Senior Legal Counsel

Sophisticated Work. In a Great City. Making a Difference.

The State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB) manages more than $178 billion in assets, including those of the fully-funded Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS). SWIB operates at a level more often seen in top-tier global asset managers than in typical public pension funds. SWIB is a home for top talent. Approximately 61 percent of SWIB’s investment professionals are Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholders.

The City of Madison, the state capitol and home of Wisconsin’s flagship university, makes regular appearances on lists of best places to live, eat, and play. SWIB offers a modern workspace, hybrid work options, and competitive compensation and benefits.

Serving over 703,000 WRS beneficiaries, SWIB is driven by a clear mission: securing the financial future of those who serve Wisconsin. When you work at SWIB, you know your work matters.

Job Description:

About the Legal Team

SWIB’s Legal Division is a highly collaborative, experienced in-house team of asset management attorneys working at the intersection of public service and sophisticated global financial markets. We advise on cutting-edge investment strategies, complex financial transactions, commercial contracts, including AI-related, state law compliance, and operational matters across SWIB. The team partners daily with portfolio managers, operations professionals, traders, technologists, and executives.

We are seeking a Senior Legal Counsel to join this collegial team and grow their in-house legal career in a unique public asset management setting. The position offers a rare opportunity for a talented attorney to transition into an impactful in-house role focused on commercial contracts while increasing their exposure to complex investment work and developing a broad set of legal and business skills. In particular, we are seeking a senior commercial counsel who would advise SWIB’s operations, technology, risk, compliance, investment operations, data, and finance teams on complex vendor, technology, data, and financial-services agreements and provide counsel on various commercial contracting and operational matters.

Why Join SWIB’s Legal Team?

• High-Impact Work: Contribute directly to the success of one of the nation’s premier public pension funds and advance a mission that matters—supporting the retirement security of Wisconsin public servants.
• Mentorship & Development: Learn from senior attorneys with deep experience in commercial, investment, regulatory, and transactional matters.
• Breadth of Exposure: Work across legal disciplines, including contracts, securities, and public law.
• Sustainable Lifestyle: Enjoy meaningful, intellectually challenging work with predictable hours and a strong work-life balance.

Key Responsibilities and Job Functions

Depending on your background and interests, you will have the opportunity to work closely with business teams in the following areas:

Core Commercial Contracting

1) Lead drafting, review, negotiation, and management of complex commercial contracts, including:

• Technology and SaaS agreements
• Market data and research agreements
• Software licensing agreements
• Outsourcing and managed services agreements
• Professional services and consulting agreements
• Custody, banking, treasury, securities lending, and financial services agreements
• Data acquisition, cybersecurity, and cloud-services agreements
• Vendor and supplier agreements

2) Serve as the lead legal advisor to operational business units on contract strategy, risk allocation, and commercial negotiations.

3)Develop practical, business-oriented solutions that appropriately balance legal, operational, regulatory, and reputational risk.

4) Design and implement contract templates, negotiation playbooks, policies, and legal processes to enhance efficiency and consistency.

5)Negotiate AI-related contractual matters and serve as a thought leader on emerging AI issues.

6)Manage outside counsel on specialized matters as appropriate.

Financial Services and Operational Support

1) Provide legal support to SWIB's operations, technology, finance, trading, compliance, and risk management functions.

2)Counsel internal stakeholders regarding contractual relationships with custodians, brokers, banks, administrators, data providers, technology vendors, and other service providers.

3)Advise on special projects and strategic initiatives involving AI, technology, data, operational transformation, and enterprise services.