Director, Senior Legal Counsel - Disclosures

Janus Henderson•Denver, CO

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

This role serves as a senior-level attorney responsible for the day-to-day legal execution of disclosure and regulatory matters for Janus Henderson’s U.S. registered mutual funds and ETFs. The position provides independent legal judgment, regulatory interpretation, and quality oversight to ensure disclosure documents are accurate, complete, and compliant with the Investment Company Act of 1940. Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer (CLO), this role acts as the primary point of contact for disclosure and regulatory matters, escalating complex issues as needed. The role involves leading the disclosure team, preparing and reviewing registration statements, overseeing disclosure-related activities, providing legal support for product development, establishing centralized work intake, championing automation and process improvement, and developing cross-training initiatives. The position requires translating complex legal information into clear guidance and partnering effectively with various internal and external stakeholders.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing of a U.S. state bar.
Substantive experience advising U.S. registered investment companies (mutual funds and/or ETFs) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and related SEC rules and regulations.
Deep, hands-on experience with registration statements (Form N-1A), prospectus and SAI disclosure, proxy statements, and other regulatory filings.
Experience leading a disclosure team or disclosure professionals, including setting standards and managing workflow, quality, and timeliness.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to translate complex regulatory matters into clear, decision-ready information and to collaborate effectively with business partners, attorneys, and management at all levels.
Strong drafting, analytical, and issue-spotting skills, with sound legal judgment and attention to detail and accuracy.
Organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple deliverables under continuous, deadline-driven workflows and with minimal supervision.
Ability to maintain confidentiality, exercise discretion, and act as an independent fiduciary in the best interests of the Trusts and their shareholders.
Ability to work well in a team-based environment and flexibility to work extended hours, as needed to meet deadlines.

Nice To Haves

Experience with ETFs.
Experience supervising or leading a disclosure team or paralegals.
Experience championing automation and process improvement within a disclosure or legal function.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary senior attorney accountable for day-to-day legal execution of disclosure and regulatory matters across all four Trusts (JIF, JAS, DST, and CST), serving as the primary point of contact for disclosure legal matters with escalation to the CLO as needed.
Lead the disclosure team – including the disclosure team lead, disclosure managers, and disclosure assistants – setting priorities and standards, providing legal oversight, and holding accountability for disclosure quality, consistency, and timeliness across all Trusts.
Prepare, review, and provide legal sign-off on registration statements (Form N-1A) and ongoing updates for the U.S. domiciled Trusts, including annual and off-cycle prospectus and statement of additional information (SAI) updates, coordinating internal and external comments.
Direct and oversee disclosure-related activities, including regulatory filings, proxy statements, shareholder reports, and investment strategy and risk-disclosure changes, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timeliness.
Provide legal support for product development and the creation, maintenance, launch, liquidation, and reorganization of funds from a disclosure perspective, including compliance with applicable SEC rules.
Establish and manage centralized work intake and prioritization for the disclosure function, allocating resources across Trusts to the highest-risk and highest-value work and planning for surge events (e.g., proxy campaigns, transactions).
Champion disclosure automation and process improvement, identifying high-impact opportunities (e.g., disclosure updates, workflow tracking) and supporting phased implementation.
Develop and lead cross-training across Trusts and product types to reduce key-person risk, strengthen bench depth, and support scalability of the disclosure function.
Translate complex legal, disclosure, and regulatory information into clear, decision-ready guidance for business partners, board attorneys, and management.
Partner effectively with other attorneys, board and disclosure staff, and internal business lines.
Carry out additional duties as assigned.

Benefits

Hybrid working and reasonable accommodations
Generous Holiday policies
Paid volunteer time to step away from your desk and into the community
Support to grow through professional development courses, tuition/qualification reimbursement and more
Maternal/paternal leave benefits and family services
Complimentary subscription to Headspace – the mindfulness app
Corporate membership to ClassPass and other health and well-being benefits
Unique employee events and programs including a 14er challenge
Complimentary beverages, snacks and all employee Happy Hours
Annual Bonus Opportunity: Position may be eligible to receive an annual discretionary bonus award from the profit pool. The profit pool is funded based on Company profits. Individual bonuses are determined based on Company, department, team and individual performance.
competitive compensation
pension/retirement plans
various health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits