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AVP Legal Counsel

Role overview

Qualifications

  • 8+ years of relevant experience in a law firm and/or in-house legal environment
  • Juris Doctor (JD) with active bar membership in good standing
  • Strong experience in commercial contracting, including technology, data-sharing, and strategic partnership agreements
  • Working knowledge of the defined contribution/retirement ecosystem and/or insurance/annuity products; ERISA familiarity preferred

Responsibilities

  • Serve as a trusted legal advisor to Vitera leadership and cross-functional teams
  • Draft, review, and negotiate complex commercial agreements
  • Identify and mitigate legal, regulatory, operational, and reputational risks
  • Partner with product, technology, and operations teams to support scalable implementation

About the company

Athene logo

Athene

Insurance

At Athene, we create savings and income solutions that help empower people to retire their way — by living out the dreams they’ve nurtured for years. As a market leader, our expertise, discipline and focus set us apart. There is no single thing called “retirement.” Instead, there are goals, plans and visions to make life after work the best life of all. Athene helps give people the means and the flexibility to retire to what’s most important. Through its subsidiaries, Athene offers: • Retail fixed, fixed indexed and registered index-linked annuities • Fixed annuity reinsurance for third-party providers • Institutional products, such as funding agreements and pension group annuity solutions -- Are you ready to build a thriving career with a market leader dedicated to building better retirements? View our employment opportunities at Athene.com/careers. -- Learn how to become an Athene financial professional at athene.com/contact. -- https://www.athene.com/social -- Athene's subsidiaries include Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company, a Delaware-domiciled insurance company, Athene Annuity and Life Company, an Iowa-domiciled insurance company, Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company of New York, a New York-domiciled insurance company, Athene Securities, LLC, an Iowa-domiciled registered broker-dealer (member FINRA), and Athene Life Re Ltd., a Bermuda-domiciled reinsurer. -- This page represents companies owned by Athene Holding Ltd. (Hamilton, Bermuda) using the Athene name including Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company (West Des Moines, IA), Athene Annuity and Life Company (West Des Moines, IA), Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company of New York (Pearl River, NY), Athene Securities, LLC (West Des Moines, IA) and Athene Life Re Ltd. (Hamilton, Bermuda). ©2022 Athene. All rights reserved.

Company details

Company typeLarge
IndustryInsurance
Company size1001 - 5000

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Job description

We are driven to do more. More for our customers and the financial professionals who offer our products. If you are driven to do more and love the challenge of pursuing more, Athene is your kind of company. You will find we offer more than the basics to create an inclusive and dynamic work environment at our various locations.


Purpose:

Athene is seeking an AVP, Legal Counsel to support Vitera, an Athene- and Apollo-backed platform transforming retirement income through innovative defined contribution solutions. This role provides strategic and practical legal counsel across Vitera’s commercial, product, and technology initiatives—operating at the intersection of insurance, asset management, and retirement innovation.

You will play a critical role in enabling business growth while managing legal and regulatory risk, partnering closely with Vitera leadership and Athene stakeholders. This is a unique opportunity to influence a category-defining platform with direct exposure to senior leadership and enterprise-wide strategy.


Accountabilities:

  • Serve as a trusted legal advisor to Vitera leadership and cross-functional teams, providing guidance on corporate, commercial, operational, and regulatory-adjacent matters
  • Draft, review, and negotiate complex commercial agreements, including strategic partnerships, technology (SaaS), data-sharing, and vendor contracts
  • Structure and support partnerships across the defined contribution ecosystem (recordkeepers, asset managers, insurers, consultants, and platform providers)
  • Identify and mitigate legal, regulatory, operational, and reputational risks while enabling pragmatic, business-aligned solutions
  • Partner with product, technology, and operations teams to support scalable implementation across retirement plan infrastructure and platforms
  • Advise on antitrust, conflicts, ethics, and governance matters, ensuring alignment with Athene and Vitera risk frameworks
  • Support marketing and communications review, including claims substantiation, disclosures, and partner alignment
  • Coordinate with outside counsel (including ERISA specialists), translating complex legal advice into actionable business guidance
  • Contribute to corporate governance, policy development, and operational processes in a fast-paced, evolving environment


Qualifications and Experience:

  • 8+ years of relevant experience in a law firm and/or in-house legal environment
  • Juris Doctor (JD) with active bar membership in good standing
  • Strong experience in commercial contracting, including technology, data-sharing, and strategic partnership agreements
  • Working knowledge of the defined contribution/retirement ecosystem and/or insurance/annuity products; ERISA familiarity preferred
  • Demonstrated ability to operate with strong judgment, agility, and a bias for action in ambiguous, fast-paced environments
  • Bachelor’s degree required (in addition to JD)


$217,232.00 - $325,848.00 USD Annual


Annual Salary for this role is market competitive.  Actual salary for all roles will be based upon geographic location, work experience, education, licensure requirements and/or skill level and will be finalized at the time of offer.  Depending on the role, a discretionary bonus plan or variable sales incentive may be included.

Drive. Discipline. Confidence. Focus. Commitment.  Learn more about working at Athene.

Athene is a Military Friendly Employer!  Learn more about how we support our Veterans.

Athene is committed to inclusion and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other status protected by federal, state or local law.

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Marcus Rivera

Chief Revenue Officer

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