Vice President and Deputy General Counsel

When you join Sallie Mae, you become a champion for all students.

We’re on a mission to power confidence as students begin their unique journey. To help them plan their higher education, successfully finish, and prepare for life after school. To help them Start smart. Learn big.

Students need guidance navigating this important time in their life. They need someone who acknowledges that their education path is unique. They need a partner willing to evolve and not only meet but surpass their expectations. We’re changing. Because students need a better way.

We’re looking for people who are excited to drive this transformation. To break barriers and think of new ways to adapt, help, and create better experiences for students—and for each other.

This is where diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives matter. It’s where you’re empowered to bring your authentic self to work.

Feeling your best allows you to do your best. Our benefits take care of the whole you—from physical and mental to financial and professional. You’ll get opportunities to further your education and career, support for you and your family (including your pets!), paid time off to volunteer for the things that matter to you, and more.

We’re obsessed with impact and making a real difference. For us, that means putting relationships first, asking “why not?” when tackling challenges, and continuously learning new skills.

Come do more than join something, change something. For students, for future generations, for the future of education.

What You’ll Contribute

The Vice President and Deputy General Counsel will be a member of the Legal, Government Affairs, and Corporate Communication leadership team, reporting directly to the Chief Legal, Government Affairs, and Communications Officer. This position will have regular exposure to Sallie Mae’s executive management team as they contribute to meaningful outcomes that drive Sallie Mae’s strategic imperatives. This position will call on the ability to oversee a broad range of legal areas and provide guidance and advice related to compliance with laws, regulations, and contractual requirements, and help navigate governance and risk frameworks.

Responsibilities include legal support for various business relationships, third-party partnerships, banking activities, privacy, intellectual property, and a range of internal governance functions. This position will work with cross-functional teams and provide comprehensive solutions to problems or needs, and will have extensive contact with internal customers, senior management, and outside counsel. The Deputy General Counsel will initially directly manage a team of three lawyers and legal professionals, with additional opportunity for portfolio expansion.

What You’ll Do

• With support from the team and others across the legal function, provides research and general advice, counsel, and recommendations to management on a broad range of business issues and strategic imperatives, including transactional, regulatory, and privacy matters to comply with applicable laws/regulations, avoid future regulatory or legal action, mitigate risk, and achieve business objectives related to: Risk mitigation in a broad range of contractual and regulatory settings, contracts and vendor management, privacy and cybersecurity, new partnerships and product development, intellectual property, government affairs, corporate communications, corporate social responsibility and other ad hoc matters as assigned such as M&A projects
• As a contributor to the Corporate Secretary function, provides support to the corporate governance and risk management framework of the public company and the bank subsidiary, including with respect to public company matters, the Board of Directors, management committees, and prudential regulators.
• Partners with internal clients to ensure optimal outcomes from company engagement with regulators, including federal and state regulatory examinations and inquiries, investigations, and enforcement actions.
• Provides advice to internal customers and stakeholders on relevant areas of IP matters, data privacy, and cybersecurity laws in connection with the Sallie Mae’s business and compliance requirements.
• Provides oversight for a team responsible for drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex agreements, including strategic partnership agreements, vendor agreements, participation agreements, joint marketing agreements, IT agreements, and license agreements.

The above information is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this job; it is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees in this role.

What You Have

Minimum Education, Skills and Experience Required

• J.D. from an accredited U.S. law school.
• Must be licensed and in good standing with any state bar, with ability to obtain Delaware or Virginia in-house bar admission.
• 12+ years of legal experience in private practice and/or as in-house counsel.
• Experience managing a legal team.
• Hold self and others accountable to meet commitments.
• Build partnerships and work collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Sound judgment and strong legal/financial/business acumen and ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, demanding and complex business environment.
• Meticulous attention to detail and excellent oral and written communications and presentation skills.
• Ability to work and thrive in a diverse and multi-cultural team environment, across multiple offices and in a flexible in-office/remote hybrid model.
• Build strong customer relationships and delivers customer-centric solutions.
• Make good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward.
• Gain the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.
• Develop people to meet both their career goals and the Company’s goals.
• Adapt approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations.
• See ahead to future possibilities and translate them into breakthrough strategies.
• Paint a compelling picture of the vision and strategy that motivates others to action.

Preferred Education, Skills and Experience

• Experience in the banking or consumer finance industry is strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of and experience applying banking and consumer regulatory laws and other legal requirements.
• Knowledge and experience with federal and state laws governing data privacy, cybersecurity and/or data security.
• Experience in digital marketing, including marketing databases, email, social media and/or ad serving tools.
• Experience with corporate governance, and ESG.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) prohibits discrimination by employers, in compensation and employment opportunities, against qualified individuals with disabilities who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the “essential functions” of a job. A function may be essential for any of several reasons, including: the job exists to perform that function, the employee holding the job was hired for his/her expertise in performing the function, or only a limited number of employees are available to perform that function.

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Sallie Mae is proud to be an equal opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, genetic information, gender identity, disability, Veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. If you’d like more information about your EEO rights as an applicant, please click here. EEO is the Law supplement. Click here to view the U.S. Pay Transparency Policy.

Reasonable accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities in all phases of the application and employment process. To request an accommodation please call (855) 756-2007 and choose option 9. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.