Chief Legal Officer

Parsons Corporation • Chantilly, VA

7d

About The Position

The Chief Legal Officer (CLO) is the senior-most legal executive responsible for the legal, compliance, ethics, and corporate governance functions of the company. This role serves as a trusted advisor to the CEO, executive leadership team, and Board of Directors on all legal, regulatory, and reputational matters. As the corporate secretary and public company governance officer, the CLO ensures compliance with all SEC, SOX, and exchange listing requirements. The CLO also provides strategic oversight of the company’s contracts, ethics program, and compliance policies.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor (JD) from a top-tier, accredited law school; active bar membership in good standing.
• 15+ years of legal experience, including senior in-house roles at a public company and/or top law firm.
• Demonstrated expertise in public company governance, contracts, ethics & compliance, and SEC reporting.
• Extensive experience in the U.S. Federal market, including knowledge of government contracts and regulatory frameworks.
• Strong understanding of commercial industries, including contract negotiation, risk management and dispute resolution.
• Proven leadership of legal, compliance, ethics, or risk functions across a multi-jurisdictional environment.
• Experience working directly with a Board of Directors and leading corporate secretarial responsibilities.
• Strong communication skills, business acumen, and the ability to advise on both legal and strategic matters.
• Ability to obtain, transfer and/or maintain a US government security clearance.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with ESG disclosure, sustainability frameworks, and investor engagement.
• Familiarity with international trade laws and global compliance frameworks (e.g., FCPA, GDPR, U.K. Bribery Act, ISO 37001).

Responsibilities

• Lead the legal department and set the overall legal strategy aligned with the company’s business goals.
• Advise executive leadership and the Board on material legal risks and strategic initiatives.
• Build, mentor, and manage a high-performing legal and compliance team.
• Serve as Corporate Secretary to the Board of Directors and its committees.
• Ensure compliance with SEC rules, Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), and stock exchange listing standards.
• Oversee the preparation and filing of periodic reports, proxy statements, disclosures, and investor communications.
• Lead the global ethics and compliance program, including policy development, training, investigations, and enforcement.
• Champion a culture of integrity, accountability, and transparency throughout the organization.
• Oversee whistleblower and internal reporting mechanisms in compliance with SOX and global standards.
• Monitor legal and regulatory trends and ensure proactive compliance initiatives.
• Oversee the company’s contracts function, including standardized contracting processes, legal review procedures, and contract lifecycle management.
• Ensure contracts are aligned with business goals and appropriately manage legal and commercial risk.
• Negotiate, draft, and review complex agreements including customer contracts, vendor agreements, licensing, SaaS/technology agreements, NDAs, and strategic partnerships.
• Provide guidance to business units on contract terms and risk awareness.
• Provide legal leadership in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and other corporate development activities.
• Manage legal due diligence, regulatory filings, deal structuring, and post-closing integration.
• Partner with finance, tax, and business development on transaction execution.
• Manage all litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution matters, including oversight of outside counsel.
• Proactively identify and mitigate legal risks through policies, training, and compliance programs.
• Support internal investigations and interface with regulators when necessary.

Benefits

• Competitive executive compensation package including base salary, annual bonus, and long-term equity incentives
• Comprehensive benefits including health, dental, vision, and 401(k) & ESOP contribution
• Change in Control and Executive level benefits to include financial planning reimbursement and upgraded travel status

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees