Department: Risk Management
Position type: Full-time, 12 months

Founded in 1810, The Lawrenceville School, one of the country’s premier independent schools, is located in central New Jersey, five miles south of Princeton, 55 miles south of New York City, and 40 miles north of Philadelphia. Lawrenceville attracts outstanding students in grades 9-12, including about two dozen post-graduates. Lawrenceville’s 815 students come from more than 30 states and 30 countries, with more than a third receiving assistance from a more than $15 million dollar financial aid budget. Across residential, academic, and co-curricular settings, Lawrenceville challenges a diverse community of promising young people to lead lives of learning, integrity, and high purpose, inspiring the best in each to seek the best for all.

The Lawrenceville School seeks enthusiastic, energetic, collegial individuals who want to work with both adults and students in a collaborative and inclusive academic setting.

Summary:

The School Counsel and Director of Risk Management serves as both the inaugural in-house legal counsel and the leader of the School’s risk management program. This new, full-time role is for a senior administrator who will serve as a member of the School’s Senior Staff, and will work closely with the Head Master and senior administration on a broad range of issues across the full range of functions at the School. This position reports administratively to the CFO and Secretary of the Board of Trustees, and serves as the staff liaison to the Trustee Legal Committee and helps staff the Audit and Risk Committee of the Board of Trustees.

This is an opportunity for the right individual to review and restructure Lawrenceville’s approach to legal matters, including the procurement and utilization of legal services across the School. This position is simultaneously charged with evaluating, strengthening, and overseeing enterprise risk management (including preparedness and mitigation planning), compliance and training, and Lawrenceville’s property and liability insurance programs, consistent with the School’s overall risk management philosophy and approach.

To ensure full consideration, please submit your application  here,  a cover letter directed to the search committee and three professional references, in addition to your resume are required.

Typical responsibilities include the following:

Manage School-wide enterprise management, legal, operational, compliance, and safety risks while maintaining an advisory and solutions-oriented approach to the School’s business and legal issues. Support and train the School community with regard to these areas. Provide advice on a wide spectrum of legal, commercial, contractual, policy, and compliance issues.

Work directly with the Head Master, Senior Staff, and Board of Trustee Committees on a wide range of strategic issues and tactical matters. For example, this position works collaboratively with the Dean of Faculty and the Director of Human Resources on employment and people matters, the Dean of Students on student, safety, and reporting issues, the Chief Operations Officer on issues related to facilities and security, the relevant Deans and Directors on auxiliary and off-campus programs, and the Chief Technology Officer and Director of the Library on privacy laws and best practices in data retention and privacy, among others.

The School Counsel and Director of Risk Management collaborates with department heads and employees across the School to proactively identify risk exposures, formulate plans for mitigation, make recommendations for policies and/or controls, and works collaboratively with the Head Master, CFO, Senior Staff, and key faculty and staff to implement prudent, practical approaches to managing and mitigating risk that are consistent with the School’s values, mission and strategic plan.

Legal Counsel

• Set the School’s overall legal strategy, and implement the legal strategy as appropriate for individual legal matters.
• Provide legal advice and counsel to School officials, trustees and employees.
• Represent the School in select matters when appropriate.
• Manage the School’s legal matters, including the strategic and effective procurement of legal services. Liaise with outside counsel and claims managers regarding their assignments.
• Review and create legal agreements and contracts.
• Conduct legal research as needed.
• Help educate employees on legal matters and best practices.

Risk Management

• Facilitate articulation of the School’s appetite for risk and approach to risk management.
• Lead forward-looking and practical enterprise risk management process at the School. Analyze risk related issues affecting college preparatory, independent boarding schools, with a particular focus on those applicable to Lawrenceville.
• Determine risks and insurance coverage needs, obtain appropriate coverages, and effectively manage insurance program for the School.

Compliance

• Facilitate and strengthen institutional compliance with applicable legal and regulatory obligations, as well as institutional policies.
• Develop and manage an approach to institutional compliance that works effectively with the School’s decentralized organization, partnering with management and subject matter experts in departments across the School
• Encourage and facilitate effective and proportionate practices in compliance across the School; establish an approach to institutional policy development; in partnership with key colleagues, develop institutional policies and practices where needed.

The strongest applicants will have the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree is required. Juris Doctorate from an ABA accredited law school is required. Must be admitted to practice law in the State of New Jersey.
• Minimum of five to seven years’ broad and relevant experience in a law firm or directly working on legal matters in-house as an attorney is required, preferably in or for an institution of secondary or higher education or other relevant non-profit organization. Experience with general corporate matters, employment, contracts, education, insurance, tax, real estate, governance, and regulatory issues is particularly helpful.
• General understanding of private education compliance and regulatory environment is preferred.
• Experience in enterprise risk management, managing insurance, and compliance with or for educational institutions or relevant non-profits preferred is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to balance trade-offs and constraints, while maintaining flexibility and perspective.
• Strong negotiating skills are essential.
• Demonstrated success working in a decentralized, mission-driven, collaborative culture in a complex organization. Ability to build consensus and effective partnerships, lead change, and facilitate implementation of practical solutions through influence and persuasion. Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills are required.
• Ability to work effectively at all levels of the organization, and to represent the institution.
• Must be available for advice, including evenings and weekends, especially when school is in session or while programs are operating. Able to respond to emergencies 24 hours-a-day, 7 days per week when needed.
• Ability to work independently, with limited support, and to contribute effectively as a member of a cross-functional team.
• Demonstrated ability to balance multiple objectives, demands, and priorities. Ability to be flexible and multi-task. Be both strategic and detail-oriented. Ability to manage projects effectively.
• Creative and practical problem-solver. Operate efficiently, learn, and adapt quickly. Ability to manage ambiguity and proactively find solutions and improve processes.
• Proficient with Microsoft office suite (PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Excel) and Google GSuite tools, as well as comfort using technology and systems. Experience in developing and maintaining a computerized database information system and web pages is helpful. Ability to learn and use effectively departmental and School-wide tools and databases.
• Calm and unflappable, with a strong work and service ethic and positive outlook. Enthusiasm for education, our School community, teenagers and Lawrenceville’s mission is essential. Sense of humor a plus!

The Lawrenceville School is a diverse and inclusive community and makes all employment decisions without regard for an individual’s race, creed, color, religion, national origin, nationality, sex, pregnancy, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability (including AIDS and HIV related illness), genetic information, refusal to provide genetic information, refusal to submit to genetic testing, ancestry, familial status, marital status, domestic partnership status, civil union status, atypical cellular or blood trait, military service, application for military service, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. The Lawrenceville School will also provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals in accordance with applicable law.

The Lawrenceville School conducts pre-employment screening for all positions which includes a criminal background check, verification of work history, academic credentials, licenses, and certifications. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

Eligible employees receive a competitive benefit package that includes health insurance coverage, paid leave and retirement plan options and many other valuable programs.