Description:
ABOUT ACCCAmerican Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC) is a nationally recognized 501(c)(3) onprofit organization dedicated to helping consumers achieve financial stability through redit counseling, debt management, financial education and housing services. s a regulated nonprofit operating across multiple jurisdictions, ACCC is committed to egal integrity, regulatory compliance, consumer protection and organizational ccountability.
Position Summary:
The Director, Internal Legal Counsel & Regulatory Compliance serves as ACCC's primary n-house legal resource and a key strategic partner to executive leadership. The position's rimary responsibility is to provide practical legal counsel on organizational, operational, ontractual, employment, governance and business matters while identifying and itigating legal risk.
In addition to its legal responsibilities, this position is directly responsible for administering nd performing ACCC's regulatory compliance functions. This is a hands-on role that ombines strategic planning and risk assessment with the day-to-day execution of ompliance activities, including multistate licensing, regulatory filings, regulatory onitoring, examinations, compliance policies and procedures, monitoring, testing and eporting.
The successful candidate will be a business-minded attorney who can independently anage legal matters, translate complex legal and regulatory requirements into practical olutions, and personally execute critical compliance responsibilities. The individual will ork closely with the CCRO, executive leadership and department leaders to protect CCC's legal interests and maintain an effective compliance program.
Primary Responsibilities:
Internal Legal Counsel – Primary Responsibility
Regulatory Compliance – Direct Management & Execution ersonally manage and perform ACCC's regulatory compliance activities, ensuring that pplicable requirements are identified, implemented, monitored and documented.
Responsibilities include:
Legal, Regulatory & Enterprise Risk Management
Requirements:
Required:
Preferred:
Core Competencies:
Success Measures
Performance will be evaluated based on:
Regulatory Compliance
- Serve as ACCC's primary in-house legal counsel, providing timely, practical advice o the CEO, COO, CCRO, CFO and department leaders on legal obligations, usiness decisions and organizational matters.
- Research, interpret and advise on applicable federal and state laws and regulations, articularly those affecting consumer financial services, debt management, credit ounseling, consumer protection and nonprofit organizations.
- Draft, review and negotiate contracts, vendor and service agreements, client greements, disclosures, partnership agreements and other legal documents.
- Advise on corporate governance, nonprofit matters, conflicts of interest, Board ctivities and organizational policies.
- Provide legal guidance on strategic initiatives, operational changes, new products nd services, technology investments and third-party relationships.
- Advise on employment-related legal matters in coordination with Human Resources nd outside employment counsel, as appropriate.
- Support legal responses to consumer complaints, regulatory inquiries, nvestigations, threatened claims and litigation.
- Coordinate litigation support, document preservation, legal holds, discovery and ther legal matters with relevant departments and outside counsel.
- Engage and manage outside counsel when specialized expertise is required, ncluding coordinating legal strategy, scope, budgets and deliverables.
- Identify and communicate potential legal exposure, recommend risk mitigation trategies, and maintain appropriate confidentiality and attorney-client privilege.
Regulatory Compliance – Direct Management & Execution ersonally manage and perform ACCC's regulatory compliance activities, ensuring that pplicable requirements are identified, implemented, monitored and documented.
Responsibilities include:
- Administer multistate debt management licenses, charitable registrations, business egistrations and related regulatory requirements.
- Maintain the regulatory inventory and compliance calendar and personally prepare, oordinate and submit required renewals, filings and regulatory reports.
- Monitor federal and state regulatory developments, assess their impact on ACCC nd implement necessary compliance changes.
- Conduct compliance monitoring and testing, identify deficiencies, document indings and manage corrective actions.
- Coordinate regulatory examinations, inquiries, information requests and responses o regulatory agencies.
- Develop, maintain and update compliance policies, procedures, controls and upporting documentation.
- Maintain ACCC's Compliance Management System (CMS) and related compliance ecords.
- Review regulatory and consumer complaints, identify trends and implement or ecommend appropriate corrective actions.
- Develop and deliver regulatory compliance training and employee awareness nitiatives.
- Perform third-party compliance reviews and vendor due diligence, as applicable.
- Prepare compliance metrics, reports and updates for the CCRO and executive eadership.
- Work directly with department leaders to address compliance requirements and mplement necessary operational changes.
Legal, Regulatory & Enterprise Risk Management
- Partner with the CCRO and executive leadership to identify, evaluate and address aterial legal, regulatory and operational risks.
- Assess proposed business practices, policies, products and operational changes or legal and regulatory implications.
- Recommend and implement improvements to internal controls, compliance rocesses and organizational policies.
- Collaborate with Human Resources, Finance, IT, Operations and other departments o resolve legal and compliance issues.
- Support organizational risk assessments, regulatory readiness and business continuity initiatives.
- Maintain appropriate documentation and escalate significant legal or regulatory concerns through established leadership and governance channels.
- Promote a culture of ethical conduct, accountability and organizational integrity.
Requirements:
Required:
- Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
- Active bar membership in good standing and authorization to practice as in-house counsel in Massachusetts, including any required registration or authorization.
- Minimum of five years of progressive legal experience in a law firm, corporate legal department or in-house counsel environment.
- Demonstrated experience providing legal advice, conducting legal research, drafting and negotiating contracts, and assessing legal and business risks.
- Experience interpreting and applying federal and state laws and regulations.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving and independent professional judgment.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex legal and regulatory matters into practical guidance.
- Ability to independently manage multiple priorities and work effectively with executive leadership and cross-functional teams.
- Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, discretion and sound ethical judgment.
Preferred:
- Experience in financial services, banking, consumer finance, mortgage lending, credit counseling, debt management or another regulated industry.
- Prior in-house counsel experience advising executive leadership and business operations.
- Experience with nonprofit organizations, corporate governance and Board matters.
- Hands-on experience administering multistate licensing, regulatory filings, compliance monitoring and regulatory examinations.
- Knowledge of consumer financial protection laws, privacy, data security and thirdparty risk management.
- Experience managing outside counsel and legal budgets.
- Compliance certifications such as CRCM, CCEP or similar credentials.
Core Competencies:
- Legal analysis, judgment and business-oriented problem-solving.
- Contract drafting, negotiation and legal risk assessment.
- Regulatory interpretation and hands-on compliance administration.
- Strategic thinking combined with tactical execution.
- Corporate governance and organizational integrity.
- Executive communication and cross-functional collaboration.
- Confidentiality, discretion and ethical conduct.
- Organization, prioritization and attention to detail.
Success Measures
Performance will be evaluated based on:
- Legal Counsel
- Timely, practical and effective legal guidance to executive leadership and department leaders.
- Effective contract review, drafting and negotiation.
- Identification, communication and appropriate mitigation of legal risks.
- Effective management of outside counsel and legal matters.
- Timely support for litigation, investigations, regulatory inquiries and governance matters.
Regulatory Compliance
- Timely and accurate completion of applicable regulatory filings, license renewals and reporting requirements.
- Accurate and current regulatory inventory and compliance calendar.
- Effective preparation for and response to regulatory examinations.
- Timely identification and implementation of regulatory changes.
- Completion and documentation of compliance monitoring, testing and corrective actions.
- Current and effective compliance policies, procedures and supporting documentation.
- Accura