[Hiring] Deputy General Counsel / Director of Legal & Records @Port of Portland

Role Description

The Deputy General Counsel / Director of Legal & Records provides senior-level legal leadership, strategic advice, and operational oversight in support of the Port’s legal affairs and records. This role serves as a key advisor to the General Counsel/Chief Shared Prosperity & Legal Officer and directs the day-to-day activities of the Legal & Records Department. The position ensures high-quality, timely legal services across the organization, assists with departmental leadership, and may act on behalf of the General Counsel/Chief Shared Prosperity & Legal Officer as delegated.

The Deputy General Counsel / Director of Legal & Records advances the Port of Portland’s mission of building shared prosperity by leading a team of attorneys and legal professionals through the Port’s most complex, high-impact legal work. As the day-to-day leader of the Legal & Records Department, you will:

• Elevate operational excellence
• Champion continuous improvement
• Integrate legal technology to strengthen collaboration and service delivery across the organization
• Actively practice law across diverse and sophisticated matters
• Advise the Chief Shared Prosperity & Legal Officer on governance and strategic legal issues

Qualifications

• Ten (10) + years of practice of law across multiple relevant areas
• Five (5) + years of experience leading complex legal matters in multiple areas of law with at least one long-term client
• In-house experience or outside general counsel experience preferred
• Three (3) + years of people management experience
• Juris Doctorate – From an accredited law school
• Active license to practice law in the State of Oregon is required

Requirements

• Legal research methods, case law analysis, regulatory interpretation, and application to complex operational scenarios
• Knowledge of supervisory practices, including setting expectations, providing work direction, staffing strategies, and managing cross-functional legal workflows
• Process improvement and/or project management experience is highly desirable, especially in the context of legal technology implementation
• Business acumen and understanding of how the legal department supports overall business performance
• Continuous process improvement
• Analytical, problem-solving, communication, and judgement
• Leading multidisciplinary teams

Company Description

At the Port of Portland, we use everything we have – our three airports, three working marine terminals, six business parks, and all the resources, expertise, and experience behind them – to move with purpose, connecting people with powerful opportunities and creating value for our region. We know that every person we hire, business we work with, contract we sign and decision we make is a chance to make someone’s life better. And we’ll use our power and influence to unlock new opportunities and ensure more people share in our region’s success. With YOUR help – together with our partners, customers, and community – we’ll help drive meaningful change!