Counsel, Business Operations and Regulatory; Remote

Responsibilities

• Business Partnership:
  Serve as a trusted advisor to the Cengage Work business, developing a strong understanding of its products, business models, and strategic priorities.
• Collaborate with product, operations, finance, and go‑to‑market teams to incorporate legal and regulatory considerations into business decisions.
• Provide practical, risk‑based legal advice that supports business objectives.
• Regulatory Advisory, Compliance and
  
  Risk Management:
  
  Advise on federal and state regulatory frameworks that, directly or indirectly, impact Cengage Work, including consumer protection laws and disclosure requirements, education financing models (e.g., tuition assistance, employer‑sponsored funding, public workforce funding), postsecondary education laws and regulations, and workforce development and training program regulations (e.g., WIOA and related state programs).
• Collaborate with Cengage’s government affairs team and advisors to monitor, interpret and advise on changes in postsecondary education, workforce education and skills training related laws and regulations that may impact Cengage Work.
• Identify legal, regulatory and operational risks across Cengage Work and partner with compliance, legal subject matter experts and the business to develop policies and procedures to mitigate these risks; as needed, serve as lead counsel on select enterprise‑wide regulatory and compliance initiatives.
• Commercial Transactions, Process Improvement and M&A Support:
  Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of agreements supporting Cengage Work offerings, including customer, partner, and institutional arrangements.
• Provide clear, actionable legal guidance to support transaction strategy and execution.
• Partner with Legal Operations to set the strategic framework for contracting processes supporting Cengage Work, including templates, standards, and playbooks across multiple business models.
• Serve as an escalation point for complex, non‑standard contractual matters, providing advisory guidance to the Contract Management team.
• As needed, support corporate legal team on acquisition and other strategic transactions for Cengage Work.

• J.D. from an accredited law school and active bar membership.
• 4–7 years of relevant legal experience (law firm and/or in‑house).
• Experience in partnering closely with business teams to advise on complex legal issues in support of strategic objectives.
• Strong analytical, issue‑spotting, and problem‑solving skills, with a practical, business‑oriented approach to risk.
• Willingness to learn a new business and capacity to independently develop expertise in unfamiliar areas; demonstrated ability to take ownership of complex legal projects and independently manage projects cross‑functionally with multiple stakeholders.
• Excellent drafting, negotiation, and communication skills.

• Familiarity with federal and state regulatory regimes affecting postsecondary education and workforce and skills training.
• Experience in technology companies focused on workforce skills, online continuing education, or vocational training.

Full base pay range provided for this position. Individual base pay will vary based on work schedule, qualifications, experience, internal equity and geographic location. This position is eligible for the company’s discretionary incentive bonus program. Bonus target amounts, not guaranteed, are: 25% annual:
Individual Target $ – $ USD.

Cengage is committed to working with broad talent pools to attract and hire strong and most qualified individuals. Our job applicants are considered regardless of any classification protected by applicable federal, state, provincial or local laws. Cengage also provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities including during our job application process. If you are an applicant with a disability and require reasonable accommodation in our job application process, please contact us at