Senior Associate General Counsel

Position Overview

This position serves as Senior Associate General Counsel of the Banking Program Counseling Section’s Regulatory Affairs Unit. Serves as a primary source for legal advice and counsel pertaining to banking, mortgage, student loan servicing, and other financial regulations. Supervises the legal activities of subordinate technical staff and advises subordinate technical staff regarding legal policy and regulatory affairs. Confers with numerous personnel on complex legal problems. Coordinates and/or independently researches and investigates issues germane to the industries regulated and recommends legal courses of action. Speaks on behalf of Division leadership at various functions.

State of Illinois Benefits 

• Health, Life, vision, and dental insurance 
• 12 weeks paid maternity/paternity leave 
• Pension Plan – Vesting at 10 years for Tier II 
• Full 20-year retirement awards free health insurance during retirement 
• Deferred compensation and other pre-tax benefits programs 
• Paid state holidays, 12-14 days annually 
• 3 paid Personal Business Days annually 
• 12 Paid Sick Days annually (Sick days carry over year to year) 
• 10-25 Days of Paid Vacation time annually (10 days in year one of employment) 
• Personal, sick, and vacation rates modified for 12 hour work schedules (as applicable)  
• Employee Assistance Program and/or mental health resources 
• For more information about our benefits please follow this link: https://www.illinois.gov/cms/benefits/Pages/default.aspx 

Essential Functions

•    Subject to management approval, serves as the Senior Associate General Counsel of the Regulatory Affairs Unit for management staff of the Department.
•    Serves as a primary source for legal advice and counsel pertaining to the licensing, supervision, regulation, and examination of State-chartered banks, corporate fiduciaries, pawnbrokers, non-bank mortgage companies, mortgage loan originators, student loan servicers, and other regulated persons.    
•    Serves as full line supervisor.
•    Confers with Division of Banking and Division of Financial Institutions staff and attorneys, other Department staff and attorneys, legislators and their staff, State and federal regulatory agencies, members of agency regulated industries and their attorneys, and the public on complex legal problems.
•    Coordinates and/or independently researches and investigates issues germane to the industries regulated and recommends legal courses of action.    
•    Speaks on behalf of the Division leadership at various functions.
•    Serves as backup to Senior Associate General Counsel of the Consumer Protection and Enforcement Unit.
•    Performs other related duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires law degree and possession of a license to practice law in Illinois.
• Requires prior experience equivalent to four years of progressively responsible administrative experience in law.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prefers at least five years of experience working in the field of regulating financial regulation institutions and activities, including the regulation of banks, insurance, lending, fiduciaries, securities, and commodities, with experience in safety and soundness regulation of FDIC-insured banks and savings associations being most preferred.
• Prefers at least three years of experience supervising a staff of two or more.
• Prefers at least three years of experience working as an attorney in the field of banking or financial institutions.
• Prefers at least eight years of experience practicing law.

Conditions of Employment

• Requires the ability to travel.
• Revolving Door Statement: Certain provisions of the revolving door restrictions contained in 5 ILCS 430/5-45 apply to this position. As a result, the employee should be aware that if offered non-State employment during state employment or within one year immediately after ending State employment, the employee shall, prior to accepting any such non-State employment offer, notify the Office of the Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor (OEIG) or may be subject to a fine.
• Statement of Economic Interest: This position has been found to meet the requirements in section 4A-101 of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act requiring the occupant/employee to file a Statement of Economic Interest. The Illinois Governmental Ethics Act (5 ILCS 420/4A et seq.) requires certain state officials and employees to file annual Statements of Economic Interest with the Office of the Secretary of State that will be made available for examination and copying by the public. All employees required to file a Statement of Economic Interest are also required to file the Supplemental Statement of Economic Interest with the Executive Ethics Commission. (See Executive Order 15-09) Fines and penalties apply to untimely filings.    
• The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the job description.

Agency Statement

IDFPR is a regulatory licensing and enforcement agency that protects the residents of Illinois, ensures the safety and soundness of financial institutions, ensures that competent professionals are licensed to provide services to the public, and enhances commerce in the state for the benefit of all its residents.