General Counsel, University of Nevada, Reno

The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) appreciates your interest in employment at our growing institution. We want your application process to go smoothly and quickly. Final applications must be submitted prior to the close of the recruitment. If you need assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please contact our recruitment helpline at (775) 784-1495 or jobs@unr.edu. For UNR Med professional job postings, please contact the Office of Professional Recruitment at (775) 784-6778. Job Description The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) seeks an experienced leader to serve as the next General Counsel. This position reports to the President and is a member of the President?s cabinet. The General Counsel serves as the chief legal officer for the University of Nevada, Reno, providing expert legal advice and counsel to senior academic and administrative officers. This position encompasses a broad scope of responsibilities, including litigation, administrative and regulatory... matters, both within the State of Nevada and at the federal level. The General Counsel ensures compliance with state and federal laws, focusing on litigation, contracts, business and tort law, employment law, dispute resolution, discrimination, intellectual property, student rights, the First Amendment, public records, and public/private partnerships. The General Counsel provides legal counsel and guidance to university officers and upper management, anticipating and identifying legal issues. They advise the President, Provost, and senior leaders to develop strategies and solutions, ensuring alignment with the university?s mission and strategic goals. Additionally, they develop strategies to mitigate risks, implementing compliance and risk management programs, and advise university leadership on governance matters, ensuring compliance with higher education regulations. The General Counsel oversees and manages all university litigation, representing UNR senior leaders in judicial and administrative proceedings and negotiations. They assess legal risks and advise on appropriate courses of action, resolving disputes to minimize risk and liability to the university. The General Counsel reviews and negotiates contracts, leases, and other legal documents, ensuring compliance with Board of Regents requirements and applicable laws. They also provide training and guidance on university policies and legal issues to faculty, staff, and administrators. The General Counsel establishes and maintains an effective organizational structure for the Office of General Counsel, overseeing recruitment, training, supervision, and evaluation of legal staff. They develop and manage the legal function?s budget, select and retain outside counsel as needed, and oversee the legal work of university attorneys, paralegals, and outside counsel. Additionally, they foster a collaborative and supportive work environment. The Office of General Counsel is part of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Office of Legal Affairs, which operates under the executive leadership of the NSHE Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs and Chief General Counsel. The General Counsel has a dual reporting line to the NSHE Chief General Counsel. Required Qualifications Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school and 10 years of legal experience in civil practice including litigation and contracts. Licensure Licensure to practice law in the State of Nevada Preferred Qualifications Experience with Administrative Law Experience with Employment Law Experience working in a university setting or governmental institution/entity Familiarity with academic governance, research compliance, and intellectual property law Schedule or Travel Requirements Full time position Occasional travel Compensation Grade Administrative Faculty - E To view the salary schedule for this position, please visit: Salary Schedules and select Administrative salary schedule. Salary is competitive and commensurate with related education and experience. Our Benefits The University of Nevada, Reno promotes a healthy work-life balance for their employees. The university provides a generous amount of annual leave; two (2) days are accrued each month. Spend time skiing the Sierra Mountains, golfing several golf courses, visiting Lake Tahoe, hiking the desolation wilderness, attending local events or just enjoying a nice quiet day in the fresh air. With over 300 days of sunshine and four seasons there is something for everyone. A benefit of working in Nevada is that you do not pay state income tax - keep more of your earnings! We do not contribute 6.2% to social security tax; we offer a rich retirement plan instead. Our retirement plan is beyond compare. Your 17.50% contribution is generously matched by the University. With the faculty retirement plan, you are 100% vested on your first day. Sit back and watch your retirement dollars grow! All permanent employees on an annual 'A' contract who are employed at least 50% full-time are eligible to participate in the NSHE retirement program unless they are members of PERS of Nevada. We offer excellent health insurance options that include dental, vision, and life insurance. We take the health of our employees and their families seriously. This position starts the first year with a generous thirty (30) days of sick leave; two (2) days are accrued each month after one year of service. For candidates that relocate from at least 50 miles away, we offer a relocation/moving allowance. No receipts are required, and the moving allowance is paid in one lump sum. If you or your dependents are looking to become a Wolf Pack student, we offer a grants-in-aid educational benefit. The University is proud to provide a reduced-rate tuition benefit to faculty and qualified dependents. Faculty can take up to six credits per semester at a reduced rate. Dependents of faculty have unlimited