Senior Corporate Counsel – Contracting

Description

GCIs Senior Corporate Counsel Contracting will provide high-level legal support across a broad spectrum of company departments business units and subsidiaries. This role is responsible for leading the negotiation and execution of complex commercial agreements providing legal oversight on strategic corporate transactions and delivering forward-thinking legal guidance to support enterprise-wide initiatives. The ideal candidate will be a proactive solutions-oriented legal advisor who demonstrates strong business acumen sound judgment and the ability to navigate complex legal and regulatory landscapes while advancing the organizations goals. This position operates in a fast-paced highly collaborative environment and regularly engages with senior leadership.

Positions Customer(s): GCI business units departments subsidiaries and internal stakeholders across multiple functional areas.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

This leadership position requires the following non-delegable responsibilities:

• Fully own the mission goals operations and results of the team and areas of responsibility.
• Provide strong leadership to span of control (direct and indirect reports);demonstrate effective leadership in all interactions companywide. This leadership includes generating enthusiasm and shared commitment; identifying and setting direction; teaching growing and empowering; owning outcomes; and leading by example. Specific leadership duties include:
• Establishing the vision and tone for the department consistent with company culture and mission.
• Establishing clear measurable and achievable goals and performance expectations and following up appropriately.
• Hiring individuals who can accomplish those goals and meet those expectations; providing them the open communication training tools and mentoring needed to be successful and develop professionally; establishing a development path commensurate with capabilities and potential.
• Providing clear and accurate feedback to individuals and teams on a timely and consistent basis. Identifying and addressing performance problems early and effectively before they damage GCIs interests and demoralize other employees.
• Effectively managing processes including annual performance reviews compensation adjustments promotions demotions transfers and disciplinary actions up to and including terminationin an unbiased and consistent manner.

Complex Contract Drafting Review & Negotiation

• Serve as a senior legal authority on high-value high-risk and complex commercial agreements including master services agreements SaaS PaaS and IaaS agreements software and technology licensing vendor contracts strategic sourcing and professional services.
• Evaluate and negotiate contract terms with a deep understanding of legal regulatory and operational risks particularly in areas such as cybersecurity privacy artificial intelligence data protection and intellectual property.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with senior stakeholders to align contractual terms with evolving business objectives while safeguarding legal and financial interests.
• Manage and provide strategic direction to outside counsel on specialized transactions or high-complexity negotiations.

Corporate Transactions & General Counsel Support

• Provide senior-level legal counsel on corporate structuring M&A activities and other strategic transactions including due diligence integration and deal negotiation.
• Support the General Counsel in managing legal entity governance across GCI subsidiaries including corporate filings regulatory compliance board resolutions and officer and director maintenance.
• Monitor interpret and advise on changes to federal state and industry regulations and assess their potential impact on the companys operations and strategic direction.

Strategic Legal Support & Counsel

• Act as a trusted senior advisor to business leaders providing practical risk-balanced legal advice that enables decision-making in line with corporate strategy.
• Proactively identify emerging legal issues and provide leadership in developing forward-looking solutions across multiple practice areas relevant to telecommunications and technology.
• Support enterprise-level initiatives by offering legal insights that contribute to operational innovation compliance and growth.

Legal Oversight ofContract Administration & Policy

• Advise the contract administration team on legal interpretation contract lifecycle best practices negotiation strategies and compliance considerations.
• Drive continuous improvement through the development and refinement of contract templates legal playbooks and negotiation standards.
• Lead training sessions and create resources to enhance organizational understanding of contract law risk management and legal processes.

COMPETENCIES:

