Massachusetts Community Colleges - General Counsel

Academic Career & Executive Search•Bedford, MA

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

Lead one of the Commonwealth's most distinctive in-house legal offices, guiding an experienced team of attorneys and serving as the trusted legal advisor to the Massachusetts Community Colleges. The next General Counsel for the Massachusetts Community Colleges will lead a highly respected legal office serving all fifteen public community colleges and provide legal advice to presidents on issues including labor, governance, and policy shaping higher education across the Commonwealth. Unlike a traditional campus General Counsel position, this role offers the rare opportunity to provide impactful legal strategy across a statewide system while assisting presidents, boards of trustees, and senior leaders to navigate some of public higher education's most complex challenges. Each of the fifteen colleges brings its own leadership, culture, and priorities, making this one of the most varied, intellectually engaging, and purpose-driven legal practices in public higher education. The successful candidate will combine exceptional legal judgment with outstanding leadership and management skills. Beyond serving as the chief legal advisor, the next General Counsel will lead and develop an experienced legal team, strengthen the systems that support the delivery of legal services across a complex statewide organization, and serve as a trusted advisor to fifteen college presidents. The ideal candidate will value the mission of community colleges and the transformative impact they have on students, families, and communities. They will communicate complex legal issues with clarity and concision, provide thoughtful options rather than simple answers, exercise sound judgment under pressure, respond with urgency, and build collaborative relationships across diverse stakeholders while thriving in a fast-paced environment where no two days are alike. This position reports to the Chair of the Council of Community College Presidents and leads the General Counsel's Office, located on the Bedford Campus of Middlesex Community College. The Office includes a team of seven attorneys as well as professional staff serving all fifteen Massachusetts Community Colleges.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school.
Member of the Massachusetts Bar, or eligible to become a member of the Massachusetts Bar.
Fifteen (15) years of progressive responsibility in higher education or public-sector law, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Experience or familiarity working in a union environment with labor and/or labor litigation OR experience operating in a collective bargaining environment.
Knowledge of and familiarity with applicable regulations, laws and statutes governing employment and higher education, including but not limited to Titles IV, VI, VII and IX, as well as ADA, FLSA, and FMLA.
Demonstrated experience supervising and developing attorneys or legal professionals within a complex organization.
Exceptional oral, written, research, analytical, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
Demonstrated ability to advise executive leaders, exercise sound judgment, manage competing priorities, and address complex, multidisciplinary legal issues.
Ability to build collaborative relationships, identify practical solutions to complex problems, and foster an environment in which a variety of backgrounds and viewpoints are valued.

Nice To Haves

Current or previous experience in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Previous work experience with higher education or public sector law with specialization in employment law and contract review
Demonstrated understanding of the legal issues affecting higher education, including employment and labor law, collective bargaining, governance, student affairs, compliance, and federal higher education policy.
Experience providing simultaneous counsel to multiple clients, departments, or organizations.
Demonstrated experience leading the modernization of legal operations, workflows, and technology to improve efficiency and service delivery.

Responsibilities

Serve as the chief legal advisor to the Massachusetts Community Colleges, providing strategic legal counsel to presidents, boards of trustees, and senior administrators.
Advise the colleges, individually and collectively, on applicable state and federal laws, regulations, governance, accreditation, employment and labor law, collective bargaining, student affairs, compliance, contracts, litigation, and institutional risk management.
Develop legal strategies to support policies and objectives that mitigate institutional risk while supporting the mission and priorities of the Massachusetts Community Colleges.
Collaborate with institutional leaders to ensure initiatives, policies, and operations comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
Lead, supervise, mentor, and develop the attorneys and professional staff within the General Counsel's Office, fostering a collaborative, high-performing legal team.
Oversee the operations of the General Counsel's Office, including budgeting, strategic planning, reporting, and the consistent delivery of high-quality legal services across all fifteen community colleges.
Build and strengthen the systems, processes, and workflows that enable the General Counsel's Office to efficiently prioritize work, deliver exceptional legal services, and support the evolving needs of the Massachusetts Community Colleges.
Promote operational excellence through effective leadership, accountability, continuous improvement, and sound management practices.
Advise the colleges on employment law, labor relations, collective bargaining, discrimination matters, and related legal issues for both non-unit personnel and unionized employees.
Represent the community colleges, or coordinate representation, in litigation, arbitration, mediation, and proceedings before state and federal courts, commissions, and administrative agencies.
Provide leadership and oversight for attorneys engaged in collective bargaining and labor matters.
Advise on development and review of contracts, policies, procedures, legislation, regulations, and other legal documents affecting the Massachusetts Community Colleges.
Serve as the senior legal liaison with the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office, executive branch agencies including the Department of Higher Education, and other public and private organizations.
Work collaboratively with the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges and other stakeholders to support coordinated, systemwide legal services.
Build trusted relationships with presidents, boards of trustees, senior administrators, and campus leaders across all fifteen community colleges.
Maintain a visible presence throughout the system by engaging regularly with campuses and providing responsive legal counsel.
Conduct legal research and prepare legal opinions, advisories, and memoranda to support institutional decision-making.
Develop and deliver legal education and training programs that strengthen compliance, governance, and risk awareness across the colleges.