Senior Staff Counsel, LACERA (Transactions and Investments) (Resume Canvass 25-03)

THIS IS NOT A CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATION

This announcement is for a Call for Resumes for the position of Senior Staff Counsel, LACERA - (Transactions and Investments) 

The Call for Resumes can be officially suspended at any time. 

Annual Salary: $16,021.72 - $24,250.16 Monthly.

The current vacancy in the Transactions and Investments Section of the Legal Division is an important position of responsibility in support of the commercial contracting needs of LACERA's Board of Retirement and Board of Investments, the Executive Office and fifteen divisions. The Legal Division is comprised of a Chief Counsel, Senior Staff Counsels, Staff Counsels, Legal Analysts, Legal Secretaries, and will soon add a Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer. Legal staff work in one of four sections: Litigation, Transactions/Investments, Benefits, and Disability. This position will work in the Transactions and Investments Section, reporting to the Chief Counsel.
 
SENIOR STAFF COUNSEL ROLE:
 The Senior Staff Counsel position reports to LACERA's Chief Counsel. The role of Senior Staff Counsel includes:

• Providing LACERA staff with practical legal advice relating to contract terms, RFPs, policies and procedures and commercial transactions.
• Reviewing, drafting, and negotiating documentation for commercial transactions, including IT and technology agreements (SaaS agreements, software license, data privacy terms), HR contracts (employment agreements and compensation studies), confidentiality agreements and service agreements (vendor and consultant agreements), and other commercial contracts, as well as investment management agreements and other investment documents as needed.
• Hiring and supervising internal staff assigned to commercial transactions. 
• Providing advice regarding risk management, including identifying, assessing, and mitigating legal risks associated with commercial transactions, policies and operations. 
• Providing Legal support on a wide range of transactional matters. 
• Drafting memos, policies, and procedures to the Board of Retirement, including those related to compliance, risk assessment, data security and vendor management.
• Presenting to the Board of Retirement and Investments as necessary.
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams such as IT, Administrative Services and Human Resources. 
• Developing, reviewing, and maintaining legal templates for necessary forms of agreement, procurement and related policies, and contracting processes and procedures.
• Providing training to staff regarding commercial contracting terms and processes.
• Responding to Public Records Act requests from the public.

To view the complete job description for this classification, please click Senior Staff Counsel, LACERA.

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS:

Option 1:
One (1) year of experience as Staff Counsel, LACERA.

Other Requirements: Applicants must be able to perform the essential functions of this classification, with or without a reasonable accommodation.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Demonstrated first-hand experience independently:

• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating agreements and documents for commercial transactions, including IT and technology agreements (SaaS agreements, software license, data privacy terms), HR contracts (employment agreements and compensation studies), confidentiality agreements and service agreements (vendor and consultant agreements), and other commercial contracts.
• Providing advice regarding risk management, including identifying, assessing, and mitigating legal risks associated with commercial transactions, policies and operations. 
• Providing training to senior leadership and staff on development of clear and complete scopes of work, performance standards and service levels, preferred contract terms, and negotiating strategies based on organizational needs across all areas of commercial contracting within a complex business organization.
• Drafting memos, policies, and procedures as well as presenting to senior leadership including board members on contracting trends, compliance, risk assessment, data security and vendor management.
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams such as Information Technology, Information Security, Procurement, Human Resources, and Executive office.
• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating documentation for various investment transactions, including private equity, hedge funds, and real estate.

• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating agreements and documents for commercial transactions, including IT and technology agreements (SaaS agreements, software license, data privacy terms), HR contracts (employment agreements and compensation studies), confidentiality agreements and service agreements (vendor and consultant agreements) and other commercial contracts.
• Providing advice regarding risk management, including identifying, assessing, and mitigating legal risks associated with commercial transactions, policies and operations. 
• Providing training to senior leadership and staff on development of clear and complete scopes of work, performance standards and service levels, preferred contract terms, and negotiating strategies based on organizational needs across all areas of commercial contracting within a complex business organization.
• Drafting memos, policies, and procedures as well as presenting to senior leadership including board members on contracting trends, compliance, risk assessment, data security and vendor management.
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams such as Information Technology, Information Security, Procurement, Human Resources, and Executive office.
• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating documentation for various investment transactions, including private equity, hedge funds, and real estate.

Any language contained in the job posting supersedes any language contained below.

Your Responsibilities:

1. Completing Your Application:

a. Before submission of the application, it is your responsibility to ensure that all information provided is correct and complete on the application. Incomplete applications cannot be accepted.

b. List each payroll title separately for each job. Do not group your experience. Specify the beginning and ending dates for each job. If you are a Los Angeles County employee and have held multiple positions, do NOT list all of your time with the County under your present payroll title.

c. To receive credit, include required documents (e.g., copy of your diploma, transcript, certificate, or license) as directed on the job posting. International degrees in a foreign language must be translated to English and evaluated for equivalency to U.S. standards. Refer to the job posting for specific deadlines for supporting documentation.

2. Requirements on Job Posting:

a. Your application will only be accepted if it clearly shows you meet the requirements. The information you give will determine your eligibility and is subject to verification at any time.

b. You must be at least 16 years of age at the time of appointment unless other age limits are stated on the job posting. The Federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967, as amended, prohibits discrimination on the basis of age for any individual age 40 or older.

c. Experience is evaluated on the basis of a verifiable 40- hour week, unless specified otherwise. Prorated part-time experience may be acceptable.

3. Application Deadline: All job applications must be completed and submitted before the closing time on the last day of the filing period as indicated on the job posting unless other instructions are provided. Job postings with an open continuous filing period are subject to closure without prior notice. It is to your advantage to file your application early and not wait until the last allowable date and time as you will not be able to apply once the filing period has closed.

4. Change of Name or Address: To change personal information such as your name or address, log into your profile on www.governmentjobs.com and make the necessary change. This can be done at any time.

5. Equal Employment Opportunity/Non-Discrimination Policy:

a. It is the policy of the The Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA) to provide equal employment opportunity for all qualified persons, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. b. If you are an individual requesting reasonable accommodation(s) in the examination process, please contact the testing accommodation coordinator listed on the job posting. The provision of accommodation(s) may be subject to verification, consistent with state and federal law. All accommodation-related information will remain confidential.

Disclaimer: The Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA) is not responsible or in any way liable for any computer hardware or software malfunction that may affect the employment application or the application selection process.

You assume all responsibility and risk for the use of this system and the Internet generally. This system and the information provided on it are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. No advice or information given by LACERA or its respective staff members shall modify the foregoing or create any warranty.

LACERA expressly disclaims any warranty that the information on this system or on the Internet generally will be uninterruptible or error free or that any information, software or other material accessible from the system is free of viruses or other harmful components. You shall have no recourse against the LACERA as the system provider for any alleged or actual infringement of any proprietary rights a user may have in anything posted or retrieved on our system.

LACERA shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, punitive, incidental, special or consequential damages arising out of or in any way connected with the use of this system or with the delay or inability to use it (or any linked sites), or for any information obtained through this system, or otherwise arising out of the use of this system, the Internet generally or on any other basis.

NOTE: Your application is submitted using Secure Encryption to ensure the privacy of all information you transmit over the Internet.

By accepting the Use Disclaimer set forth herein, you agree to all of the above terms and further agree to use this Online Job Employment Application System only for the submission of bona fide employment applications to the County of Los Angeles. Any other use of this Online Job Employment Application System, including without limitation any copying, downloading, translating, decompiling, or reverse engineering of the system, data, or related software, shall be a violation of the Use Disclaimer.

Veteran’s Credit: In all open competitive examinations, a veteran’s credit of 10 percent of the total credits specified for such examinations will be added to the final passing grade of an honorably discharged veteran who served in the Armed Forces of the United States under any of the following conditions: During a declared war; -or- During the period April 28, 1952 through July 1, 1955; -or- For more than 180 consecutive days, other than for training, any part of which occurred after January 31, 1955, and before October 15, 1976; -or- During the Gulf War from August 2, 1990 through January 2, 1992; -or- For more than 180 consecutive days, other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning September 11, 2001, and ending on August 31, 2010 the last day of Operation Iraqi Freedom; -or- In a campaign or expedition for which a campaign medal or expeditionary medal has been authorized and awarded. Any Armed Forces Expeditionary medal or campaign badge, including El Salvador, Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, Southwest Asia, Somalia, and Haiti qualifies for credit.

