Senior Legal Advisor

NJEDA

85d

About The Position

The Senior Legal Advisor serves a key role on the Authority’s Legal and Compliance team. Reporting to the Chief Counsel, the Senior Legal Advisor will lead and manage high-impact, cross-functional special projects initiated by the Chief Counsel and will also serve as a critical resource to the broader legal management team, ensuring alignment of legal strategy with programmatic objectives across the Authority. Success in this role will require an ability to translate complex legal concepts into clean, actionable strategies that support executive decision-making across a broad spectrum of legal issues. An ability to problem-solve and to quickly grasp new and sometimes novel legal issues, while supporting time-sensitive Authority-wide or division initiatives are critical to success. This position is ideally suited to an attorney with experience advising senior leadership, whether in a state agency, corporate legal department, or in-house counseling in a complex organization, on cross-functional, high-priority projects and Authority-wide initiatives, with a strong working knowledge of New Jersey specific law governing NJEDA’s operations and strategic initiatives.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent experience.
• Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited ABA-approved law school.
• At least ten (10) years of relevant experience, whether within a government setting or private practice.
• Advanced degree or industry specific certification may be substituted for 1 year of experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide dedicated legal analysis, advice, and project management directly to the Chief Counsel on priority matters, ensuring their initiatives are effectively supported and executed.
• Manage and drive high-priority, cross-functional special projects that may not fall neatly into any one department within the division, but that require the Chief Counsel’s immediate attention and input.
• Research, draft, and prepare briefing materials, legal memoranda, and recommendations tailored for the Chief Counsel’s strategic decision-making and communication with the board or senior executives.
• Handle sensitive, confidential legal matters or investigations on behalf of the Chief Counsel that require discretion and direct reporting.
• Act swiftly on urgent legal matters escalated directly to the Chief Counsel, facilitating rapid legal analysis and response.
• Perform legal research and monitor and track changes in applicable law, ensuring management and staff are informed of relevant changes.
• Work closely with all the departments’ legal management team within the division to ensure cross-departmental support for NJEDA’s projects, policies, and initiatives.
• Support legal innovation efforts, including legal tech adoption and legal operations improvements, within the division.
• Provide written and/or verbal briefings to NJEDA’s leadership and Board, as well as other state stakeholders such as the Office of the Governor and Department of the Treasury.
• Work with the division’s legal management team to set division-wide goals and objectives.
• Promote teamwork and communication to encourage an interactive, cooperative, collaborative and customer focused work environment among division, NJEDA staff and external customers.
• Perform other duties and special projects, as assigned.
• Complete annual and semiannual self-assessment as required.

Benefits

• Minimal physical demands and ability to work out normal business hours.
• Travel expected when necessary for business operations.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree