Sr Corporate Counsel (Project Management)

We Impact Lives Through Purpose-Driven Work in A People First Culture

Ascend Learning is the connection between a powerful portfolio of brands serving students, educators, and employers with outcomes-based, data driven solutions across the lifecycle of learning.

Our values-driven culture unifies our teams and inspires a mindset of action, innovation, and collaboration, with a relentless focus on customers.

We're always looking for talented, passionate professionals to join us in our mission to help change lives. If this sounds like an environment where you'd thrive, read on to learn more.

Ascend Learning leads the way in innovation and solution creation to improve outcomes and deliver results for students, educators, and healthcare workers in the ever-changing field of healthcare. We offer advanced resources that drive nursing success, empower front-line certified allied health workers, help physicians pass boards and stay current, and provide education management tools for medical education programs.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

The Senior Corporate Counsel will have day-to-day responsibility for providing legal support to a variety of Ascend Learning functions to help drive business growth and achieve successful outcomes. As Senior Corporate Counsel, you will work closely with your legal team colleagues and a broad range of internal clients across critical legal and business support areas, including managing complex customer contract negotiations, data privacy, product development support, distribution and strategic partnership agreements, intellectual property, legal matters related to publishing and author agreements, regulatory compliance initiatives, U.S. and international business, and more. A significant portion of your responsibilities will be supporting a dynamic sales team negotiating complex revenue generating agreements. These agreements will include customer contracts, licensing, international sales, strategic partnerships, distribution, and reseller arrangements. Over time you will gain intimate knowledge of the functions you work with as you manage their most important legal needs across a wide range of day-to-day support activities

WHERE YOU'LL WORK

• Local employee in either the Greater Boston or Kansas City areas will go into the office on a flexible hybrid schedule. An employee located outside of these locations will work remotely.

 HOW YOU'LL SPEND YOUR TIME

• Drafting and negotiating publishing agreements, such as author contracts, royalty arrangements, translation and localization contracts and licensing agreements
• Drafting and negotiating customer contracts, including government (federal, state and municipal) contracts and agreements with institutions of higher-ed
• Preparing, negotiating and finalizing complex agreements with strategic partners, vendors, and consultants, particularly as relates to publishing and other products
• Developing international channel partners, distribution agreements, and sales agents' agreements for the sale and distribution of Ascend products
• Technology licensing and in-sourcing
• Intellectual property protection, matters related to piracy/counterfeit/gray goods, enforcement, and risk mitigation
• Regulatory compliance and transactional support in areas such as privacy, accessibility, accreditation, consumer protection and accessibility
• International sales through channel and direct
• Marketing and product development support
• Training across various compliance imperatives
• Dispute resolution

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

• Active Bar membership in good standing with no bar infractions and actively licensed to practice law in the U.S.
• Excellent academic record in both undergraduate and law school
• A minimum of five years of experience practicing law with preferably at least two years of experience working at a company as in-house counsel
• Experience supporting sales teams and independently negotiating complex agreements, such as customer contracts, licensing matters, distribution agreements, and strategic partnerships, is required. Experience contracting with state institutions, data privacy laws (including FERPA, HIPAA), accessibility laws, IP issues and international sales is preferred. Experience with the publishing industry and Higher Education sector is a plus
• Adept with copyright law and other general matters related to intellectual property
• Experience developing and negotiating international contracts is desirable
• Comfortable providing day-to-day general legal support and prioritizing multiple matters across a wide range of legal issues, dynamic business contexts, products and services, functions, customers, and internal stakeholders, while providing top quality deliverables
• Strong analytical ability, sound business judgement, strong interpersonal skills, and superior written and verbal communication skills
• Enthusiastic, passionate. self-starter, results-oriented attitude
• Demonstrated resilience, accountability and ownership, the highest ethical standards, adaptability, and resilience
• Occasional travel is required

BENEFITS

• Flexible and generous paid time off
• Competitive medical, dental, vision and life insurance
• 401(k) employer matching program
• Parental leave
• Wellness resources
• Charitable matching program
• Hybrid work
• On-site workout facilities (Leawood, Gilbert, Burlington)
• Community outreach groups
• Tuition reimbursement

Fostering A Sense of Belonging

We seek out and celebrate all people and perspectives and cultivate an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive, feel valued and be their authentic selves. Our culture is firmly rooted in the belief that by embracing our differences and drawing on diverse perspectives, we are a stronger, more innovative, and more successful organization where employees experience a sense of belonging.

About Ascend Learning

As a tech-enabled services company, Ascend Learning is a national leader in developing and delivering data-driven online educational content, software, assessments, analytics, and simulations serving institutions, students and employers across healthcare, fitness and wellness, public and workplace safety, skilled trades, insurance, financial services, cybersecurity, and higher education. We're committed to accelerating the learning pathways that can move people into careers where they have the knowledge and skills to have an impact and help change lives in the communities they serve. Headquartered in Burlington, MA with additional office locations and hybrid and remote workers in cities across the U.S., Ascend Learning was recognized by Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group as one of America's 2023 Greatest Workplaces for Diversity.

Ascend Learning, LLC is proud to be an equal opportunity employer (M/F/Vets/Disabled). No agency or search firm submissions will be accepted. Applications for U.S. based positions with Ascend Learning, LLC must be legally authorized to work in the United States and verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

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