Endowment Counsel, Rice Management Company

Special Instructions to Applicants: In PDF form, applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in the Supporting Documents section of the application.

About Rice

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally, and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lecture series, courses, and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff, and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in how we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community, and Excellence.

Position Summary

The Rice University endowment is approximately $7.5 billion and ranks in the top 20 endowments of private research universities (by market value) in the US. The Endowment is critical to the university’s ability to achieve its goals. The annual distribution from the endowment funds nearly half of the university’s annual operating budget, which includes providing access to students regardless of ability to pay. The Rice Management Company (RMC) is a division of Rice University with the goal of providing a stable source of funding for current university operations and preserving and growing the purchasing power of the endowment to benefit future generations of students. The RMC is responsible for all endowment matters of the university, including asset allocation, the selection and termination of investment managers, monitoring performance of the portfolio, and reporting to the Rice Management Company Board of Directors. The endowment primarily utilizes outside investment managers and invests globally across all asset classes.

The RMC Endowment Counsel is part of the team responsible for addressing legal issues arising out of the activities of the RMC and for protecting the legal interests of the endowment and the university. The role represents and advises internal clients, resolves legal issues, interacts with external parties, and facilitates investment transactions with a focus on legal oversight for the investment portfolio. This position reports directly to the RMC General Counsel and, when giving legal advice, reports to Rice University’s Vice President and General Counsel through the RMC General Counsel.  RMC’s General Counsel is a Senior Associate General Counsel within the University’s Office of General Counsel, and when giving legal advice, reports to and takes direction from Rice University’s General Counsel.   

Workplace Requirements

This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in person. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position, and the salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. *Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements

• Juris Doctorate from an ABA-accredited law school, Member of the Texas Bar, or eligible for admission
• Four or more (4+ ) years of relevant experience as an attorney; 2 years of which include private equity fund formation and/or fund investment for general or limited partners

Skills:

• Excellent writing, legal document drafting, analytical, negotiation, and communication skills
• Commitment to fostering teamwork, building collaborative relationships, and demonstrating excellent interpersonal skills
• Strong ability to provide outstanding client service and deliver quality work products timely manner while effectively managing competing deadlines
• Exhibits good judgment and discretion in sensitive matters
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite

Preferences

• 6 or more years (6+) of experience as a practicing transactional attorney, with 4 or more years involving private equity and other investments

Essential Functions

• Serves as counsel for areas of the portfolio such as private equity, alternative investments, and other complex investment asset classes, conferring with the RMC General Counsel as appropriate
• Reviews and drafts agreements and other legal documents, including limited partnership agreements, subscription documents, service provider agreements, bank and brokerage agreements, purchase and sale agreements, development agreements, leases, licenses, broker agreements, confidentiality agreements, engagement letters, as well as internal policies to ensure compliance with applicable law
• Investigates legal questions and makes recommendations to internal clients 
• Conducts research on industry standards, laws, and proposed legislation
• Demonstrates ability to analyze information and evaluate results to identify the optimal solution and resolve issues
• Represents the RMC in contract negotiations, internal and external meetings, and policy matters as appropriate
• Reviews and assists with the payment of invoices from outside counsel and consultants
• Identifies business process solutions and provides recommendations to streamline processes; and maintains knowledge of industry trends and activity
• Serves on committees as assigned
• Perform all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions

• Periodically coordinates with external legal, accounting, and other consultants to complete related reports, analyses, and duties pertaining to legal matters
• Maintains an organized electronic document filing system
• Leads or assists with special projects as needed

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits 

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University’s Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or [email protected] for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.