Assistant General Counsel and Director of Compliance

Merrimack College is a selective, private college in a beautiful,residential setting — just minutes from Boston,Massachusetts. Position Description Merrimack College seeks an experienced, collaborative andsolutions-oriented attorney to serve as Assistant General Counseland Director of Compliance. Reporting to the Vice President andGeneral Counsel, the Assistant General Counsel and Director ofCompliance provides legal counsel to the College and providesleadership, guidance and oversight in support of the College’scompliance with applicable federal and state laws, regulations andinstitutional policies. The position serves as a trusted legal and strategic advisor tosenior leadership and offices across the College on a broad rangeof matters affecting the College’s academic, administrative,employment and student operations. The Assistant General Counselwill work closely with the Vice President and General Counsel aswell as the Senior Legal Counsel in providing legal services to theCollege, including legal research and analysis, contract review andnegotiation, policy development, employment and student matters,investigations, litigation and other institutional matters. As Director of Compliance, the position coordinates the College’sinstitutional compliance program, identifies and monitorssignificant compliance obligations and risks, assists responsibledepartments in maintaining effective compliance practices, anddevelops systems, policies, training and reporting mechanisms tosupport institutional compliance. The successful candidate will possess excellent legal judgment,strong analytical and communication skills, and the ability totranslate complex legal and regulatory requirements into practicalguidance. This individual must be able to develop strongrelationships across a complex organization, exercise soundjudgment and discretion, and approach legal and compliance matterswith a practical, collaborative and service-oriented mindsetconsistent with Merrimack College’s Catholic and Augustinianmission. Key Responsibilities Legal Counsel and InstitutionalAdvising Assist the Vice President and General Counsel as well as theSenior Legal Counsel in providing legal advice and services to theCollege. Provide legal research, analysis and written work product onmatters assigned by the Vice President and General Counsel orSenior Legal Counsel. Provide timely, practical and strategic legal advice to seniorleadership and College departments on a broad range ofinstitutional matters. Advise College leaders regarding applicable federal and statelaws and regulations, institutional policies, legal risk andemerging legal issues affecting higher education. Conduct legal research and analysis and prepare legalmemoranda, guidance, correspondence, policies and othermaterials. Identify legal and regulatory risks and work collaborativelywith College leaders to develop practical strategies for managingand mitigating those risks. Assist in responding to government inquiries, subpoenas,regulatory matters, complaints and other legal requests. Advise on the development, interpretation and implementation ofCollege policies and procedures. Provide legal support on sensitive or time-criticalinstitutional matters. Assist the Vice President and General Counsel with other legalmatters and special projects as assigned. Institutional Compliance Provide leadership and coordination for the College’sinstitutional compliance program in partnership with the VicePresident and General Counsel and other College leaders. Develop and maintain a framework for identifying and monitoringsignificant federal, state and other regulatory obligationsapplicable to the College. Work collaboratively with functional areas that have primaryresponsibility for specific compliance obligations to promoteeffective and consistent institutional compliance. Monitor significant legal and regulatory developments affectinghigher education and communicate relevant changes, risks andrequired actions to appropriate College leaders. Coordinate periodic assessments of institutional compliancerisks and assist departments in developing appropriate mitigationstrategies. Develop, review and maintain institutional compliance policies,procedures, guidance and related resources. Assist College departments in establishing appropriateprocesses for documenting and demonstrating compliance withapplicable legal and regulatory requirements. Develop and coordinate compliance education and training forfaculty, staff and administrators as appropriate. Promote awareness of compliance responsibilities and foster aninstitutional culture of ethics, integrity, accountability andresponsible decision-making. Identify potential gaps or areas of heightened compliance riskand work with responsible departments to develop corrective actionplans. Provide periodic reports and updates to the Vice President andGeneral Counsel and senior leadership regarding significantcompliance developments, risks and initiatives. Support institutional responses to compliance reviews, audits,investigations and regulatory inquiries. Contracts and Business Transactions Draft, review, revise and negotiate a broad range of Collegecontracts and agreements, including vendor and service agreements,technology agreements, licenses, leases, affiliation agreements,independent contractor agreements, confidentiality agreements andother institutional arrangements. Advise College departments regarding contract terms and legalrisks, including indemnification, insurance, limitation ofliability, confidentiality, privacy and data security, intellectualproperty and termination provisions. Work collaboratively with Finance, Procurement, InformationTechnology, Human Resources and other departments to facilitateeffective and efficient contract review. Support consistent contract review, approval and recordkeepingpractices. Develop and maintain contract templates, guidance and otherresources to improve efficiency and appropriately manageinstitutional risk. Employment and Workplace Matters Provide legal advice to Human Resources and College leadershipregarding employment and workplace matters. Provide legal guidance regarding faculty and staff policies,appointments, discipline and separation matters, asappropriate. Advise on federal and state employment laws, accommodations andleaves, wage and hour requirements, employee relations, workplacepolicies, employment agreements and other personnel matters. Advise on workplace investigations and other sensitivepersonnel matters in coordination with Human Resources and Collegeleadership. Assist in responding to employment-related administrativecomplaints, claims and agency matters. Student, Academic and Campus Matters Provide legal counsel on matters involving students, academicprograms, student organizations and campus activities. Advise appropriate College offices regarding student conduct,accommodations, privacy and records, discrimination and harassment,Title IX and other student-related legal and regulatorymatters. Advise academic and administrative leaders on