About the position

At Pearson, we add life to a lifetime of learning so everyone can realize the life they imagine. We do this through creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact.

Job Description Summary:

Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer, the Associate General Counsel (AGC) of Higher Education, Virtual Learning and Direct to Consumer will be responsible for supporting these business divisions with all legal related matters in a hands-on way, leading a team of about 7 people. The ideal candidate would be a proven leader in the legal commercial space, who has deep expertise in leading complex, strategic deals, as well as a passion for education, innovation and consumer centric mindset. The candidate should be business and data oriented.

Job Description:

Key Responsibilities

• Help lead the Legal Department as a member of the Pearson Legal Leadership Team and lead a team of experienced commercial lawyers.

• Play the role of legal business partner for the Higher Ed, Virtual Learning and Direct to Consumer businesses, acting as key member of the business leadership team, participating in significant strategic and operational decisions, not only in the context of legal counsel but with practical commercial input as well. Provide support on key strategic customer, partner, and vendor deals.

• Develop a strong rapport and working relationship with business counterparts across the enterprise to help drive the delivery of effective legal services, constantly improving processes and contracts models.

• Develop an in-depth knowledge and understanding of Pearson’s businesses, its markets, products, customers, competitors and regulatory environment.

• Ability to work under pressure, handle deadlines, manage complex projects and multiple tasks in a fast-paced and complex business environment.

Qualifications

• Licensed or eligible to practice law in the United States

• Strong background and relevant experience in Legal Commercial and DTC space and a law degree from an ABA accredited school

• Deep subject matter expertise in commercial transactions, Direct to Consumer regulation and marketing. Deep familiarity and demonstrated experience with commercial contract lifecycle management and driving efficiencies.

• Great legal and business acumen; ability to think commercially, to integrate legal and business issues and to partner with business leaders effectively. An engaged business executive and not just a functional leader. Skills to build strong working relationships and collaborate closely with key cross-functional stakeholders. Thrives in a fast-paced environment.

• Excellent drafting, written and verbal communication skills and ability to communicate legal requirements in balanced, creative and pragmatic ways to all levels of the organization.

• Ability to balance multiple competing priorities. Adaptability, flexibility and creative approach to problem-solving. Anticipate and identify legal issues and develop legal strategies and solutions as appropriate. Confident and consensus-oriented but capable of independent thought and action. Confidence in his/her judgement derived from experience dealing with a broad range of challenging issues.

• Effective management of outside counsels' relationships and related fees. Budget management capabilities, delivering budget targets.

• Experience in technology law issues such as software and application licensing, cybersecurity and data privacy, cloud, SaaS, access & use, and intellectual property.

Leadership Skills

• Leads by example through proactive actions and hands-on leadership. Accountability, ownership and intrapreneurship attitude to make independent and quality decisions. Good balance of do, do and inform, ask in decision making and actions.

• Helps people to learn by coaching them and providing honest and transparent feedback. Attract and retain great talent to seed and sustain the organization. Culture carrier who nurtures and leads with focus on diversity, equity and transparency.

• Self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy. Great judgment, high integrity, good value system, high bar. Hard working, humble, human oriented. Focused on execution, quality and trust. Delegates effectively and always has a great succession bench.

Innovative Mindset

• Humble and curious to always learn new things. Complex and strategic thinking and problem solving-oriented. Relies on varied, diverse, and high-quality data sources to inform decisions. Pushes the edge, thinking out of the box, being innovative and creative to solve problems of yesterday with solutions of tomorrow.

• Open minded, embraces changes promoting resilience and adaptability in an ambiguous environment with unpredictable changes. Ability to plan, structure, introduce and execute changes while bringing people along. Transforms legal data, technology and processes to go from good to great!

Commercial Acumen

• Delivers exceptional results. Structured, inclusive, and timely, sense of urgency and decision-making skills. Embeds customer and consumer insights into decision-making.

• Takes calculated and smart risks where appropriate and at the same time monitors risks and makes decisions that minimize it. Adeptly manages crises.

• Builds effective relationships with stakeholders outside the organization and achieves great levels of internal stakeholder NPS through partnership and value delivery.

What to expect from Pearson

Did you know Pearson is one of the 10 most innovative education companies of 2022?

At Pearson, we add life to a lifetime of learning so everyone can realize the life they imagine. We do this by creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact. We are on a journey to be 100 percent digital to meet the changing needs of the global population by developing a new strategy with ambitious targets. To deliver on our strategic vision, we have five business divisions that are the foundation for the long-term growth of the company: Assessment & Qualifications, Virtual Learning, English Language Learning, Workforce Skills and Higher Education. Alongside these, we have our corporate divisions: Digital & Technology, Finance, Global Corporate Marketing & Communications, Human Resources, Legal, Strategy and Direct to Consumer. Learn more at We are Pearson.

We value the power of an inclusive culture and also a strong sense of belonging. We promote a culture where differences are embraced, opportunities are accessible, consideration and respect are the norm and all individuals are supported in reaching their full potential. Through our talent, we believe that diversity, equity and inclusion make us a more innovative and vibrant place to work. People are at the center, and we are committed to building a workplace where talent can learn, grow and thrive.

Pearson is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. We want a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We strive for a workforce that reflects the diversity of our communities.

To learn more about Pearson’s commitment to a diverse and inclusive workforce, navigate to: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Pearson.

If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing ppsmhr@pearson.com.

Note that the information you provide will stay confidential and will be stored securely. It will not be seen by those involved in making decisions as part of the recruitment process.

Job: LEGAL

Organization: Corporate Legal

Schedule: FULL_TIME

Req ID: 9746

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