Chief Legal Officer

Hanscom Federal Credit Union • Littleton, MA

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Chief Legal Officer serves as the senior legal executive and is accountable for enterprise legal, risk management and regulatory compliance for the credit union. As a member of the executive leadership team, the Chief Legal Officer leads the organization’s legal function, ensuring strong enterprise governance, disciplined compliance execution, and sound legal risk management while supporting strategic growth, innovation, and member trust.

This role partners closely with the President & CEO, Board of Directors, and executive leadership to balance prudent risk management with business objectives. The Chief Legal Officer provides strategic legal counsel and operational leadership, ensuring regulatory requirements are anticipated, legal risks are proactively managed, and compliance obligations are embedded across the organization.

Requirements

• Strong desire to work in a purpose driven organization
• Exceptional strategic vision for the future of financial services
• Demonstrated leadership ability, confidence and executive presence in a dynamic and growing environment
• Decisive decision-making skills with the ability to prioritize and communicate key objectives and tactics
• 15 years of relevant experience; including significant experience in financial services, banking, credit unions, or other highly regulated environments
• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school with an active license to practice law
• Demonstrated experience owning legal and compliance risk, including direct interaction with regulators and Boards of Directors
• Strong working knowledge of financial institution regulations, corporate governance, and enterprise risk frameworks
• Must be authorized to work in the US

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting growth initiatives, mergers, or complex organizational transformation preferred

Responsibilities

• Provide expert legal advice on a broad range of matters including corporate governance, contracts, privacy, data security, intellectual property, vendor relationships, and litigation risk
• Oversee management of litigation, claims, disputes, and investigations, including strategy, exposure assessment, and resolution
• Advise leadership on emerging legal risks, enforcement trends, and best practices affecting financial institutions
• Oversee management of material contracts, ensuring appropriate legal protections and alignment with risk tolerance
• Act as the chief legal advisor to the CEO, Board of Directors and executive team on legal, regulatory, and enterprise risk matters
• Lead corporate governance activities, including Board and committee support, bylaws, charters, resolutions, policies, and governance best practices
• Provide clear, independent reporting to the Board on legal, compliance, and regulatory risks, material issues, and emerging concerns
• Support Board education on legal, regulatory, and fiduciary duties
• Provide legal and compliance leadership for mergers, acquisitions and strategic partnerships
• Evaluate new products, services, technologies, and delivery channels to ensure risk appropriate growth and regulatory alignment
• Enable innovation by delivering pragmatic, solutions-oriented legal guidance that aligns regulatory expectations with business goals
• Manage legal and compliance staffing model, budget and outside counsel relationships
• Establish efficient processes, standards, and reporting to promote transparency, accountability, and risk awareness
• Serve as the executive accountable for legal risk and regulatory compliance across the credit union
• Responsible for the comprehensive legal and compliance risk framework, ensuring risks are identified, assessed, mitigated, documented, and reported
• Ensure full compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations governing credit unions, including NCUA, consumer protection, privacy, employment, and data security requirements
• Monitor regulatory, legislative, and enforcement developments and lead organization impact analysis, readiness, and implementation efforts
• Partner with Risk, Compliance, Audit, and business leaders to align legal risk management with the enterprise risk management (ERM) framework
• Lead legal, compliance, and regulatory aspects of examinations, audits, investigations, and supervisory interactions
• Own strategy and execution for responding to regulatory findings, consent orders, matters requiring attention, or enforcement actions, ensuring timely and effective remediation

Benefits

• A full-time, permanent position that will reward you through an annual bonus program.
• Medical, Dental, Vision, FSA, 401(k), Student Loan Paydown, and paid Sick and Vacation time benefits.
• A flexible hybrid work schedule environment.
• We are committed to fostering career growth and development – when you join our organization it’s not just a job.
• We look to develop your skills aligned to our business needs and help you progress in your career.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees