GENERAL COUNSEL

About the role

University Enterprises, Inc. (UEI), a Sacramento State non-profit auxiliary organization, is seeking an experienced, strategic legal professional to provide comprehensive legal counsel and risk management guidance. In this role, you will serve as a trusted advisor to the UEI Board of Directors, administrators, and various operating units. This position impacts multiple facets of UEI from commercial real estate and auxiliary services to grants administration and employment law, ensuring organizational integrity and regulatory compliance across all divisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Contract Drafting & Transactional Management: Prepares, reviews, and structures a high volume of diverse agreements including leases, contracts, and sponsored programs ensuring full compliance with federal, state, Sacramento State, and CSU policies.
• Risk Management & Advising: Serves as a strategic advisor to leadership and the Board on litigation, risk mitigation, and insurance coverage; proactively tracks shifting laws and codes to protect organization-wide operations.
• Policy Development & Compliance Oversight: Conducts internal reviews, drafts organizational policies, oversees contract/insurance compliance, and ensures strict adherence to the Richard McKee Transparency Act and open meeting laws.
• Consultation, Training, & External Collaboration: Provides ongoing legal guidance to management staff, coordinates with outside counsel, manages dispute resolutions, and designs/delivers presentations and compliance trainings for the Board and university leadership.

Minimum Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate Degree from an American Bar Association-accredited law school
• A minimum of ten (10) years of demonstrated experience as an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of California, at least four (4) years of which is experience serving as in-house counsel to a corporation or governmental entity
• Demonstrated experience supervising other attorneys
• Active member of the California State Bar Association, with a license in good standing
• Excellent written and oral communication and organizational skills
• Excellent negotiation skills
• Self-motivated and demonstrated ability to establish and maintain priorities, meet deadlines, and effectively develop and use resources
• Must be fingerprinted and pass a background check
• Must continue to meet the established standards

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience providing legal advice to a California State University auxiliary organization
• Experience as first chair in general civil and business litigation
• Demonstrated experience in employment law
• Demonstrated experience with the special demands of the academic environment and the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the Board of Directors, management, faculty, University administration, CSU Chancellor's Office legal counsel, and staff, students, and the surrounding community

Benefits

• After a 6-month waiting period, eligible for work from home for up to two days per week with supervisor approval (fully in-office on the Sacramento State campus for the first 6 months)
• Participation in CalPERS Retirement Program
• Paid Vacation Time – 16 hours accrued/month
• Paid Sick Time – 8 hours accrued/month
• Paid Holidays – 14 paid holidays per year including paid time off the week between Christmas Day and New Year's Day as the CSUS campus is closed
• Excellent medical benefits – 100% employer-paid medical & dental for employee-only coverage and low cost for family coverage
• Educational Assistance Program for employees and/or dependents
• Childcare subsidy
• Discounted membership to The WELL, Sacramento State's on-campus fitness center

Pay & Schedule

• Salary full range: $9,913 – $17,844 per month ($118,956 – $214,128 per year)
• Anticipated hiring range: $13,334 – $14,584 per month ($160,008 – $175,008 per year)
• Full-Time / Benefited / Exempt / Salaried / Management Personnel Plan (MPP) / Hybrid
• This is a full-time, exempt from overtime, benefited position, covered under the California Public Employees' Retirement System