Description:
Overview:Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a leading national research university and the State of New Jersey's preeminent, comprehensive public institution of higher education. As one of the largest employers in the State of New Jersey, Rutgers University is committed not only to the students and the State that we serve, but also to the faculty and staff who work on our campuses.
For two consecutive years, Rutgers is ranked on Forbes' list of America's Best Large Employers. Rutgers holds #64 of 500 employers and is the #1 New Jersey employer on the publication's 2023 list. Rutgers' commitment to its employees includes maintaining and fostering a safe, diverse, and respectful workplace environment, creating employment opportunities for our nation's military veterans, and ensuring accessibility and accommodation for individuals with disabilities.
Posting Summary
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey is seeking an Associate General Counsel for the Office of the General Counsel (OGC).
Reporting into the GC, the Associate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel – Transactional Group (“DGC”), and/or the Chief of Staff of the General Counsel's Office (“COS”), the Associate General Counsel for the Transactional Group should have a strong general transactional experience, particularly in research, intellectual property and licensing, technology transfer and commercialization, data rights, procurement, corporate governance, real estate, and ethical and conflict-of-interest issues. The position involves independent management of complex commercial transactions and negotiation and drafting of license agreements, procurement contracts and competitive solicitation documents (RFPs), and a variety of other contracts, as well as the provision of legal advice to all University clients on a quick turnaround. In addition to the core areas above, this attorney handles a wide range of transactional work, from equipment purchases to complex multi-institutional collaborations and affiliations. This position handles the range of matters that in-house legal offices at a large public university encounter in the areas of interest noted above, including contract negotiation and drafting, providing advice and counsel to internal clients, and participating in strategy development with other Office of General Counsel colleagues and internal clients. The position also represents the University in administrative and regulatory hearings arising from these transactional and regulatory matters.
Among the key duties of the position are the following:
Qualifications:
Minimum Education and Experience:
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Preferred Qualifications:
Equipment Utilized
Physical Demands and Work Environment:
As would be commensurate with an office environment, such as occasional lifting of file boxes and supplies.
Reporting into the GC, the Associate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel – Transactional Group (“DGC”), and/or the Chief of Staff of the General Counsel's Office (“COS”), the Associate General Counsel for the Transactional Group should have a strong general transactional experience, particularly in research, intellectual property and licensing, technology transfer and commercialization, data rights, procurement, corporate governance, real estate, and ethical and conflict-of-interest issues. The position involves independent management of complex commercial transactions and negotiation and drafting of license agreements, procurement contracts and competitive solicitation documents (RFPs), and a variety of other contracts, as well as the provision of legal advice to all University clients on a quick turnaround. In addition to the core areas above, this attorney handles a wide range of transactional work, from equipment purchases to complex multi-institutional collaborations and affiliations. This position handles the range of matters that in-house legal offices at a large public university encounter in the areas of interest noted above, including contract negotiation and drafting, providing advice and counsel to internal clients, and participating in strategy development with other Office of General Counsel colleagues and internal clients. The position also represents the University in administrative and regulatory hearings arising from these transactional and regulatory matters.
Among the key duties of the position are the following:
- Independently handles a large portfolio of transactional matters, primarily focusing on research, intellectual property and licensing, technology transfer and commercialization, data rights, and corporate governance. This involves being an active partner with University clients on strategy development, provision of legal advice and counseling on risk positions, then negotiation, drafting and oversight of license agreements and a wide variety of other University contracts relating to the core areas.
- Provides legal input and advice on other legal transactions in areas such as procurement, compliance, real estate, athletics, equipment leasing, health care contracts, etc. This involves being an active partner with University clients on strategy development, provision of legal advice and counseling on risk positions, then negotiation, drafting and oversight of license agreements and a wide variety of other University contracts relating to the core areas.
- Provides legal input and advice on ethics issues, conflicts of interest laws, and corporate governance issues.
- Other duties, including office-wide projects and initiatives, as assigned by the GC, DGC
Qualifications:
Minimum Education and Experience:
- A law degree (Juris Doctor, Master of Laws, Doctor of Juridical Science, etc.) from an accredited law school.
- Seven (7) years of relevant experience and either be admitted to practice law in New Jersey or be admitted in another jurisdiction and be willing and able to become admitted in New Jersey as soon as practical.
- Certifications/Licenses
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Preferred Qualifications:
- Ten (10) years of relevant experience in one or more of the areas noted in the posting summary above.
- Experience representing public or private institutions of higher education or working as inhouse counsel at an institution of higher education, or in-house experience in another setting where the main responsibility was handing the legal areas noted above.
- Experience representing public sector clients, particularly New Jersey public sector entities, or working as an attorney in the public sector.
- Superior academic credentials.
- Excellent communication skills and excellent writing skills.
- Ability to work independently and also collaboratively in a large and complex organization.
- Strategic decision-making and independent sound judgment when faced with complex and nuanced factual scenarios.
- A genuine desire to work in a higher education environment.
- Ability to work with a sense of urgency and passion for delivering quality advice and work products.
- Electronic document management system (e.g. NetDocuments) – creating, scanning, searching, and retrieving documents
- Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, electronic file share platforms (e.g., Box)
- e-Billing software – legal invoice review and approval of matters
- Westlaw – online legal research software
- Zoom, Webex, Microsoft Teams
Physical Demands and Work Environment:
As would be commensurate with an office environment, such as occasional lifting of file boxes and supplies.