Assistant General Counsel, Legal Vendor Contracting, Corporate Transactions

The Guardian Law Department seeks an Assistant General Counsel, Legal Vendor Contracting, reporting to the Assistant General Counsel, Corporate Initiatives & Transactions (CIT), Head of Legal Vendor Contracting, responsible for negotiating, executing and providing legal guidance and strategy on enterprise-wide, strategic vendor contracting and sourcing initiatives. The Guardian Law Department’s mission is to partner as trusted advocates and advisors to drive strategic solutions that advance Guardian’s purpose, priorities and values.

The CIT Team is a multidisciplinary legal practice group within the Law Department responsible for a broad remit, focused on providing enterprise-wide legal advice and support for matters involving (i) company mergers/acquisitions/dispositions; (ii) vendor contracting and outsourcing.  (iii) strategic investments, capital market transactions, reinsurance and other strategic projects; (iv) corporate real estate and facilities; and (v) investment-related transactions.

As Assistant General Counsel, Legal Vendor Contracting, you will report to Head of Legal Vendor Contracting, operating with significant autonomy on day-to-day matters, escalating judgement calls and risks as appropriate and lead the Legal Vendor Contracting team within CIT which focuses on providing legal advice and guidance on enterprise-wide vendor contracting and outsourcing initiatives that often intersect with key strategic priorities and transactions.

In this role, you will:

• Provide legal counsel to senior-level internal business clients on significant vendor contracting transactions, including drafting and negotiating the following types of agreements: Master Services Agreements (MSAs), Statements of Work (SOWs), SaaS, cloud and technology agreements, outsourcing and managed services agreements, and professional services, recruiting and consulting contracts
• Lead multidisciplinary transaction teams to deliver excellent results 
• Collaborate closely with Guardian’s sourcing procurement function to negotiate and execute complex vendor contracting transactions, outsourcing arrangements, and strategic third-party relationships, while balancing risk, speed and business objectives
• Strategize and implement Contract Lifecycle Management (“CLM”) AI solutions in conjunction with the Head of Legal Vendor Contracting and in partnership with the Legal Operations function
• Stay informed of relevant industry trends, technology changes, and best practices to inform strategy and decision-making

You have:

• J.D. required
• New York bar admission
• 8-10+ years’ progressively responsible transactional experience in a law firm or in-house legal department with commercial, technology, or outsourcing transactions
• Demonstrated experience negotiating complex vendor and services agreements
• Excellent legal and business judgment, produce superior results and follows through on commitments
• Demonstrated confidence in advising and presenting to executive level management
• Experience in financial services, insurance or regulated industries and legal vendor contracting
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced environment with multiple stakeholders and competing priorities
• A high degree of integrity and sensitivity in handling confidential information
• Strong analytical and organizational skills with close attention to detail and the ability to prioritize, be flexible and change direction as appropriate
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written; ability to interact with clients, including executive management
• Exhibits initiative, strategic thinking, and thought leadership, with a resourceful and proactive attitude
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams on complex projects, provide leadership and direction through teams of senior managers, sets clear performance expectations, provides feedback, coaching, recognition, and champions career development
• Drive engagement through inclusion, cascading communications and actioning feedback in engagement surveys
• Knowledge of and experience in AI initiatives is a plus
• Experience in and knowledge of financial services, insurance, or regulated industries is a plus

Functional Leadership Skills & Behaviors 

Interpersonal Effectiveness 

• Demonstrate ability to use communications and stories to inspire, motivate and influence others on ideas.
• Communicate with conciseness, composure and confidence in an engaging manner.  
• Go beyond the expected and engage others to do more
• Proactively seek out leadership or significant project opportunities rather than wait for direction. 

Business Savvy 

• Take the time to learn and become well-versed in the business.  Bring your professional expertise to bear for business or customer needs in a way that makes a significant difference.
• A strategic end to end view in organizing and planning work or initiatives and able to deliver exceptional results and outcomes by influencing others. 
• Find ways to ask insightful questions in creating or shaping a new solution.  Challenge existing approaches and enlist others in new thinking.  Create a change environment and champion new projects that shape the future. 

Legal Expertise 

• A mastery of both written and oral communications with the goal to provide concise, clear messaging to persuade the audience.
• Maintain current knowledge and demonstrate a willingness and resourcefulness to learn new things with guidance and also independently
• Bring a solutions-based approach when working with clients / customers to understand needs required to deliver unique solutions to challenging business problems. 

Lead by Example 

• Bring your authentic self to work and demonstrate empathy, while creating an inclusive environment
• Prioritize your well-being

Salary Range:

The salary range reflected above is a good faith estimate of base pay for the primary location of the position. The salary for this position ultimately will be determined based on the education, experience, knowledge, and abilities of the successful candidate. In addition to salary, this role may also be eligible for annual, sales, or other incentive compensation.

Our Promise

At Guardian, you’ll have the support and flexibility to achieve your professional and personal goals.  Through skill-building, leadership development and philanthropic opportunities, we provide opportunities to build communities and grow your career, surrounded by diverse colleagues with high ethical standards.

Inspire Well-Being

As part of Guardian’s Purpose – to inspire well-being – we are committed to offering contemporary, supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources to our colleagues. Explore our company benefits at www.guardianlife.com/careers/corporate/benefits. Benefits apply to full-time eligible employees. Interns are not eligible for most Company benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Guardian is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, marital status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law.

Accommodations

Guardian is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. Guardian also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants (and employees) to accommodate the individual's known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless doing so would create an undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact [email protected]. Please note: this resource is for accommodation requests only. For all other inquires related to your application and careers at Guardian, refer to the Guardian Careers site.

Visa Sponsorship

Guardian is not currently or in the foreseeable future sponsoring employment visas. In order to be a successful applicant. you must be legally authorized to work in the United States, without the need for employer sponsorship.

Current Guardian Colleagues: Please apply through the internal Jobs Hub in Workday.