SVP Chief Legal Officer

Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona; Peoria (IL); On-site; USD 180,000 - 290,000; Full time

Job summary

Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona seeks a Chief Legal Officer to serve as the enterprise's chief legal advisor, partnering with the CEO, ELT, and Boards to shape a comprehensive strategy. You will lead all legal, compliance, governance, risk management, and regulatory activities to enable growth while protecting assets.

The role directs mergers and acquisitions, real estate, contracts, and corporate structures, balancing risk with opportunity.

Qualifications

• Must have a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree and be a member in good standing of the Arizona Bar.
• 15+ years of extensive legal experience in corporate settings and in private practice at a top-tier firm.
• Experience as General Counsel or Chief Legal Officer is preferred.
• California law interpretation experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience in multi-entity, regulated nonprofit or social enterprise environments.
• M&A and corporate development experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience interacting with Boards of Directors and executive leadership teams.
• Strong compliance expertise and strategic business counseling across all business units.
• Deep knowledge of finance, real estate, governance, employment law, litigation management, and contracts.

Responsibilities

• Lead governance practices and advise Boards on policies, fiduciary duties, and compliance.
• Support board meetings, resolutions, governance documentation, and strategic transactions.
• Oversee the legal/compliance budget and outside counsel management.
• Direct legal strategy for significant incidents, regulatory inquiries, and crises.
• Oversee real estate, financing, contracts, and corporate transactions as needed.
• Manage corporate risk and implement compliance programs.

Skills

Board interaction

Regulatory compliance

M&A experience

Risk management

Contract negotiation

Litigation management

Strategic thinking

Education

J.D. degree

Arizona Bar admission

Job description

2626 W Beryl Ave Phoenix Arizona, 85021,

Position Description :

Serves as the Company's chief legal advisor and strategic business partner to the CEO, Executive Leadership Team, and multiple Boards of Directors. Provides enterprise-wide leadership for all legal, compliance, governance, risk management, regulatory, litigation, employment, commercial, contract law, real estate law, trademark, M&A, and corporate matters. This executive develops and executes a legal strategy that supports growth, protects corporate assets, mitigates risk, and enables operational excellence. As a key member of the ELT, the CLO balances legal risk with business objectives, ensuring the organization operates with integrity, compliance, and sound governance while supporting strategic initiatives, mergers and acquisitions, expansion efforts, and stakeholder interests. Establishes the vision, priorities, operating model, and strategic direction of the organization's legal function.

Plans and directs all aspects of the Company's and affiliated entities for Legal and Compliance and ensures protection of its legal and regulatory rights and interests. Responsible for identifying and analyzing legal issues, drafting key documents, presenting clear recommendations, and managing the work/budget of outside counsel, as needed . Oversees organizational integrations and post-merger transformation, while developing and scaling legal and compliance infrastructure during periods of significant growth.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities :

• Foster a culture of integrity, accountability, and ethical business conduct.
• Lead governance practices and advise multiple Boards of Directors and committee chairs on policies, fiduciary responsibilities, governance obligations, and mandatory corporate record-keeping and compliance.
• Support board meetings, resolutions, governance documentation, and strategic transactions.
• Advise on legal/compliance aspects of the organization's financing, including assessing and advising on current and future business structures and legal entities.
• Prepare and assist with negotiation of business contracts, leases, and consulting agreements, and administer other legal matters relating to real estate acquisition, development, and financing of transactions and projects, as needed.
• Oversight of insurance claims, risk transfer mechanisms, and legal reserves.
• Monitors and consults on corporate compliance matters, including mandatory outside reporting, audits, and reviews.
• Responsible for leading corporate strategic and tactical legal and compliance initiatives.
• Lead legal strategy for significant incidents, including serious injuries, fraud, cyber events, regulatory inquiries, media-sensitive matters, and reputational crises
• Represent GCNA in litigation and all legal proceedings. Acts as agent of organization in various transactions.
• Owns the legal and compliance budget, outside-counsel spend, legal reserves, matter portfolio, risk dashboard, and periodic reporting to the CEO, ELT, and Board committees
• Anticipates legal, regulatory, and business risks that may affect organizational performance and reputation; counsels and/or trains staff on compliance and changes in the law, project/transactional issues and disputes.
• Develop succession plans, cross-training, knowledge-management practices, and continuity plans for the legal and compliance function.
• Responsible for performance management (coaching, discipline, performance improvement plans, and annual reviews), staffing, compensation, and development of Team Members.
• Models Goodwill Core Values - Trust, Collaboration, Engagement, Ownership, and Innovation.
• Plays critical role in driving company culture change efforts and change management processes.
• Performs other related duties, as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications (Education, Experience, Skills) :

• Must have a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree and be a member in good standing of the Arizona Bar.
• Extensive and progressively responsible legal experience, 15+ years, as a practicing lawyer in a corporate environment and in private practice at a prestigious "Big Law" firm.
• Significant experience serving as General Counsel, Chief Legal Officer, or Deputy General Counsel.
• In depth experience interpreting and advising on California law is strongly preferred.
• Experience in a multi-entity, highly regulated, mission-driven, nonprofit, social enterprise, or similarly complex environment.
• Experience with change management and organizational effectiveness.
• M&A and corporate development experience strongly preferred.
• Experience interacting with Boards of Directors and executive leadership teams.
• Must have compliance expertise and strategic business counseling in areas impacting all business units.
• Must have extensive knowledge of business management and best practices, and a clear and comprehensive understanding of legal matters such as finance, real estate, corporate governance, employment law, litigation management/dispute resolution, contracts, and