Chief Legal Officer

About the role

This is an exceptional opportunity for an accomplished legal executive who enjoys combining high-level strategic counsel with hands-on operational involvement. The successful candidate will work closely with the CEO, executive leadership team, and Board of Directors to drive compliance, mitigate risk, and support business growth initiatives. This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Harrington, DE. The position is anticipated to close on Sep 29, 2026. Workplace type is fully onsite in Harrington, DE.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary legal advisor to executive leadership and the Board of Directors.
• Develop and execute legal strategies that support organizational objectives and growth initiatives.
• Oversee regulatory compliance across lending, collections, commercial transactions, and related business activities.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a broad range of commercial agreements and contracts.
• Manage litigation matters, including borrower disputes, debt recovery actions, and commercial claims.
• Advise leadership on employment law matters and workplace compliance issues.
• Lead corporate governance efforts and support board-level initiatives.
• Partner with business leaders to identify and mitigate legal, operational, and financial risks.
• Provide oversight for legal, compliance, and collateral recovery functions.
• Collaborate with regulatory agencies and stay current on changes in applicable laws and regulations.
• Support commercial collections operations through legal expertise and risk-based decision making.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Active license to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• Significant experience in corporate law, financial services, lending, collections, or other highly regulated industries.
• Strong background in litigation management and commercial contract negotiation.
• Knowledge of consumer finance regulations, debt collection laws, and regulatory compliance frameworks.
• Experience advising senior executives and board members.
• Demonstrated ability to balance legal risk with practical business solutions.
• Preferred: Experience supporting consumer lending, specialty finance, or commercial lending organizations.
• Preferred: Familiarity with FDCPA compliance and debt recovery operations.
• Preferred: Experience overseeing legal and compliance teams.
• Preferred: Multi-state regulatory experience.
• Preferred: Exposure to transportation, equipment finance, or asset recovery industries.

Benefits

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Pay

The pay range for this position is $72.00 - $96.00/hr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.