UC San Diego
Chief Counsel, UC San Diego Health
Filing Deadline: Wed 1/1/2020, thereafter Open Until Filled
Initial Review Date: 12/19/19
Salary Range: Commensurate with Experience
 
The UC San Diego Office of Campus Counsel provides legal advice, manages litigation, reviews university policies, retains outside counsel, and works closely with other administrative offices to ensure legal compliance and to respond to disputes. The Chief Campus Counsel/ Associate General Counsel reports to the Chancellor and to the Vice President for Legal Affairs & General Counsel.
 
Reporting to the Chief Campus Counsel and the Deputy General Counsel – Health Affairs & Technology Law, the Chief Counsel, UC San Diego Health (Chief Health Counsel) leads the legal function for the health system and student health and counseling center at the UC San Diego campus, and also provides legal advice and counsel to health professional schools, which includes the Medical Center, the Medical Group, and the Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy, in the areas of Healthcare, clinical service, and contracting. Serves as a member of the UC San Diego Health executive leadership team and of the UC Legal Health Law Section and is expected to work closely with and provide direct legal support to the Vice Chancellor Health Sciences, the Chief Executive Officer of the Health System, and the Deans of the UC San Diego health professional schools. The Chief Health Counsel works with representatives of other UC campuses on joint or system-wide efforts, as appropriate. Also coordinates with other offices, such as the Office of Contracts and Grants Administration, as appropriate. Supervises and manages Health Counsel attorneys and staff, and the UC San Diego Health Risk Management Office, serving as a resource to subordinates on highly complex legal matters or problems.
 
Additional responsibilities as assigned. Job requires dedication and hard work. Long hours in highly stressful, high-stakes settings are a norm, not an exception. Occasional out-of-area travel, typically to Northern California but occasionally to other parts of the country. The Chief Health Counsel must model ethics and integrity in all of their dealings. Compliance with the University of California Statement of Ethical Values and Standards of Ethical Conduct, local codes, and the California Rules of Professional Conduct is a baseline expectation and requirement. This includes support, collaboration, and coordination with UC San Diego’s and UC San Diego Health’s compliance and quality programs.
 
Must be licensed to practice law in California (California’s Registered In-House Counsel Program is not available to University of California attorneys). Out-of-state candidates must take and pass the bar within one year of hire and will be subject to direct supervision during that year.
 
QUALIFICATIONS
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience providing legal services to health care organizations, preferably to include experience as an in-house or external general counsel or deputy general counsel.
• J.D. from an accredited law school within the United States. Additional advanced degrees (e.g., business, public health, health administration) are preferred but not required.
• Previous management or supervisory experience and/or significant project management experience.
• Demonstrated experience in change-oriented operational management and people leadership with the capacity to lead and motivate a professional team to meet high client service expectations in an extremely visible organization.
• Deep knowledge of health and hospital law and extensive experience developing and managing complex health care transactions, particularly in the context of health care reform, are required. Specific knowledge of academic medical centers, hospital operations and financing, medical group operations and reimbursement, and graduate medical education programs, particularly in California, is preferred.
• Ability to exercise prudence and good judgment in financial management and approval of expenses. Manage outside counsel expenditures in certain cases, and assist managing outside counsel expenditures in other cases.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate and work cooperatively with other attorneys, groups, clients and constituencies with differing priorities and perspectives. Knowledge of and experience with academic research, in a university environment, and associated issues of health system and governmental relations.
• Superior academic qualifications, with strong analytic, writing, and client consultation skills. Demonstrated ability to distill large quantities of often imperfect information and to generate creative approaches to legal challenges facing Health Sciences, including the Medical Center, the Medical Group, the Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy, in the areas of Healthcare, including clinical service and contracting.
• Demonstrated ability to clearly articulate the priorities of a complex and dynamic organization, as well as the ability to develop legal strategies which forward these priorities within acceptable limits of risk and exposure.
• Demonstrated ability to work well under conditions of heavy workload, frequent overtime, rapidly changing priorities, a highly fluid authority structure, and deadlines requiring immediate action.
• Demonstrated ability to make timely, accurate and complete reports of activities to multiple supervisors and clients.
• Demonstrated understanding of highly complex legal issues in a University setting. Ability to think creatively to assist the UC San Diego Health executive team and UC Legal leaders in solving problems of the greatest complexity.
• Demonstrated ability and willingness to use standard computer software applications, including, Microsoft Word, email programs, Internet browsers and on-line legal search.
• Demonstrated ability to make and communicate hard decisions; demonstrated credibility to win support for those decisions.
• Outstanding skills in the ability to lead by influence and consensus.
• Judgment, tact and diplomacy to partner with senior teams to help them achieve their strategic objectives. Ability to exercise good judgement and to make good decisions quickly, often with incomplete information available and under circumstances where different stakeholders have inconsistent positions.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills to interact effectively and develop and maintain productive working relationships with an array of diverse interests, individuals, and constituencies.
• Outstanding communication and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate clearly, logically, and persuasively during interactions and utilize active listening skills. Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including negotiation skills. Ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders including board members, donors, politicians, physicians and other care providers, staff, executives, and others, often in tense situations. Calm and steady demeanor in all settings. Disruptive behavior in the workplace is not tolerated and may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.
• Exceptional ability to draft accurate, complete and persuasive legal documents, such as pleadings, legal responses, affidavits, position statements and briefs.
• Exceptional ability to represent institutional concerns persuasively to internal and external parties.
• Demonstrated ability to act as a team player in all circumstances, as defined by contributing to the successful outcome of initiatives, accountabilities, and operations of others. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across administrative and academic units and to build consensus. Resilience, compassion, flexibility, open to change.
• Proven ability to maintain confidentiality with regard to sensitive issues and information and exercise discretion in dealing with sensitive or potentially sensitive topics.
• Demonstrated commitment to the highest ethical standards.
 
SPECIAL CONDITIONS
• Background Check required.
 
Our employees enjoy competitive compensation packages and educational opportunities in a diverse, stimulating workforce.
 
This position is eligible for full benefits first day of hire:
a) Health/Dental/Vision Insurance.
b) Vacation/holidays (18 vacation days & 13 paid holidays a year).
c) Work/Life Balance.
d) UC Retirement Plan.
e) Pet Insurance.
 
For more information about UCSD Benefits please visit https://blink.ucsd.edu/HR/benefits/index.html and UCSD Work/Life visit https://blink.ucsd.edu/HR/benefits/work-life/quality-index/index.html.
 
Apply Online
http://50.73.55.13/counter.php?id=174390
 
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, gender identity or sexual orientation. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://www-hr.ucsd.edu/saa/nondiscr.html