Corporate Counsel

Ascent is a leading provider of innovative financial products and student support services that enable more students to access education and achieve academic and economic success. Everything Ascent offers is designed with the best-in-class teams and technology to increase every student's ability to plan, pay, and succeed in their education and career. Ascent's planning tools and financing resources are co-created by students for those in college, graduate school, and career training programs. Ascent offers financial wellness education, student success services, and one-on-one and digital career coaching that put students' academic and professional goals within reach. Ascent has been widely recognized for its strong culture – named “Best Places to Work” by the San Diego Business Journal for the past 5 years – and as an industry leader – named “Best Student Loan” by NerdWallet for the past 3 years.    

The Corporate Counsel will be a key member of the Legal team, assisting the General Counsel and Senior Corporate Counsel in all aspects of legal affairs, including commercial, capital markets, regulatory, privacy, and litigation matters. This role serves as the primary legal resource for the company's commercial and technology contracting, manages litigation and outside counsel, and supports the company's capital markets and bank partner programs. The role involves significant interaction with senior management and executive team, providing advice on a variety of legal issues and collaborating with internal teams and external partners.  

This position is hybrid (in office min two days per week) in our San Diego headquarters, but Southern California may be considered.

Responsibilities

• Have strong business acumen and an interest in really learning our business.
• Have the ability and the drive to be self-directed.
• Be a creative problem solver. We work in a highly regulated industry – you create the best experiences and business solutions despite that.
• Be able to think outside of the box, enjoy being challenged to grow your skills, and not be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone.
• Enjoy collaborating internally and externally, take a partnership approach to work.
• Value developing others and have a continuous learning mindset.
• Have experience in some or all of the following: consumer data and privacy, consumer loan expertise (lending and/or servicing), securitization/structured finance, corporate governance, consumer litigation.
• Draft, review, and negotiate complex commercial, marketing lead-generation, SaaS, technology (MSAs, SOWs, order forms, DPAs), platform, partnership, structured finance agreements, vendor terms, and banking/counterparty onboarding documents from LOI through definitive agreement.
• Support capital markets transactions including, loan securitizations, forward flow and loan sale agreements, credit warehouse and corporate debt facilities, equity raises, and M&A, including due diligence and disclosure schedules. Monitor post-closing covenants, triggers, waivers, consents, and notices. 
• Support management of state lending, servicing, and loan brokering licenses, including NMLS filings, renewals, examiner inquiries, and regulatory correspondence. 
• Review new loan products, disclosures, and marketing collateral across email, SMS, direct mail, and digital channels. Experience with TCPA, CAN-SPAM, UDAAP, state disclosure requirements, and sweepstakes rules preferred. 

Qualifications

• JD from an accredited law school.
• Bar membership in good standing.
• 4+ years of experience post law school, in-house experience at a regulated financial services or FinTech company preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to manage outside counsel and present legal risk to the executive leadership and the board.
• Strong work ethic and desire to learn and grow in legal career.   
• Exceptional communication skills and savvy interpersonal skills with an established ability to take initiative and build productive relationships between internal stakeholders and vendors.

Competitive pay with bonus, and comprehensive benefits package that includes, but not limited to:

• Compensation includes base salary of $185,000 - $200,000 commensurate with experience, plus bonus and options.
• Hybrid work flexibility
• Company Stock Options
• 401(k) + Company Match
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Life insurance, disability, and critical illness
• 14 Paid Holidays! Eleven (11) + Two (2) Community Days + Your Birthday!
• Snacks and drinks in the office
• Tuition reimbursement program
• Generous paid leave policies
• $2,000 Vacation Incentive Plan after 3 years + $1,000 Sabbatical Day
• Wellness, Work from Home funds, and more!