Associate Counsel

Job Responsibilities

At RSIC, we believe what we do matters. We are passionate about our work, inspired by the impact it has on the financial well-being of our retirees and their beneficiaries. As a team, we believe in winning as one- collaborating to reach shared goals and developing through challenging and meaningful experiences. With over $52 billion in retirement system assets to manage, we work flexibly across boundaries and implement solutions that help shape the public pension plan arena. Making this happen is a dynamic, evolving process, and we count on each employee to be a catalyst in driving our performance – and their own.

As a public institution and fiduciary, we rely on diversity of culture and thought to deliver on our goals. To ensure we can do that, the SC Retirement System Investment Commission is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.

Position Overview:

Under the direction of the Chief Legal Officer, this position provides a wide array of legal services for transactional, operational, and governance activities that support the agency’s investment and financial operations. The attorney assists with the review and drafting of contracts and confidentiality agreements, oversees legal compliance in procurement and general contracting, and supports compliance with public records and FOIA obligations, as well as other matters. This role collaborates closely with investment-adjacent, finance, procurement and operations teams, and coordinates with staff, external counsel, and other third parties as appropriate. Entry level position with opportunity for growth within a complex legal team.

Job Responsibilities:

• Draft, negotiate, review and approve contracts for legal sufficiency (e.g. procurement contracts and IT licensing agreements); explain legal implications of documents and other agreements; and ensure proper compliance with applicable laws.
• Draft, negotiate, review and approve confidentiality agreements for investment and other matters; assist with general contracting needs.
• Oversee and assist with preparation and/or review of responses to records requests (including FOIA requests) and ensure compliance with RSIC policy and applicable law.
• Assist with assigned Commission sub-committees and provide opinions, advice and counsel to the CLO, CEO, and Commissioners regarding statutory interpretation issues, Commission policies, legislation, and legal implications of contracts and other documents. Maintain official minutes of all meetings.
• Develop relationships and maintain communication with colleagues, staff, vendors, the custodial bank, external counsel, and the Attorney General’s office to assist with operational matters and timely responses to all parties.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Minimum and Additional Requirements

Acceptable:

• Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school
• Active member in good standing with the State Bar of South Carolina
• Legal writing, reasoning, and analysis
• Legal research skills, including use of online tools
• Strong organizational skills
• Teamwork and communication skills
• Ability to exercise sound judgement, tact and confidentiality

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous legal work experience in law firm, in-house counsel, or state agency.
• Experience in SC FOIA and/or procurement matters
• Experience in managing negotiation of complex contracts.
• General knowledge of investments (stocks, bonds, private equity, real estate, hedge funds)