Chief Legal Officer

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Chief Legal Officer Job Description

The Chief Legal Officer serves as the general counsel and chief legal advisor for a group of businesses operating in subprime finance, commercial collections, and truck sales. This role provides strategic legal guidance, ensures regulatory and consumer finance compliance, oversees legal and collateral recovery departments, and manages the compliance function, including direct oversight of the compliance officer. The Chief Legal Officer actively participates in the daily operations of commercial collections while balancing long-term legal strategy with practical, business-focused decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive legal counsel to executive leadership and Board members on matters related to subprime finance, commercial collections, truck sales, and broader corporate activities.
• Lead and manage the legal department, including legal and collateral recovery teams, ensuring effective structure, workflows, and performance aligned with business objectives.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of contracts and agreements, ensuring clear terms, risk mitigation, and compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
• Oversee litigation management, including supervising outside counsel, setting litigation strategy, managing case budgets, and monitoring outcomes for both defensive and offensive matters.
• Develop, implement, and maintain robust consumer finance and regulatory compliance frameworks, particularly in relation to lending, debt collection, and asset-based finance activities.
• Manage risk across the organization by identifying legal and regulatory exposures, recommending mitigation strategies, and supporting corporate governance practices.
• Provide guidance and oversight to the compliance officer and compliance programs, ensuring effective policies, procedures, monitoring, and reporting across multiple entities or companies.
• Advise on and ensure adherence to federal and state regulatory requirements, including those applicable to FDCPA and debt collection law, consumer finance, and specialty lending.
• Support and guide commercial collections operations from a legal and compliance perspective, integrating legal requirements into day-to-day collection activities.
• Oversee asset recovery and collateral recovery strategies, including legal processes and credit risk management related to repossessions, recoveries, and disposition of assets.
• Advise on employment law and HR compliance matters, including workplace policies, employee relations, and regulatory obligations impacting the workforce.
• Coordinate and manage relationships with regulatory agencies, responding to inquiries, examinations, and enforcement actions as needed.
• Strengthen corporate governance by advising on board procedures, organizational structure, and multi-entity or multi-company legal considerations.
• Ensure multi-state legal compliance, particularly in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and support legal operations across jurisdictions as required.
• Partner closely with business leaders to balance legal risk with operational needs, supporting growth initiatives in truck sales, asset-based lending, and specialty finance.
• Provide strong leadership, mentoring, and development for legal and compliance staff, fostering a culture of accountability, integrity, and business partnership.
• Develop and maintain risk management plans, including policies and procedures that support sustainable, compliant growth.
• Communicate complex legal concepts in clear, practical terms to non-legal stakeholders, enabling informed decision-making across the organization.

Essential Skills

• Extensive experience in contract drafting, review, and negotiation across commercial, finance, and collections-related agreements.
• Strong background in litigation management, including supervising outside counsel and overseeing legal disputes and claims.
• Deep knowledge of consumer finance and regulatory compliance, with hands-on experience in lending and debt collection environments.
• Proven legal leadership and department management experience, including oversight of legal and collateral recovery functions.
• Expertise in risk management and corporate governance within multi-entity or multi-company organizations.
• Licensed to practice law with active state bar admission and a Juris Doctor (JD) degree.
• Experience with FDCPA (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act) and debt collection law, including practical application in commercial collections.
• background in commercial collections, lending, or consumer finance, with familiarity in credit risk management.
• Experience managing outside counsel and interacting with regulatory agencies.
• Knowledge of employment law and HR compliance matters relevant to a growing organization.
• Experience overseeing compliance programs and supervising compliance officers.
• Strong understanding of corporate governance principles and board advisory responsibilities.
• Experience navigating both state and federal regulatory requirements in finance and collections.
• Multi-state legal practice experience, particularly in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
• Demonstrated leadership and people management skills, with the ability to build and guide high-performing teams.
• Strong negotiation, communication, and business partnership skills, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• Ability to balance legal strategy with day-to-day business operations and commercial realities.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Licensure to practice law in Delaware is preferred.
• Experience supporting multi-entity or multi-company organizations, including complex corporate structures.
• background in truck sales, asset-based lending, or specialty finance is preferred.
• Experience in legal administrative processes, including documentation, case management, and reporting.
• Familiarity with asset recovery and collateral recovery practices in finance and sales operations.
• Ability to develop and execute risk management plans tailored to financial services and collections businesses.
• Proven track record of building strong cross-functional relationships with operations, finance, HR, and executive leadership.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present legal issues clearly and concisely.

Work Environment

This position is based 100% on-site, Monday through Friday, and this requirement is non-negotiable. The Chief Legal Officer works closely with executive leadership, legal and compliance teams, and commercial collections operations in a fast-paced, highly regulated business environment. The role involves frequent collaboration across departments, direct engagement with operational teams, and ongoing interaction with external counsel and regulatory agencies. The work setting emphasizes professionalism, accountability, and strong business partnership, with a focus on integrating legal and compliance considerations into daily operations and strategic initiatives.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Harrington, DE.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $72.00 - $96.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Harrington,DE.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 11, 2026.

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® Platinum Award winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on us.fitly.work for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.