Senior Counsel, Governance

Senior Counsel, Governance

Vanguard is a leading provider of financial products and services to individual and institutional investors world-wide. In addition, Vanguard is an employer of choice that continually invests in the growth, development, and success of its employees (crew members) over the course of their Vanguard careers. Vanguard’s Office of the General Counsel addresses a wide range of complex and compelling legal and compliance issues. To continue supporting its growing business, Vanguard is seeking a Senior Counsel, Governance to support Vanguard’s investment management and product development groups, including with respect to federal, state, and international laws applicable to investment limitations. This role will focus primarily on legal, regulatory, and governance matters.

Candidates must share Vanguard’s core values, including unmatched ethical standards and client service, strong work ethic, and can-do attitude. Candidates must champion a team environment by building collaborative and trusting relationships with others. Additionally, candidates must be skilled at influencing legal colleagues, in-house corporate partners, and business clients at all levels, including senior management.

In this role you will…

• Provide business leaders with legal advice on issues impacting Vanguard's business activities, such as portfolio management, product development, strategic transactions, regulatory initiatives, and governance matters.
• Provide investors with the best chance of investment success by ensuring that the Vanguard funds comply with all relevant laws and regulations.
• Develop expertise in global investment law, Vanguard’s business and products, and the asset management industry.
• Proactively tackle novel issues within the asset management industry by leveraging collaboration, innovation, and problem-solving skills. 
• Proactively engage with regulators at the state and federal level.
• Draft and negotiate legal documents such as regulatory filings, contracts, agreements, and correspondence of legal significance.
• Direct any work being performed by outside counsel.

What it takes:

• Familiarity with the federal securities laws, including the Investment Company Act of 1940, and federal and state banking laws is a plus but not required
• Excellent judgment, communication, and relationship management skills
• Experience offering legal services related to securities regulation and governance matters
• 5 plus years of relevant legal work experience
• Undergraduate degree and Law degree (JD)

Special Factors

Sponsorship

Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.

About Vanguard

We are Vanguard. Together, we’re changing the way the world invests.

For us, investing doesn’t just end in value. It starts with values. Because when you invest with courage, when you invest with clarity, and when you invest with care, you can get so much more in return. We invest with purpose – and that’s how we’ve become a global market leader. Here, we grow by doing the right thing for the people we serve. And so can you.

We want to make success accessible to everyone. This is our opportunity. Let’s make it count.

Inclusion Statement

Vanguard’s continued commitment to diversity and inclusion is firmly rooted in our culture. Every decision we make to best serve our clients, crew (internally employees are referred to as crew), and communities is guided by one simple statement: “Do the right thing.”

We believe that a critical aspect of doing the right thing requires building diverse, inclusive, and highly effective teams of individuals who are as unique as the clients they serve. We empower our crew to contribute their distinct strengths to achieving Vanguard’s core purpose through our values.

When all crew members feel valued and included, our ability to collaborate and innovate is amplified, and we are united in delivering on Vanguard's core purpose.

Our core purpose: To take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.