Senior Vice President of Legal Affairs

Children's Home Society of Florida

Since opening our doors in 1902, CHS became a part of Florida's history. 

CHS has been committed to growing and evolving to provide the right services and solutions to address the needs of children and families throughout the changing times. Every day, our team works with parents and kids to empower them and encourage them. With innovative technology solutions and a dedicated, experienced team throughout the state, we’re changing the face of foster care and positively impacting children and families’ lives for generations to come. 

Join our team to continue to do good and create history serving Florida's children and families! 

The Senior Vice President of Legal Affairs provides the strategic guidance and tactical direction necessary to safeguard CHS assets and mitigate organizational risk. Collaborating with executive leadership and other key stakeholders, the incumbent establishes and executes legal and risk controls and standards, provides and coordinates various legal services and oversees the CHS contract management and insurance programs to ensure CHS remains best in class in terms of organizational impact, operational excellence and positive client outcomes. Overall, the Senior Vice President of Legal Affairs contributes to CHS’s strategic objective of reimagining what HOME means by creating spaces where every child and family is supported and has access to the opportunities they need to pursue their dreams.

WHY JOIN CHS?

• Uplifting mission-driven work culture
• Make an impact in your community and become a part of Florida's history!
• Growth and professional development opportunities
• Great benefits package, including generous paid time off and holidays

Primary Job Functions

1. Provide strategic guidance and tactical direction necessary to safeguard CHS assets and mitigate organizational risk to ensure CHS remains best in class in terms of organizational impact, operational excellence and positive client outcomes.

Legal Services (40%)

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of legal agreements, including vendor contracts, funder agreements, grants, MOUs, leases, and partnership agreements.
• Provide legal advice to CHS leadership and staff on day-to-day operational, programmatic, and internal support matters.
• Assist in developing preventive legal strategies and organizational policy to minimize litigation, third party disputes or other challenges.
• Assist in the management and tracking of all legal expenditures of CHS’s outside counsels as directed by the CLO.
• Interpret statutes, regulations and case law pertaining to CHS business and provide counsel to team members and executive leadership;.
• Review and coordinate responses to public records requests and subpoenas; handle adoption matters and requests for records.
• Support document preservation, discovery, and legal holds as needed for potential and active legal claims, actions or suits.
• Attend court appearances, mediation, arbitrations and settlement conferences as necessary or assigned by CLO.
• Act as legal advisor and counsel for the operations function for CHS. Respond to questions from CHS team members regarding program operations and work with team members to resolve issues.
• Handle legal matters and projects assigned by the CLO.
• Assume acting head of legal role when CLO is temporarily unavailable or as directed by CLO.

Risk Management & Compliance (30%)

• Ensure CHS is in compliance with nonprofit, charitable, tax-exempt, organizational and applicable federal and state laws and regulations.
• Assist with development, implementation, and monitoring of CHS’ internal policies and practices
• Identify areas of risk to the organization and recommend strategies or actions to mitigate those risks.
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