Vice President, Chief Legal Officer
About The Position
Are you an experienced, versatile legal executive who enjoys building partnerships within a mission-driven organization ? WSECU is seeking a strategic and trusted legal leader to join the team as our first Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, who will shape the creation of organization’s legal infrastructure. The Vice President, Chief Legal Officer serves as WSECU’s top legal advisor and will provide enterprise-wide legal leadership. This role partners closely with executive management and the WSECU Board of Directors to form legal strategy, ensure regulatory compliance, manage legal risk, and protect the organization’s reputation while enabling business objectives.
Requirements
- Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school
- Licensed to practice law in Washington State, or eligible and committed to obtain licensure within a negotiated timeframe
- 10+ years of experience as a practicing attorney, including at least 3 years in financial services
- Experience advising on federal and state consumer credit laws and regulations
- Strong background in corporate governance, contract negotiation, risk management, and regulatory compliance
- Experience with one or more of the following: payment services, collections/bankruptcy, vendor management, employment law, or litigation support
- Exceptional judgment, integrity, and discretion
- Strong executive presence with excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Proven ability to collaborate across diverse teams and influence at senior levels
- Strategic thinker who can operate at both conceptual and detail‑oriented levels
- Experience leading, mentoring, and developing teams
- Strong analytical, negotiation, and problem‑solving capabilities
Nice To Haves
- In‑house legal experience
- Corporate governance experience within a regulated financial environment
Responsibilities
- Develop and lead WSECU’s legal strategy in alignment with business objectives and risk appetite.
- Serve as primary legal advisor to executive leadership, the Board of Directors, and business units.
- Provide counsel on a wide range of legal matters, including regulatory compliance, corporate governance, contracts, employment law, litigation oversight, and policy development.
- Establish and maintain effective legal governance structures, policies, and procedures.
- Manage all outside counsel, including selection standards, cost effectiveness, and performance.
- Partner with outside counsel on civil actions such as bankruptcy, collections, consumer protection, intellectual property, and real estate matters.
- Collaborate closely with Risk Management, Information Security, Compliance, People & Culture Services, Internal Audit, and Administrative Services
- Serve as lead legal counsel for significant corporate transactions.
- Lead and develop legal staff and manage the legal department budget
- Stay current on legal, regulatory, and industry trends impacting financial services and credit unions.
Benefits
- Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance with Premiums paid by WSECU
- Full-Time Regular employees accrue general leave and sick leave, on a monthly basis
- 11 Paid Holidays
- Employer paid Long Term Disability & Long-Term Care plan for Full-Time employees
- 401(K) with 8.5% Contribution by WSECU to begin the first of the quarter after 1 year of service
- Paid Volunteer Leave
- Tuition Assistance
- Employee Assistance Program & Employee Discounts
- And, you get to work with some awesome people!
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Executive
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
