Deputy General Counsel, Global Head of Legal Enablement & Strategic Transactions

Sedgwick•Downers Grove, IL

1d•$240,000 - $300,000

About The Position

The Deputy General Counsel, Global Head of Legal Enablement & Strategic Transactions leads Sedgwick's Legal and Compliance Organization's Enablement and Strategic Transactions function. The role has a dual mandate: modernize and operate legal and compliance processes, technology, metrics, and workflows; and embed strategic legal counsel in the business to identify, structure, and create value for Sedgwick and its clients. Serving as a trusted advisor to business leaders across claims and risk administration operations, this position translates complex commercial, technology, and transactional matters into practical guidance. It partners closely with the Global Chief Legal Officer to advance the legal and compliance department as an enterprise intelligence center that anticipates risk, informs decisions, and creates value. The role designs and runs the department's operating infrastructure, including budgeting, outside counsel and matter management, legal technology, workflows, performance metrics, knowledge management, templates, playbooks, and training. It identifies and leads adoption of legal and compliance technology, including AI-enabled tools, and provides reporting to support data-driven decision-making. As a strategic commercial counsel, the role advises business units on commercial transactions, partnerships, and new business and product initiatives; structures and negotiates complex agreements; identifies opportunities to create value for clients; and advises on mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic transactions. It anticipates legal and regulatory risks in evolving business lines and works with subject matter experts in areas such as AI, privacy, and cyber. The position builds and leads a team of legal and compliance operations professionals and commercial and transactional attorneys. Travel is required as needed.

Requirements

J.D. from an accredited law school.
Active license to practice law and membership in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar.
Fifteen or more years of progressively responsible legal experience.
Significant experience in legal and compliance operations, complex commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic business advisory.
Demonstrated experience leading legal teams and advising senior executives within a complex, highly regulated and/or multinational organization.
Excellent oral, written, and presentation skills.
Strong business acumen and ability to translate legal and compliance risk into practical guidance.
Experience with legal and compliance technology and operations best practices.
Experience structuring and negotiating complex commercial agreements and M&A transactions.
Working knowledge of AI, privacy, and data governance law, including AI governance and digital ethics.
Analytical and interpretive skills.
Strong organizational and project management skills.
Excellent interpersonal and negotiating skills.
Proven management and leadership skills, including building and scaling teams.
Ability to work effectively across a highly matrixed, global organization.
Experience with transformation and change management.
Ability to meet or exceed Performance Competencies.

Nice To Haves

Experience with artificial intelligence, privacy, data governance, and legal technology.

Responsibilities

Lead the legal and compliance functions as generators of enterprise intelligence, with effective feedback loops, agile processes, and execution focus.
Design, build, and run legal and compliance operating infrastructure, including budgeting, outside counsel management, matter management, legal technology, workflow design, and performance metrics.
Identify and lead adoption of legal and compliance technologies, including AI-enabled tools, to improve efficiency, consistency, and visibility.
Develop and track department-wide metrics and reporting to demonstrate impact and support data-driven decisions by the Global Chief Legal Officer and executive leadership team.
Manage outside counsel relationships, budgets, and alternative fee arrangements to control cost and ensure value.
Oversee knowledge management, contract templates and playbooks, and training to standardize and scale legal and compliance support.
Embed as a strategic partner within key business units, advising on commercial transactions, strategic partnerships, and new business and product initiatives.
Structure, draft, review, and negotiate complex client, vendor, technology, and strategic partnership agreements.
Partner with business leaders to identify legal and structural opportunities that create value for Sedgwick's clients, including new service offerings, contract structures, and commercial models.
Advise on mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic transactions, coordinating with outside counsel and internal stakeholders.
Anticipate legal and regulatory risk in new and evolving business lines and propose business-minded solutions.
Leverage subject matter experts in areas such as AI, privacy, and cyber to counsel the business on complex or fast-moving matters.
Build and lead a team spanning legal and compliance operations professionals and commercial and transactional attorneys.
Provide support, guidance, leadership, and motivation to promote maximum performance; administer personnel policies and staffing and training standards; interview and hire colleagues; establish performance development plans; and conduct performance discussions.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Travel as required.