Senior Paralegal

The Senior Paralegal provides legal and operational support to the Legal Department and is a key contributor to regulatory compliance, litigation, governance, and risk management activities across the credit union. The Senior Paralegal independently manages complex legal projects, supports strategic legal initiatives, conducts contract reviews and leads contract negotiations, and acts as a liaison between attorneys and internal or external stakeholders. The Senior Paralegal brings advanced legal expertise, critical thinking, and leadership capabilities to guide legal operations and ensure the credit union’s legal function operates efficiently and effectively.

What you will do here:

Manage complex litigation matters, intellectual property issues, regulatory investigations, and high-stakes legal holds with minimal supervision. Independently draft, analyze, and revise legal documents and correspondence; support attorneys in case strategy, research, and discovery. Support and execute contract review and negotiation processes to ensure alignment with legal standards and organizational risk tolerance. Serve as a primary case manager for escalated legal matters, ensuring deadlines, filings, and communications are met accurately and timely.

Lead regulatory filings, compliance reviews, board governance updates, and internal policy coordination. Act as a point of contact for regulators and auditors during compliance examinations and legal audits. Ensure alignment of governance activities with evolving legal and regulatory standards.

Collaborate with senior leadership, risk, and compliance teams to identify legal exposure and implement preventive strategies. Lead legal risk reviews for new processes, vendor contracts, or business initiatives. Recommend legal process improvements and contribute to development of department policies and templates.

Provide guidance and mentorship to Paralegals and Legal Operations Specialists. Deliver training on legal topics, document handling, and regulatory requirements. Act as a subject matter expert across legal operations, fostering a culture of accuracy, compliance, and responsiveness.

Engage with internal executives, external counsel, and government entities to support strategic legal initiatives. Represent the Legal Department in cross-departmental projects or task forces related to compliance, risk, and governance. Prepare and present legal summaries or reports to business units or leadership as needed.

Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

What you will need:

Paralegal Certificate required.

7+ years of Paralegal and/or Legal Operations experience required.

Advanced legal knowledge with strong experience in litigation support, governance, and regulatory interaction required.

Independently draft, revise, and manage complex legal documents, including court filings, discovery, and contracts required.

Exercise independent legal judgment and acts with autonomy in high-stakes or sensitive situations required.

Lead regulatory interactions, policy coordination, and governance initiatives required.

Advanced written and verbal communication; able to present legal findings and reports to leadership required.

Leads legal projects, oversees case strategy and execution Expert in legal tech tools, data tracking, legal research platforms, and compliance systems required.

Expert in legal tech tools, data tracking, legal research platforms, and compliance systems required.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.

For additional information about our organization, careers, and benefits visit: http://www.desertfinancial.com/careers.