Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel

Position Summary

The Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel (CLO/GC) serves as Sun River Health’s senior legal executive and principal legal advisor to the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Leadership Team.

As one of the largest community health center organizations in the country, Sun River Health operates approximately 50 sites, serves approximately 240,000 patients, and employs nearly 2,500 staff. The CLO/GC will provide practical, strategic legal counsel across this complex healthcare enterprise, helping leadership advance the organization’s mission, identify and manage risk, and make sound strategic and operational decisions.

The CLO/GC will bring legal expertise directly into executive decision-making, with an emphasis on early counsel, problem prevention, strategic thinking, and practical solutions rather than simply responding to legal issues after they arise.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as the principal legal advisor to the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Leadership Team and participate in major strategic and organizational decisions.
• Advise on healthcare law and regulation, corporate matters, contracts, real estate, employment matters, insurance and enterprise risk, privacy, and other significant legal issues.
• Provide legal leadership for strategic partnerships, affiliations, acquisitions, joint ventures, new business opportunities, and organizational development.
• Review, negotiate, and oversee significant contracts and develop efficient organization-wide contracting practices.
• Partner with Human Resources on significant employment and workforce matters.
• Advise leadership on significant real estate transactions, leases, and related matters.
• Identify emerging legal and regulatory risks and provide preventive counsel before issues develop into disputes or liabilities.
• Oversee litigation and significant legal matters and determine when specialized outside counsel is required.
• Manage outside counsel to ensure appropriate expertise, efficiency, coordination, and cost control.
• Support sound corporate governance and work collaboratively with counsel to the Board of Directors while preserving the Board’s access to independent legal advice.
• Work collaboratively with Compliance and the Chief of Advocacy and Government Relations while maintaining the distinct responsibilities of each function.

Education and Experience

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree required.
• Admission to the New York State Bar in good standing required.
• Significant senior-level legal experience, preferably within healthcare or another highly regulated environment.
• Strong knowledge of healthcare regulation and demonstrated experience across several areas, including corporate transactions, contracting, employment law, real estate, compliance, privacy, insurance and risk, and mergers and acquisitions.
• In-house healthcare legal experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience advising CEOs and senior executives and translating complex legal issues into clear, practical recommendations.
• Experience managing outside counsel and legal expenditures.
• Familiarity with federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), Medicaid, Medicare, managed care, value-based care, or nonprofit healthcare is highly desirable.

Key Competencies

• Strategic and practical legal judgment
• Executive-level communication and counsel
• Preventive risk identification and mitigation
• Contract negotiation and management
• Corporate governance
• Healthcare regulatory knowledge
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Ability to translate complex legal matters into clear, actionable business guidance

Job Type: Full-time

Salary Range: $250,000 - $300,000