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Chief Campus Counsel and Vice Chancellor - Legal Affairs, UCSF Campus

University of California - San Francisco Campus and Health
United States, California, San Francisco
Jan 03, 2025


Featured Job

Chief Campus Counsel and Vice Chancellor - Legal Affairs, UCSF Campus

Immediate Office of the Chancellor

Full Time

83055BR

Job Summary

Reporting jointly to the UCSF Chancellor and the UC General Counsel, the Chief Campus Counsel and Vice Chancellor - Legal Affairs, UCSF Campus, (CCC/VC) will lead the Office of Legal Affairs and serve as a member of the UCSF Chancellor's Cabinet and the Chancellor's Executive Team. The CCC/VC is responsible for a wide range of legal, regulatory, policy, and governance issues that may arise, either by providing advice directly in consultation with other UC attorneys or by engaging the services of outside counsel. The UCSF Office of Legal Affairs spends an average of more than $12.5 million per year on outside counsel. Bringing broad legal expertise, the CCC/VC provides advice to the Chancellor on a variety of legal questions associated with the administration, management, and operation of the campus.

The CCC/VC is also a member of the UCOP General Counsel's office in Oakland and serves as the principal conduit for engaging legal expertise from members of that office. All UC campuses benefit from access to an assistance from the team in Oakland for legal subject matter expertise. In addition, as a member of the UC Legal systemwide leadership team, the CCC/VC is responsible for assisting in the development of strategies that accomplish and protect the interest of the University and contribute to the oversight of the systemwide legal function.

The CCC/VC will serve as the lead counsel for UCSF and as a proactive, strategic, and collaborative partner to the Chancellor's cabinet in navigating the daily operational and legal matters of the institution. The CCC/VC will direct the Office of Legal Affairs and ensure the office is prepared to provide excellent, responsive legal services and work in support of the university's ambitious goals. Beyond the UCSF campus and health system, the CCC/VC will engage with counsel at the other UC campuses and work with the Office of General Counsel of the University of California in Oakland to collaborate on wider system matters in support of UCSF and the UC System's overall mission and values.

The incoming CCC/VC will be charged with supporting the overall well-being of the institution from a legal standpoint to ensure the continued success of the university on all fronts. To be successful in this role, the CCC/VC will address the following opportunities and challenges:

  • Provide UCSF leadership with legal counsel and serve as a trusted thought partner to the Chancellor and serve as a member of the Chancellor's Executive Team and Chancellor's Cabinet
  • Lead the Office of Legal Affairs and provide guidance and oversight for its staff
  • Ensure the Office of Legal Affairs provides direct, competent, and timely legal services for all units at UCSF, inclusive of the campus and the health system
  • Partner closely with the University of California Office of the General Counsel

The CCC/VC is a key senior advisor and thought partner for the UCSF leadership team, providing input on a range of strategic and operational issues, with a particular focus on institutional policy and decision-making that requires a legal perspective. The CCC/VC has responsibility for all legal matters pertaining to the University and is responsible for the representation of the University in all legal proceedings. UCSF's success in education, research, clinical and patient care, and community engagement, among many other areas, is driven by the ambitious, innovative, entrepreneurial spirit of its faculty, staff, and students. The CCC/VC must be a good listener and creative problem-solver, able to work collaboratively with the Chancellor and other senior leaders at UCSF to provide legally informed guidance and counsel - advising on legal risk, ensuring compliance, and supporting continued excellence for the UCSF in its many endeavors. As a strategic leader, the CCC/VC will bring a mindset to help the University find solutions that support and enable key initiatives.

Lead the UCSF Office of Legal Affairs

  • Responsible for recruiting, retaining, and supporting the team within the UCSF Office of Legal Affairs.
  • Ensure the office is equipped with the knowledge necessary to support a wide range of matters and constituents
  • Ensure alignment of the needs of the campus with the expertise of the office.
  • Lead with an inspiring and collaborative management style with the goal of developing, empowering, and mentoring a diverse and high-performing legal team.
  • Lead the office's day-to-day operations to ensure accurate and timely responses to the campus community. Advocate and leader for the office, intentionally investing in its personnel and operations to ensure it is poised to meet the UCSF's needs.
  • Provide sound advice and solutions on a range of topics and mission-critical matters - including clinical risk management, labor and employee relations, medical staff issues, intellectual property, student conduct, and mergers and acquisitions.
  • Weigh in on the legal parameters but also helping to consider the broader context.
  • Leverage their own expertise and that within the Office of Legal Affairs and the Office of General Counsel in Oakland to provide timely and effective legal services to the University community.
  • When appropriate, engage outside counsel to supplement the expertise within the Office of Legal Affairs.
  • Be skilled in adversity leadership and crisis management, including excellent judgment, unshakeable ethics, spot-on risk evaluation, unflappable judgment, and an even-keeled nature.
  • The CCC/VC will be a champion of the highest ethical standards and integrity in the context of a large and complex organization.

