Strategic Chief Legal Officer - Higher Education

Necmusic; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 225,000; Full time

Job summary

New England Conservatory (NEC) inBoston, MA, seeks an experienced Chief Legal Officer to lead the legal function and partner with executive leadership. The role focuses on risk management, compliance, contract oversight, and strategic guidance to ensure lawful, ethical operations aligned with NEC’s mission.

The candidate will oversee employment, governance, and titles IX/Civil Rights coordination; provide proactive legal advice to executives and the board; and manage outside counsel with a focus

Qualifications

• J.D. from ABA-accredited law school.
• Active Massachusetts license or ability to gain admission in a reasonable timeframe.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible legal experience; in-house higher education or non-profit preferred.
• Expertise in higher education law, contracts, intellectual property, and employment law.
• Experience using AI tools responsibly for legal research, drafting, and analytics.
• Ability to advise executive leadership with strategic legal and business insight.
• Strong analytical, written and verbal communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Commitment to NEC's mission; experience with enterprise risk management preferred.

Responsibilities

• Advise Executive Council, Chief Officers, and Board on risk management and legal compliance.
• Identify legal risks and implement mitigation strategies.
• Monitor developments affecting higher education and compliance.
• Advise on employment, benefits, faculty/staff relations, investigations.
• Manage litigation, investigations, and external counsel relationships.
• Contribute to enterprise risk management and emergency planning.
• Draft and review contracts and institutional policies and procedures.
• Ensure compliance with Title VI/VII/IX, ADA/504, FERPA and data privacy.
• Oversee NEC’s Title IX and Civil Rights coordination.

Skills

Executive leadership

Strategic legal advice

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

AI tools governance

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an ABA-accredited law school

Tools

AI tools for legal research

Job description

New England Conservatory (NEC) inBoston, MA, seeks an experienced Chief Legal Officer to lead the legal function and partner with executive leadership. The role focuses on risk management, compliance, contract oversight, and strategic guidance to ensure lawful, ethical operations aligned with NEC’s mission.

The candidate will oversee employment, governance, and titles IX/Civil Rights coordination; provide proactive legal advice to executives and the board; and manage outside counsel with a focus