Job Description

General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer

Who we are

Our Mission

Build winning companies to deliver superior returns to our investors.

Acquire good businesses and partner with management to drive fundamental improvement.

Our values

• Partnership
• Passion

Our core competencies

• Sourcing
• People
• Evaluation

Our Firm

• Lean, collaborative team, working directly with Partners and senior management
• 6 out of 7 current Partners started as associates or Vice Presidents at Sterling
• Resources Group, comprised of subject matter experts in Human Capital, Operations, Commercial, Strategy, Technology, and M&A, are members of deal teams and help drive improvements at portfolio companies
• Hands on investing model resulting in deep engagement with our portfolio companies

Our Culture

• We believe in long term partnership and collaboration
• Relentless, firm-wide commitment to continuous improvement
• We say "we" more than "I"
• Passionate about building winning businesses

About The Sterling Group

Since 1982, The Sterling Group has partnered with management teams to grow and build winning businesses in the industrial sector. Today, Sterling manages approximately $9 billion in assets under management across two private equity strategies—Middle Market and Lower Middle Market—and one private credit strategy, each targeting partnerships with industrial companies of varying sizes.

Approximately 75% of Sterling’s past partnerships have been with family-owned businesses and corporate carve-outs, where we bring our hands-on operational expertise to unlock growth. Our investor base includes some of the largest and most respected global institutional investors.

Our strategy is predicated on acquiring good businesses that are under-managed or under-performing their potential and that have substantial opportunities for operational improvements. Through our Seven Levers Methodology —Human Capital, Strategy, Execution, Commercial, Operations, Technology, and M&A—we consistently deliver results across multiple market cycles.

On past realized investments, Sterling has generated a return of ~3.2x gross invested capital, with approximately 70% of that return driven by organic EBITDA growth . We believe our ability to fundamentally improve our portfolio companies is what differentiates Sterling and drives value creation for customers, employees, and investors alike.

Position Summary

The General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer (GC/CCO) will serve as a key member of Sterling’s senior leadership team, responsible for all legal, regulatory, and compliance matters across the firm. This individual will oversee fund formation and governance, manage regulatory relationships, and ensure that Sterling’s operations, culture, and growth remain firmly grounded in best practices and integrity. The individual will also be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as CCO of the firm.

The ideal candidate will be a strategic, solutions-oriented attorney with deep experience managing legal and compliance functions within the alternative asset management industry. The role is focused on firm level risk management across all operations and infrastructure that support Sterling’s private equity and private credit multi-strategy platform.

Key Responsibilities

Legal Leadership

• Lead all firm-level legal matters across Sterling’s private equity and credit strategies.
• Oversee fund formation and structuring, including coordination of LPAs, PPMs, subscription documents, and side letters.
• Advise on governance, partnership, and investor relations matters, ensuring strong alignment among the firm, funds, and investors.
• Manage ongoing legal needs related to firm operations, including employment, vendor, technology, and other commercial agreements.
• Serve as primary liaison with external counsel, managing quality, cost, and efficiency across engagements.
• Provide strategic legal counsel to the executive team, focusing on risk management and business enablement rather than transaction execution.
• Maintain, refine and evolve Sterling’s library of standards documents, tools and processes.
• Advise Partners and finance team on upper-tier documentation, including relating to governance, co-investment program, carried interest and intra-Sterling documentation
• Advise firm on strategy and tactics related to material litigation and disputes at both the firm level, and material items within portfolio companies.

Compliance & Regulatory Oversight

• Serve as the firm’s Chief Compliance Officer and register with the SEC as such
• Own and continuously enhance Sterling’s compliance program, ensuring policies and procedures are effective, practical, and consistent with the firm’s values.
• Prepare for and lead SEC examinations and audits; manage regulatory filings and reporting.
• Oversee compliance for fundraising, marketing, and investor communications, and relevant disclosures.
• Develop and lead internal training and monitoring programs that embed compliance in Sterling’s culture.

Governance & Risk Management

• Advise senior leadership on corporate governance, fiduciary duties, and partnership matters.
• Support operational and reputational risk management efforts across the platform.
• Ensure that firm and fund structures remain aligned with evolving regulations and investor expectations.
• Manage firm’s NDA counsel, including maintenance of NDA negotiation playbook and direct resolution of contentious issues.
• Manage firm’s insurance program, including relating to professional liability (D&O, fiduciary, EPL, crime), cyber, general liability and property and casualty. Offer advice to the firms portfolio companies on the correct approach to risk management coverage.

Leadership & Culture

• Build and manage a high-performing legal and compliance team, currently including two other team members, scaling as the firm continues to grow.
• Partner closely with finance, investor relations, operations, and investment professionals to drive alignment and accountability.
• Foster a culture of integrity, ownership, and transparency, consistent with Sterling’s long-standing values.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited U.S. law school; active bar membership.
• 10–20 years of experience, including time in both a top-tier law firm and in-house at an alternative asset manager.
• Deep understanding of private fund formation, regulation, compliance, and governance.
• Demonstrated success managing legal and compliance functions for a complex, multi-strategy platform.
• Strong communicator who can translate complex legal concepts into practical business guidance.
• Collaborative leader who values partnership, humility, and continuous improvement.

The Sterling Group is an operationally focused middle market private equity firm that builds winning businesses for customers, employees and investors.

• Houston
  Office: Nine Greenway Plaza, Suite 2400
  Houston, TX 77046

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