Position Information

General Counsel

This position will run until filled with cutoff dates for review every Friday until filled.

The General Counsel serves as the chief legal officer for CalPERS and is a critical member of the Executive Team. Under the policy direction of the Board of Administration and the administrative direction of the Chief Executive Officer, the General Counsel provides strategic legal advice, leadership, and representation to the Board, Executive Staff, and the organization. This role supports CalPERS' mission to deliver retirement and health benefits by overseeing key enterprise functions and ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and fiduciary duties.

The General Counsel leads and manages a broad portfolio of functions, including Legal, Enterprise Compliance & Risk Governance, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Investigations, and the Office of Information Security. The position advises on complex legal matters such as employee benefits law (public pension and health care), fiduciary law, government law, corporate governance, and securities law.

In addition, the General Counsel manages litigation matters including securities and investment-related cases, benefit-related administrative proceedings, and general litigation, oversees outside counsel, and provides legal and parliamentary support at Board and committee meetings. As the executive liaison to the CalPERS Board Governance Committee, the General Counsel plays a key role in shaping governance practices and Board policy. The position also represents CalPERS in state and national forums and delivers presentations on fiduciary responsibilities, legal matters affecting public pension systems, and Board governance policies.

 
Position: General Counsel
Organization: California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS)
Location: Sacramento,  CA 
United States
Salary: $20,937.50 - $34,895.83 per Month
Posting Start Date: 5/13/2025
Date Posted: 5/14/2025
Requirements For additional information and to apply please visit: 
https://calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Jobs/JobPosting.aspx?JobControlId=474205
Status: This listing expires on: 7/13/2025
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Organization Information
Name:
California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS)
Address:
P. O. Box 942718

Sacramento,  CA 94229-2718
United States
Email:
Careers@calpers.ca.gov
Phone:
Fax:
Contact:
HRSD, EIR JC-474205/NM
Become A Member

Becoming a member of NASRA offers a unique opportunity to join a community committed to the sound, efficient, and innovative stewardship of public retirement systems. Membership connects you with a network of professionals and experts, providing valuable insights into managing public retirement systems with a focus on sustainability and risk-averse strategies.

By joining NASRA, you gain the tools and resources to enhance the management of public retirement systems, ensuring their long-term success and reliability for generations to come.


 

What's New at NASRA: Public Pension Investment Return Assumption Brief Updated

NASRA’s latest update to standing issue briefs, Public Pension Plan Investment Return Assumptions underscores the critical role the investment return assumption plays in the financial health of public pension plans. Of all actuarial assumptions, it has the greatest impact on plan funding levels and cost. This brief traces how a decade of low interest rates and inflation, beginning in 2009, prompted many plans to reduce their long-term expected returns in line with more modest capital market projections. However, since inflation began rising in early 2021, the trend toward lowering return assumptions has largely paused. While reducing a plan’s assumed return can increase both costs and unfunded liabilities, setting this assumption is a careful, thorough process. It draws on expert input from actuaries and investment professionals and is guided by actuarial standards of practice.