A campaign medal holder or Gulf War veteran who originally enlisted after September 7, 1980 (or began active duty on or after October 14, 1982, and has not previously completed 24 months of continuous active duty) must have served continuously for 24 months or the full period called or ordered to active duty.

This also applies to the spouse of such person who, while engaged in such service was wounded, disabled or crippled and thereby permanently prevented from engaging in any remunerative occupation, and also to the widow or widower of any such person who died or was killed while in such service. A DD214, Certificate of Discharge or Separation from Active Duty, or other official documents issued by the branch of service are required as verification of eligibility for Veterans preference. Applicants must submit the documentation for each open competitive exam to qualify for veteran’s credit. More information available at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/veterans-services/vet-guide-for-hr-professionals/

Accreditation Information: Accredited institutions are those listed in the publications of regional, national or international accrediting agencies that are accepted by the Department of Human Resources. Publications such as American Universities and Colleges and International Handbook of Universities are acceptable references. Also acceptable, if appropriate, are degrees that have been evaluated and deemed to be equivalent to degrees from United States accredited institutions by an academic credential evaluation agency recognized by The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services or the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE).

Background Check: LACERA is a Fair Chance employer. Except as otherwise permissible under applicable laws, you will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless you receive a conditional offer of employment. LACERA will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and will also consider potential mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about a conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed.

Benefit Information: Depending on the position, the successful candidate will enroll in a contributory defined benefit pension plan if the candidate is a “new member” of the County’s defined benefit plan (LACERA) on or after January 1, 2013 (first employed by the County on or after December 1, 2012) – unless she or he established reciprocity with another public retirement system in which she or he was a member before January 1, 2013. It should be noted that County employees do not pay into Social Security but do pay the Medical Hospital Insurance Tax portion of Social Security at a rate of 1.45%. The Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA) has reciprocal agreements with several public retirement systems in California.

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990: All positions are open to qualified persons. Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, persons with disabilities who believe they need reasonable accommodation, or help in order to apply for a position, may contact the ADA/Personnel Services for Disabled Persons Coordinator. Hearing impaired applicants with telephone teletype equipment may leave messages by calling the teletype phone number on the job posting. The County will attempt to meet reasonable accommodation requests whenever possible.

Equal Employment Opportunity: It is the policy of the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association to provide equal employment opportunity for all qualified persons, regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. All positions are open to qualified men and women pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. The County will comply with all of its obligations under State and Federal laws regarding the provision of reasonable accommodations to applicants. 

Los Angeles County Child Support Compliance Program: In an effort to improve compliance with court ordered child, family and spousal support obligations, certain employment and identification information (i.e., name, address, Social Security number and date of hire) is regularly reported to the State Directory of New Hires which may assist in locating persons who owe these obligations. Family Code Section 17512 permits under certain circumstances for additional employment and identifying information to be requested. Applicants will not be disqualified from employment based on this information.

Social Security Act of 2004: Section 419 (c) of Public Law 108-203, the Social Security Protection Act of 2004, requires State and local government employers to disclose the effect of the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset Provision to employees hired on or after January 1, 2005, in jobs not covered by Social Security. The County of Los Angeles does not participate in the Social Security System. All newly hired County of Los Angeles employees must sign a statement (Form SSA-1945) prior to the start of employment indicating that they are aware of a possible reduction in their future Social Security benefit entitlement. For more information on Social Security and about each provision, you may visit the website www.socialsecurity.gov, or call toll free 1-800-772- 1213. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may call the TTY number 1-800-325-0778 or contact a local Social Security office.

Employment Eligibility Information: Final appointment is contingent upon verification of U.S. citizenship or the right to work in the United States. Immigration law provides that all persons hired after November 6, 1986, are required to present original documents to the County, within three (3) business days of hiring, which show satisfactory proof of 1) identity and 2) U.S. employment eligibility.

The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (Part 2.8 commencing with Section 12900 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code) the Regulations of the Fair Employment and Housing Commission (California Code of Regulations, Title 2, Division 4, Sections 7285.0 through 8504) and other applicable laws prohibit employment discrimination based on an applicant's protected characteristics, including race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, age, pregnancy, childbirth, and other characteristics.

Updated August 2025