plans under Rule 10b5-1.

• Lead certain aspects of the preparation of the Company’s proxy statement, including updating disclosures, preparing and managing the proxy calendar, coordinating proxy printing and distribution.

• Coordinate aspects of the annual meeting of shareholders, including engaging with the inspector of election, assisting with voting, and assisting with the script, rules of conduct, and meeting logistics.

• Assist with Section 16 compliance, including maintaining EDGAR codes, tracking director and officer stock holdings, drafting and filing Forms 3, 4 and 5 through Workiva.

• Assist with preparation and filing of other SEC periodic reports and corporate citizenship reports, including gathering and verifying information for public disclosures, coordinating with internal stakeholders.

• Support responses to audit requests, regulatory examinations, and other compliance inquiries upon request, including maintaining appropriate records, effectively collaborating and communicating with internal and external stakeholders for timeline and accurate reporting.

• Maintain minute books, corporate records and governance documentation, including minutes, resolutions, charters, bylaws, and governance policies.

• Maintain updated governance documents on the company’s investor relations website.

• Assist with the preparation of Board and Board committee meeting materials, including agenda, resolutions and minutes, upon request.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor’s degree, or Paralegal Certificate from an ABA-approved program.

• 3+ years of experience with, or exposure to, Corporate Secretary functions, shareholder relations, SEC filings, and corporate governance or a function demonstrating similar experience and skill set.

• Proven ability to effectively manage multiple schedules simultaneously, accurately and independently, while maintaining minimal supervision. Must be able to independently prioritize workload, meet deadlines, and establish effective working relationships in a dynamic environment.

• Excellent judgment, communication, and presentation skills, both verbal and written, including the ability to collaborate with a range of partners.

• Exhibit a high degree of organizational skill and meticulous attention to detail in all tasks.

• Confident and decisive under pressure; utilizes good judgment and demonstrates maturity, tact and diplomacy; ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with absolute discretion.

• Proactive personality, eager to learn new areas of responsibility, the company’s business and emerging corporate governance practices.

• Cultivates innovation by taking a creative and new approach to issues.

• Ability to communicate effectively, including individuals at the C-Suite level, is required.

• Ability to conceptualize and manage complex projects while engaging resources from inside and outside the department.

Preferred

• Working knowledge of the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and related rules and regulations.

• Proficiency with EDGAR, SEC filing platforms and board portals.

CME Group is committed to offering a competitive total rewards package for our employees that recognizes their contributions to the business and reflects our long-term investment in their future. The pay range for this role is $37.11–$61.82. Actual salary offered will be dependent on a wide array of factors including but not limited to: relevant experience, skills, education and comparison to internal employees (where relevant). Our compensation program also includes an annual target bonus opportunity for all employees, as well as the opportunity to become an owner in the company through our broad-based equity program. Through our benefits program, we strive to offer flexibility, value and choice. From comprehensive health coverage, to a retirement package that includes both a 401(k) and an active pension plan, to highly competitive education reimbursement provisions, paid time off and a mental health benefit, CME Group offers a holistic benefits package for our team and their dependents.

CME Group: Where Futures are Made

CME Group is the world’s leading derivatives marketplace. But who we are goes deeper than that. Here, you can impact markets worldwide. Transform industries. And build a career by shaping tomorrow. We invest in your success and you own it – all while working alongside a team of leading experts who inspire you in ways big and small. Problem solvers, difference makers, trailblazers. Those are our people. And we’re looking for more.

At CME Group, we embrace our employees’ unique experiences and skills to ensure that everyone’s perspectives are acknowledged and valued. As an equal‑opportunity employer, we consider all potential employees without regard to any protected characteristic.