legal andregulatory considerations involving academic programs,partnerships, experiential learning and other educationalactivities. Provide legal support regarding Athletics, Athletics Complianceand other campus operations as assigned. Assist in reviewing agreements and arrangements involvingstudents, educational and clinical partners and other externalorganizations. Regulatory and Higher Education Matters Monitor and advise the College regarding laws and regulationsaffecting higher education, including matters involvingaccreditation, authorization, consumer protection,nondiscrimination, accessibility, student privacy, data privacy andsecurity, federal financial aid and other applicable regulatoryrequirements. Assist responsible College offices in interpreting andimplementing new or changing regulatory requirements. Support institutional responses to regulatory reviews,inquiries and requests for information. Partner with appropriate offices to evaluate the legal andcompliance implications of new programs, initiatives, partnershipsand business activities. Litigation, Investigations and Claims Assist the Vice President and General Counsel in managinglitigation, administrative proceedings, claims and threatenedclaims involving the College. Coordinate with outside counsel, insurers and Collegedepartments regarding litigation and disputes. Assist with internal investigations and other sensitiveinstitutional reviews as assigned. Coordinate preservation and collection of records in connectionwith litigation, investigations, subpoenas and other legalmatters. Monitor assigned matters and advise College leadershipregarding significant developments, risks and recommendedactions. Policy, Training and Education Coordinate the legal review of institutional policies andassist in developing processes to promote consistency, appropriateapproval and periodic review. Develop legal and compliance guidance, templates, checklistsand other resources for College departments. Develop and deliver training and educational programs on legaland compliance topics for faculty, staff, administrators and otherCollege constituencies. Identify opportunities to improve institutional understandingof legal obligations, compliance responsibilities and riskmanagement. Office of the General Counsel Serve as a collaborative member of the Office of the GeneralCounsel and assist the Vice President and General Counsel inproviding effective legal services to the College. Develop strong working relationships with administrators,faculty and staff throughout the institution. Maintain the confidentiality and integrity of privileged andsensitive information. Assist in developing efficient processes and systems for managing legal and compliance matters. Manage outside counsel and other external resources on assignedmatters, as appropriate. Maintain current knowledge of developments in higher educationlaw, compliance and professional standards. Perform other duties and special projects as assigned by theVice President and General Counsel. Qualifications Required Qualifications Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school. Admission to the Massachusetts Bar or eligibility for admissionin Massachusetts. Minimum of five years of progressively responsible legalexperience. Demonstrated experience providing legal advice regardingcomplex organizational, regulatory, contractual, employment orcompliance matters. Strong knowledge of legal and regulatory compliance principlesand experience interpreting and applying statutes, regulations andinstitutional policies. Experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating contracts andother legal agreements. Excellent legal research, analytical, writing and oralcommunication skills. Ability to communicate complex legal and regulatory issuesclearly and practically to non-lawyers. Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment and discretionin handling confidential, sensitive and high-risk matters. Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to developeffective working relationships with individuals at all levels ofan organization. Excellent organizational and project-management skills,including the ability to manage multiple priorities anddeadlines. Ability to work independently while collaborating effectivelyas part of a team. Preferred Qualifications Experience practicing law in or advising a college oruniversity. Experience developing, managing or supporting an institutionalcompliance program. Demonstrated knowledge of laws and regulations applicable tohigher education, including areas such as Title IV, FERPA, TitleIX, Title VII, the Clery Act, VAWA, ADA, ADEA, HIPAA and OSHA. Application Materials Should Include Resume. Cover letter stating motivation and interest in the position,citing experience relevant to the qualifications and includingexperience with, and commitment to, Merrimack College’s Catholicand Augustinian mission and values. Work Location This is an on-campus position as employees are essential in order to provide a fully on-campus, residential college experience forour students and the community. This position is subject to the successful completion of a criminalbackground check. Statement on Our Mission Merrimack College is a Catholic Augustinian institution of highereducation committed to building an accepting and respectfulcommunity. Our mission is to enlighten minds, engage hearts andempower lives and is inspired by our Catholic faith and theAugustinian tradition of seeking truth through inquiry anddialogue. Merrimack College seeks candidates who understand, respect, and cancontribute to Merrimack’s Catholic and Augustinian mission. Allcandidates should describe in their application how they willfoster a culture that supports our mission. About Merrimack College The only Catholic, Augustinian institution of higher education inNew England, Merrimack College is a private, independent,coeducational institution with more than 4,100 undergraduate, 2,500graduate students and 50 doctoral students from 48 states and 63countries. The College features more than 160 career-focusedundergraduate, professional and graduate programs, all taught byexceptional faculty who are passionate about their subject andstudent success. The College has six schools: arts and sciences,engineering and computational sciences, nursing and healthsciences, education and social policy, the Girard school ofbusiness and the graduate school of counseling and social work. TheCollege’s suburban 220-acre campus is just north of Boston in NorthAndover, Massachusetts. Merrimack is a Master’s Colleges andUniversities/Larger Programs (M1) institution in the CarnegieClassification of Institutions of Higher Education. Merrimack isone of the fastest growing educational institutions in the countryand has steadily climbed up in the U.S. News & World Report’sranking of Best Colleges, ranking 38th in the Regional UniversitiesNorth category in 2026. Merrimack isa NCAA Division I athleticinstitution. Merrimack College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Salary Range $135,000 - $155,000 #J-18808-Ljbffr