credits, but in order to be eligible children must be unmarried and under the age of 24 and must receive at least 50% of their financial support from the employee and/or employee?s spouse or domestic partner. Dual Career Program Assistance The University of Nevada, Reno recognizes the importance of addressing dual-career couples? professional needs. We offer a dual career assistance program to newly hired faculty spouses/partners that provides resources and assists them to identify career opportunities in Northern Nevada. Dual Career Assistance Program Search Contact Jodi Fraser, Search Coordinator jodif@unr.edu ExemptYes Full-Time Equivalent100.0% Required Attachment(s) Please note, once you submit your application the only attachment/s viewable to you will be the attachment/s to the resume/CV section of the application. Any additional required attachment/s to the cover letter, references, additional documents sections of the application, will not be viewable to you after you submit your application. All uploaded attachment/s will be on the application for the committee to review. To request updates to attachments, prior to the committee review of applications, please contact the candidate helpdesk at jobs@unr.edu. Please attach the following documents to your application 1) Resume/CV 2) Cover Letter 3) Contact Information for three professional references 4) Please write a brief statement (one page maximum) about how you would contribute toward our mission of creating a culturally inclusive environment in the role for which you are applying. Full Consideration For full consideration, applications must be received by September 6, 2024 Posting Close Time This posting will close at 12:00 am on the date listed below. The posting will no longer be available to apply to after 11:59 pm the day prior Posting Close Date09/7/2024 Note to Applicant A background check will be conducted on the candidate(s) selected for hire. HR will attempt to verify academic credentials upon receipt of hiring documents. If the academic credentials cannot be verified, HR will notify the faculty member that an official transcript of their highest degree must be submitted within thirty days of the faculty member?s first day of employment. References will be contacted at the appropriate phase of the recruitment process. Applicants hired on a federal contract may be subject to E-Verify. As part of the hiring process, applicants for positions in the Nevada System of Higher Education may be required to demonstrate the ability to perform job-related tasks. For positions that require driving, evidence of a valid driver's license will be required at the time of employment and as a condition of continued employment. Schedules are subject to change based on organizational needs. The University of Nevada, Reno is committed to providing a place of work and learning free of discrimination on the basis of a person?s age (40 or older), disability, whether actual or perceived by others (including service-connected disabilities), gender (including pregnancy related conditions), military status or military obligations, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, race (including hair texture and protected hairstyles such as natural hairstyles, afros, bantu knots, curls, braids, locks and twists), color, or religion (protected classes). About Us The University of Nevada, Reno is a leading American public research university committed to the promise of a future powered by knowledge. Founded in 1874 as Nevada?s original land-grant university, the University serves 21,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and 63 countries. Classified by the Carnegie?Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 (?Very High Research?) university, it is also recognized in the Carnegie?Community Engagement classification. The University is also ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the ?Best National Universities? and ?Best National Public Universities.? It also ranks in the top tier of the WSJ/Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the New York Times? ?Top Colleges for Economic Diversity.? Since 2009, nearly $1 billion has been has invested in advanced labs, facilities, and residence halls on the main campus. The University is home to Nevada?s first medical school ? the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine ? and it delivers on its original land-grant mission with outreach across the state through the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Nevada Small Business Development Center, the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and Wolf Pack Athletics. The main campus is in Reno, Nevada, a burgeoning global technology hub with a vibrant midtown and downtown. Found where the high desert of the Great Basin meets the High Sierra and Lake Tahoe, the beautiful, 290-acre main campus is also a Nevada State Arboretum. In recent years, the University has expanded to include two additional locations: the Redfield Campus in south Reno and the Wayne L. Prim campus in Incline Village, which is the home of the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe. As part of the Nevada System of Higher Education ? comprised of two research universities, one state college, four community colleges and an environmental research institute ? the University is committed to developing strong partnerships with each of these institutions for the benefit of all Nevadans. Through its commitment to high-impact education, world-improving research and creative activity, and outreach that?s transforming Nevada?s communities and businesses, the University continues its nearly 150-year tradition of benefitting our state, nation and world. The University recognizes that diversity promotes excellence in education and research. The inclusive and engaged community on campus recognizes the added value that students, faculty, and staff from different backgrounds bring to the educational experience. Today, the University delivers on its original land-grant mission of access to education and knowledge by investing in the academics, facilities, support, engagement and vibrant campus life that promote our diverse students? cognitive growth and academic achievement ? all while remaining one of the best values in American higher education. For more information, please visit the University?s website. University of Nevada, Reno The University of Nevada, Reno is a leading American public research university committed to the promise of a future powered by knowledge. Founded in 1874 as Nevada?s original land-grant university, the University serves 21,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and 63 countries. Classified by the Carnegie?Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 (?Very High Research?) university, it is also recognized in the Carnegie?Community Engagement classification. The University is also ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the ?Best National Universities? and ?Best National Public Universities.? It also ranks in the top tier of the WSJ/Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the New York Times? ?Top Colleges for Economic Diversity.? Since 2009, nearly $1 billion has been has invested in advanced labs, facilities, and residence halls on the main campus. The University is home to Nevada?s first medical school ? the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine ? and it delivers on its original land-grant mission with outreach across the state through the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Nevada Small Business Development Center, the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and Wolf Pack Athletics. The main campus is in Reno, Nevada, a burgeoning global technology hub with a vibrant midtown and downtown. Found where the high desert of the Great Basin meets the High Sierra and Lake Tahoe, the beautiful, 290-acre main campus is also a Nevada State Arboretum. In recent years, the University has expanded to include two additional locations: the Redfield Campus in south Reno and the Wayne L. Prim campus in Incline Village, which is the home of the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe. As part of the Nevada System of Higher Education ? comprised of two research universities, one state college, four community colleges and an environmental research institute ? the University is committed to developing strong partnerships with each of these institutions for the benefit of all Nevadans. Through its commitment to high-impact education, world-improving research and creative activity, and outreach that?s transforming Nevada?s communities and businesses, the University continues its nearly 150-year tradition of benefitting our state, nation and world. The University recognizes that diversity promotes excellence in education and research. The inclusive and engaged community on campus recognizes the added value that students, faculty, and staff from different backgrounds bring to the educational experience. Today, the University delivers on its original land-grant mission of access to education and knowledge by investing in the academics, facilities, support, engagement and vibrant campus life that promote our diverse students? cognitive growth and academic achievement ? all while remaining one of the best values in American higher education. For more information, please visit the University?s website. NSHE is committed to providing a place of work and learning free of discrimination on the basis of a person?s age (40 or older), disability, whether actual or perceived by others (including service-connected disabilities), gender (including pregnancy related conditions), military status or military obligations, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, race (including hair texture and protected hairstyles such as natural hairstyles, afros, bantu knots, curls, braids, locks and twists), color, or religion (protected classes). EEO/Title IX Website Zeva Edmondson Director, Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Coordinator 1664 N. Virginia Street Reno, NV 89557 (775) 784-1547 eotix@unr.edu The University of Nevada, Reno, does not discriminate on the basis of sex in any education program or activity that it operates. Non-discrimination on the basis of sex is mandated by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. ? 1681 et seq.) and the corresponding implementation regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106). The University?s commitment to nondiscrimination in its education programs and activities extends to applicants for admission and employment. Inquiries concerning the application of these provisions may be referred to: Zeva Edmondson, Director, Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Coordinator, University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 N. Virginia Street, Continuing Education Building, Room 206, m/s 158, Reno, Nevada 89557-0158, Telephone: (775) 784-1547; Email: eotix@unr.edu; to The Assistant Secretary of the United States Department of Education, U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202-1100; Telephone: 1-800-421-3481 FAX: 202-453-6012; TDD: 1-800-877-8339; Email: OCR@ed.gov; or to both. Information pertaining to the University?s grievance procedures and grievance process, including how to report or file a complaint of sex discrimination, how to report or file a formal complaint of sexual harassment, and how the University will respond can be found here. If you need any accommodations to complete an application, please contact Human Resources at jobs@unr.edu. Information regarding security, personal safety, fire safety, and crime statistics can be found at UNR's website. NSHE Employees are required to participate in a mandatory retirement plan in lieu of Social Security. As a result, employment at NSHE may impact your Social Security benefits. Additional information is available at SSA 1945. Job postings are specific to the Nevada System of Higher Education