SVP, Deputy General Counsel

Total Wine & More•SSC - MD, MD

3d•$300,000 - $450,000•Onsite

About The Position

Total Wine & More is seeking a SVP, Deputy General Counsel, to join our Legal team in Bethesda, MD. This role serves as the second-in-command of the Legal organization and is responsible for the day-to-day leadership, management, and execution of enterprise legal and Loss Prevention functions. Acting on behalf of the General Counsel when appropriate, this role ensures the effective delivery of legal services, compliance programs, litigation management, licensing activities, contract support, employment legal guidance, and enterprise risk mitigation initiatives. This role directly or indirectly leads approximately 30 team members across Legal and Loss Prevention, including Associate General Counsels, Paralegals, and Loss Prevention leadership, with accountability for organizational effectiveness, talent strategy, succession planning, budget stewardship, and operational execution. This role serves as a strategic advisor to senior leaders while escalating the Company’s most significant legal, regulatory, and reputational risks to the General Counsel. This role reports to the General Counsel.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree preferred (or equivalent experience)
Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school required
15+ years Progressive legal experience leading teams and advising executive leadership on enterprise legal, compliance, risk, and operational matters, including commercial transactions, governance, licensing, employment law, litigation management, and M&A or other strategic growth initiatives.
Strong analytical skills (forecasting, financial models, and variance analysis) preferred
ATT-JD – Attorney Active and in good standing with bar admission in Maryland, D.C., or Virginia required
Strong people leadership and team management capability, including performance coaching, prioritization, succession planning, workforce planning, and leadership development
Exceptional oral and written communication skills, including the ability to translate complex legal issues into business-ready recommendations
Deep business judgment, analytical rigor, intellectual curiosity, and intellectual agility to spot issues across multiple legal, operational, and commercial disciplines
Expertise in commercial contracts, regulatory compliance, licensing, litigation management, employment law, corporate governance, M&A, antitrust, Loss Prevention/Safety, and risk assessment and avoidance
Ability to facilitate transactions and business expansion while balancing smart risk taking, compliance expectations, and enterprise priorities
Emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and listening skills to build trust and alignment across Legal, Loss Prevention, Operations, Finance, HR, Store Development, and executive stakeholders
Ability to manage multiple high-stakes priorities in a fast-paced, highly regulated environment while maintaining sound judgment, confidentiality, and composure

Nice To Haves

Strong analytical skills (forecasting, financial models, and variance analysis)

Responsibilities

Lead the day-to-day operations, priorities, and performance of the Legal and Loss Prevention organizations, ensuring effective execution of legal strategy, resource allocation, talent management, and service delivery across the enterprise.
Oversee the Company’s legal portfolio, including commercial contracts, licensing, employment legal support, litigation management, regulatory compliance activities, investigations, and governance matters, ensuring consistent and practical legal guidance across all functions.
Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leaders by identifying and assessing legal, operational, financial, and reputational risks and recommending balanced business solutions that align with enterprise objectives.
Direct enterprise litigation, regulatory compliance, and exception management efforts through internal teams and outside counsel, ensuring effective risk mitigation, cost management, and timely resolution of matters.
Lead Legal support for business growth initiatives, including acquisitions, strategic partnerships, new operating models, store expansion, tier-system evolution, licensing strategies, and other transformational opportunities.
Oversee enterprise Loss Prevention and Safety strategies, ensuring effective asset protection, workplace safety, regulatory compliance, investigations, incident response, and risk management practices across the organization.
Develop a high-performing Legal and Loss Prevention organization through workforce planning, succession management, leadership development, coaching, performance management, and organizational capability building.