• ACCOUNTABILITY- Takes ownership for actions decisions and results; openly accepts feedback and demonstrates a willingness to improve. Positive self-starter with ability to take initiative identify needs and work independently with minimal direction and supervision.
  • Takes full ownership for actions decisions and outcomes; accepts feedback constructively and demonstrates a continuous desire to improve performance.
  • Positive self-starter who takes initiative to identify needs develop solutions and follow through with minimal supervision.
  • Demonstrates the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct; adheres to GCIs Code of Conduct and Basic Principles at all times.
  • Protects confidential information and complies with internal controls security policies and all applicable business conduct guidelines.
• BASIC PRINCIPLES - Interacts with people in a way that builds mutual trust confidence and respect; adheres to GCIs Code of Conduct for Employees the Basic Principles.
• COLLABORATION - Works effectively with others to accomplish common goals and objectives; maintains positive relationships even under difficult circumstances.
  • Builds and maintains positive collaborative relationships across all levels of the organization including with internal clients external counsel and business partners.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead negotiations on complex legal matters and influence business outcomes at a senior level.
• COMMUNICATION - Conveys thoughts and expresses ideas appropriately and professionally.
  • Exceptional oral and written communication skills with the ability to clearly and persuasively communicate complex legal concepts to both legal and non-legal audiences.
• COMPLIANCE - Follows internal controls; protects confidential information; abides by GCIs Code of Business Conduct & Ethics.
• CUSTOMER FOCUS - Demonstrates commitment to service excellence; gives high priority to customer satisfaction.
• RELIABILITY - Consistently follows through on assigned tasks as expected; demonstrates timely attendance at meetings training and other work obligations.
• RESULTS - Uses a combination of job knowledge initiative sound decision making innovation adaptability and problem solving.
  • Effectively manages and prioritizes a diverse workload in a dynamic fast-paced environment with shifting priorities and deadlines.
  • Demonstrates flexibility and resilience maintaining composure under pressure and managing multiple projects with competing demands.
  • Actively develops relationships and networks across the organization to influence outcomes and drive business initiatives forward.
  • Maintains a collegial solution-oriented approach even in high-pressure or complex situations.
• SAFETY & SECURITY - Supports a safe work environment by following all workplace safety rules and guidelines; complying with applicable Enterprise Security Office policies and procedures.
• CHANGE MANAGEMENT - champions and supports department and company change.
  • Supports and champions change management initiatives helping teams adapt to evolving business priorities and regulatory developments.
• DECISION MAKING - uses sound logical judgment based on data research and experience to choose an appropriate course of action.
  • Demonstrates a strong understanding of business operations strategic priorities and financial drivers; applies legal expertise to advance corporate objectives.
  • Uses sound data-informed judgment and research-based analysis to make decisions that mitigate risk and support business growth.
  • Proactively identifies legal risks and proposes practical solutions that balance legal requirements with business needs.
  • Maintains a customer-centric approach consistently prioritizing service excellence and business partner satisfaction.
• TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY -Technically proficient in MS Office applications (Outlook Teams Word Excel) and legal document management systems; comfortable navigating databases intranet portals and collaboration tools to efficiently complete work assignments.
  • Strong foundation in commercial contract law corporate transactions and complex commercial negotiations with both transactional and litigation perspectives.
  • Extensive experience drafting reviewing negotiating and closing a wide variety of complex agreements including commercial contracts technology licenses SaaS procurement agreements and corporate acquisition transactions.
  • Demonstrated ability to resolve complex legal and business issues creatively and effectively.
  • Strong knowledge of or demonstrated interest in privacy data protection and cybersecurity regulatory frameworks.
  • Skilled in managing multiple transactions and legal matters simultaneously while maintaining strategic oversight and attention to detail.
  • Proficient in legal research and analysis with strong analytical and organizational skills that support sound legal judgment.

Minimum Qualifications:

Required: *A combination of relevant work experience and/or education sufficient to perform the duties of the job may substitute to meet the total years required on a year-for-year basis

• High School diploma or equivalent.
• Juris Doctorate Degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
• Member in good standing of at least one U.S. state bar; eligible for admission as Corporate Counsel in Alaska.
• Minimum of eight years of progressive legal experience with a strong emphasis on commercial contracting corporate transactions and cross-functional advisory workpreferably in both in-house and law firm environments.*

Preferred:

• Subject matter expertise in legal issues related to telecommunications technology software licensing cybersecurity data privacy procurement and intellectual property.
• Familiarity with the regulatory environment of the telecom industry.
• Relevant industry certifications or continuing legal education in specialized areas such as privacy law (e.g. CIPP/US) technology law or contract management.

DRIVING REQUIREMENTS:

• This position may require access to reliable transportation for occasional travel between retail store locations offices worksites or other locations as needed.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS and WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Work is primarily sedentary requiring daily routine computer usage.
• Ability to work shifts as assigned work in standard office/home office setting and operate standard office equipment.
• Ability to accurately communicate information and ideas to others effectively.
• Physical agility and effort sufficiently to perform job duties safely and effectively.
• Ability to make valid judgments and decisions.
• Available to work additional time on weekends holidays before or after normal work hours when necessary.
• Must work well in a team environment and be able to work with a diverse group of people and customers.
• Virtual workers must comply with remote work policies and agreements.
• Occasional out-of-town travel for meetings and training/conferences.
• Occasional extra work required throughout the year. Heavy extra work required for specific transactions; may involve working during evenings and weekends. May need to attend periodic evening meetings.
• Employee will be exposed to rigorous debates when developing legal positions and strategies.

The company and its subsidiaries operate in a 24/7 environment providing critical services to Alaskans and may need to respond to public health and safety matters or other business emergencies. Due to business needs employees may be contacted outside of the core business hours to respond to the immediate emergency. As such you will be requested to provide emergency after-hour contact numbers to include your home and cell phone numbers if you have those services.Culture Engagement and Connection:At GCI we foster an environment where the unique perspectives of our employees customers and fellow Alaskans are celebrated. We add value to our community by nurturing and empowering each member of our workforce ensuring equal opportunities for every Trailblazer.EEO: GCI is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race color religion national origin age sex sexual orientation gender identity marital status mental or physical disability veteran status or any other status or classification protected under applicable state or federal law.DISCLAIMER: The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.All employees of GCI work in support of the GCI Mission Statement and Declaration of Principles which are located on the GCI Career page and Employee portal.