Position Summary:

JCCA is seeking a General Counsel to join the executive team and and oversee legal matters across the organization. The General Counsel is responsible for addressing complex contractual, transactional, regulatory, and agency management issues, while ensuring legal compliance and limiting risk exposure. The General Counsel office provides oversight of the following areas:

o Labor Relations, with the VP of HR, including individual employment matters as they arise

o Contracts and Memoranda of Agreement

o Insurances

o Risk Management

o Trusts and Estates, i.e., bequests

o Legal Claims against JCCA and its affiliate agencies

o The JCCA Child and Family Legal Services Unit

o Legal matters related to the Board of Trustees’ Governance function such as advising the board of changes in the law that affect their duties; drafting and presenting resolutions; briefing the board on specific legal claims and making recommendations, etc.

o Real Estate transactions, including lease agreements, sublease agreements, compliance with local laws and ordinances

The successful candidate will be able to identify and advise regarding the legal components of issues that arise in a large, human services non-profit in New York City, and be able to integrate various perspectives when developing solutions to JCCA’s legal challenges. The candidate must be able to work collaboratively with colleagues to balance legal and risk concerns with available resources and service delivery environments. The candidate should also be experienced in making risk assessments based upon the range of risks to which JCCA is exposed.

Responsibilities:

• Advising the CEO and the Board of Trustees on the risks of possible business decisions, providing preventive counseling with respect to the legal risks associated with business practices, and developing strategy with both inside and outside counsel in response to litigation and regulatory inquiries (including negotiating settlement agreements, where appropriate), and cost-effectively managing the resources required to address those matters

• Working with the Executive Team in developing strategies to minimize risk in dealing with regulatory agencies for both clients and employees.

• Developing, implementing and managing a strategic plan for the provision of legal services in accordance with and in support of business objectives; budgeting for, selecting and managing outside counsel, including developing a strategy for managing the agency’s representation in Family Court.

• Overseeing JCCA’s commercial insurance and risk management programs for the entire agency, recommending and assisting in the development of JCCA’s policies, procedures and systems pertaining to client care and risk management issues.

• Represent Agency in legal matters including lawsuits, administrative and regulatory investigations and hearings, negotiations, and dealings with outside agencies.

• Work closely with JCCA’s Compliance Officer to ensure that JCCA’s legal interests are addressed in the agency’s compliance practice.

Qualifications:

• Experience effectively developing and implementing strategy, in partnership with outside counsel as appropriate, to address complex litigation, regulatory inquiries and oversight by multiple agencies.

• Executive leadership and ability to see and handle more than the legal issues of a project; strong, pragmatic, business acumen with the ability to recognize the business consequences of legal advice; a strategic and innovative thinker who can develop and articulate a clear understanding of the organization’s strategy from all perspectives and find creative solutions to complex legal problems and compliance practices. Must be able to move easily between a hands-on, operations-focused view and a strategic outlook.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate and interact effectively at all levels of the organization; requires gravitas, judgment and self-confidence but also respect for others, regardless of position, and willingness to work as a team member. Personal credibility and the ability to articulate legal positions and strategies concisely and quickly, in a manner that is useful and easily understood by the almost exclusively non-legal, professional staff.

• Experience in or knowledge of the not-for-profit and/or government sector.

• Experience with regulations impacting the provision of child welfare services, Medicaid managed care and residential operations will be preferred

• Proven track record of strong negotiation, communication, organizational, and people management skills and the ability to influence and build relationships without direct authority.

ABOUT US

JCCA, formerly known as Jewish Child Care Association, provides comprehensive care to thousands of children, young people and families who come from New York’s diverse communities. Since 1822, we have embraced those who need us most — abused, neglected and traumatized young people who are struggling with poverty, developmental disabilities and complex mental illness. Our programs include foster and residential care, educational assistance and remediation, case management for young people with mental health challenges and services to families to prevent child abuse and maltreatment. JCCA offers safety, stability and lifesaving support to help our clients transform their lives. JCCA programs help more than 16,000 children and families annually.

JCCA offers a highly competitive and comprehensive benefits package for our employees and their families. Our benefits coverage includes medical insurance, dental insurance, a prescription-drug plan, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, generous paid time-off, tuition reimbursement and retirement savings options.

JCCA complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which JCCA has facilities. Visit our website: www.jccany.org

Salary: $190K - $200K