Partner closely with the University of California Office of the General Counsel

  • The CCC/VC will serve on the UC Office of the General Counsel (OGC) leadership team, advising the General Counsel on the legal needs arising at UCSF and assisting the General Counsel in advocating and representing the interests of the UC Regents, working collaboratively with counsel on other campuses and in the central office in Oakland.
  • Primary decision-maker for UCSF's legal matters, the OGC will serve as a hub of knowledge and resources available for all UC Counsel.
  • Partner closely with the UC General Counsel and colleagues on other campuses to respond to system-wide issues and initiatives. I
  • The CCC/VC must be politically savvy and possess the ability to work within a complex and matrixed environment.

The hiring range for this position is $400,000 to $450,000 (Annual Rate). Placement within the hiring range is dependent on several factors including experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The hiring pay range referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The final salary and offer components are subject to additional approvals based on UC policy.

Final candidates are required to complete the employment misconduct disclosure prior to hire.

To learn more about the benefits of working at UCSF, including total compensation, please visit: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html

Department Description

UC Legal-San Francisco

The UC Legal-San Francisco team assists the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and UCSF Health community to accomplish its strategic goals across the entire UCSF enterprise in a manner consistent with both law and University policy. As an integral part of the campus community, the UC Legal-San Francisco office supports and facilitates the campus' educational, patient care, research and community service activities by providing legal services in a proactive and responsive manner. This position within UC Legal-San Francisco will focus on leading in the provision of advice and legal services primarily to UCSF Health.

About the UCSF Office of Legal Affairs

The UCSF Office of Legal Affairs provides legal services, including advice, consultation, and coordination on the full range of legal issues affecting the campus and health system. Specifically, the UCSF Office of Legal Affairs provides legal advice to the Chancellor, campus, and health system on applicable laws and regulations, institutional policy, decision-making, and legal problem-solving. The UCSF Office of Legal Affairs additionally provides legal services that include advice, consultation, and coordination on the full range of legal issues affecting the health system and medical centers.

The UCSF Office of Legal Affairs includes, in addition to the Chief Campus Counsel, a Deputy Campus Counsel and Chief Adviser for UCSF Resiliency Strategy, a Chief Health Counsel, two Principal Campus Counselors, a Principal Counsel for Healthcare Transactions and Strategy, a Senior Health Sciences Counsel, and four experienced legal administrative professionals.

Given the breadth of this important work, the Office of Legal Affairs is supported by external law firms with expertise in particular areas of the law. The Chief Campus Counsel is responsible for securing and overseeing additional legal services for the University and managing the ongoing relationships as needs arise. In doing so, they will ensure the effective and efficient use of outside counsel to both provide specialized advice and increased bandwidth.

To learn more about the UCSF Office of Legal Affairs, please visit https://legal.ucsf.edu/

UC Office of the President: UC Legal - Office of the General Counsel

UC Legal is a service unit within the Office of the President dedicated to helping the various components of the UC System conduct their business effectively and in accordance with legal and policy requirements. They serve not just as experts on those requirements but as problem-solvers committed to helping resolve issues in a practical, timely, and efficient manner. The office is located in Oakland and organized into four sections of subject-matter experts:

  1. Litigation & Capital Strategies
  2. Business, Finance & Innovation
  3. Education Affairs, Employment & Governance
  4. Health Affairs & Technology Law

Campus and medical center-based attorneys provide advice and counsel to senior management and others on the campuses and at the Medical Centers on a broad range of legal issues, working as needed in coordination with Oakland-based UC Legal attorneys.

UC Legal - Office of the General Counsel, led by General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Legal Affairs Charles Robinson, is now the equivalent of a medium-sized law firm providing a full range of legal services to the entire University of California. It is staffed by 64 attorneys and approximately 49 additional attorneys at the campuses and medical center locations.

To learn more about UC Legal, please visit https://www.ucop.edu/uc-legal/index.html

Required Qualifications


  • Possess a J.D. from an accredited law school and 10+ years of directly related work experience.
  • Licensed to practice law in California (California's Registered In-House Counsel Program is not available to University of California attorneys). Out-of-state candidates must take and pass the California Bar Exam within one year of hire and will be subject to direct supervision during that year.
  • Demonstrated track record and credibility to effectively become and remain a trusted legal leader, counselor and advisor to institutional leadership in mission-critical matters
  • Excellent judgement, unshakable ethics, spot-on risk evaluation and assessment in the context of maintaining and preserving institutional goals including the highest ethical standards, quality, access and equity.
  • Effective adversity leadership and crisis management experience.
  • Knowledge of federal and state laws, including but not limited to union/labor issues, regulatory compliance, negotiations and contract disputes, copyright, institutional governance, academic freedom, civil rights, environmental issues, and other areas.
  • The capacity to quickly acquire a thorough understanding of the UC System and the legal challenges facing UCSF as a major public university.
    Demonstrated commitment to Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Diversity and Excellence (UCSF PRIDE values). Demonstrated understanding of the barriers facing underrepresented groups and a proven track record of advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion and understanding and effectively fighting explicit and implicit bias.
  • Clarity of thought, the ability to make sound decisions based on facts, and the ability to provide good legal advice will be paramount.
  • The ability to build, lead, support, and retain a team with passion and inspiration while aligning the team with the strategic goals of a larger organization.
  • An ability to delegate responsibly and proactively, with the ability to draw upon the expertise of others when appropriate.
  • A sense of diplomacy, with the ability to de-escalate conflict and remain calm under pressure
  • A demonstrated passion for public service and for the tremendous positive contribution public higher education provides to our civil society.
  • Good listening skills with the ability to integrate information from diverse sources and articulate well-reasoned legal decisions; the sensitivity to serve as a sounding board, counselor, and task-force organizer.
  • A clear sense of integrity, ethics, and commitment to the highest standards of accountability.
  • Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills tailored to those in an academic environment.
  • Demonstrated ability to make and communicate hard decisions; demonstrated credibility to win support for those decisions.
  • Outstanding skills in the ability to lead by influence and consensus
  • Judgment, tact and diplomacy to partner with senior teams to help them achieve their strategic objectives.
  • Outstanding interpersonal skills to interact effectively and develop and maintain productive working relationships with an array of diverse interests, individuals, and constituencies
  • Exceptional ability to draft accurate, complete and persuasive legal documents, such as pleadings, legal responses, affidavits, position statements and briefs.
  • Demonstrated capacity to lead and motivate a professional team to meet high client service expectations in an extremely visible organization.

Preferred Qualifications


  • Prior experience as General Counsel or In House Counsel to large, complex, Health Care organization or Academic Medical Center, or University
  • Knowledge of UC policies and procedures, including legal areas related to the UC System.
  • Experience complex medical staff/employment matters and litigation.
  • Demonstrated experience in change-oriented operational management, including Lean process improvement and people leadership.
  • Advanced degrees (e.g., business, public health, health administration)

License/Certification

Licensed to practice law in California (California's Registered In-House Counsel Program is not available to University of California attorneys).
Out-of-state candidates must take and pass the California Bar Exam within one year of hire and will be subject to direct supervision during that year.

About UCSF

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It is the only campus in the 10-campus UC system dedicated exclusively to the health sciences. We bring together the world's leading experts in nearly every area of health. We are home to five Nobel laureates who have advanced the understanding of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, aging and stem cells.

Pride Values

UCSF is a diverse community made of people with many skills and talents. We seek candidates whose work experience or community service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity and excellence - also known as our PRIDE values.

In addition to our PRIDE values, UCSF is committed to equity - both in how we deliver care as well as our workforce. We are committed to building a broadly diverse community, nurturing a culture that is welcoming and supportive, and engaging diverse ideas for the provision of culturally competent education, discovery, and patient care. Additional information about UCSF is available at diversity.ucsf.edu

Join us to find a rewarding career contributing to improving healthcare worldwide.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California San Francisco is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

Organization

Campus

Job Code and Payroll Title

000082 CHF CAMPUS COUNSEL

Job Category

Executive, Legal Services

Bargaining Unit

99 - Policy-Covered (No Bargaining Unit)

Employee Class

Career

Percentage

100%

Location

San Francisco, CA

Campus

Parnassus Heights (SF), Various Work Sites

Work Style

Fully On-Site

Shift

Days

Shift Length

8 Hours

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