Associate General Counsel

Job Purpose:

TheAssociate General Counsel (AGC)will provide in-house legal counsel, guidance and services to Vital Strategies global programs and operations. The AGC will work closely with senior management and staff in New York and globally, including country directors and global outside counsel. The position reports to the General Counsel and will be based at Vitals NYC office.

This is a full-time positionbased in our New York office, where a hybrid, 2-day-per-week office schedule is in place. Vital Strategies offers highly competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits. The salary range for this position is $150,000 USD to $170,000 USD. The candidate must have authorization to work legally in the US at the time of hire.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Review and draft a variety of agreements including grants, cooperative agreements and contracts, service agreements, memoranda of understanding, consulting agreements, NDAs, data sharing agreements, and commercial agreements (e.g., leases, licenses). Negotiate these agreements with a broad range of counterparties including government agencies, multilateral organizations, private foundations, international NGOs, and for-profit companies.

2. Collaborate with Legal Team, Vital U.S., and international management in the development, guidance, and training on institutional policies, initiatives, and other matters.

3. Anticipate and mitigate potential legal problems within the global organization and develop strategies to reduce potential areas of risk.

4. Act as a liaison with each Vital office outside counsel on matters requiring external legal assistance.

5. Assist and advise senior staff on local law compliance (tax, labor law, registration) in collaboration with Vital operations departments and in consultation with outside counsel.

6. Support Vitals Human Resources Department with employment and immigration related issues.

7. Advise all programs about data privacy, IP, copyright, and trademark issues.

8. Manage and execute internal investigations in collaboration with HR, Finance or other stakeholders as needed.

9. Manage the Vital Reporting Line, support internal investigations and execute as needed.

10. Advise on application of U.S. tax exempt organization rules (e.g., lobbying, commercial co-ventures, arrangements with for profit entities; charitable giving) and on application of U.S. law related to international operations (e.g., Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; Office of Asset Control sanctions and licensing; U.S. anti-terrorism regulations).

11. Serve as a thought partner to the General Counsel in creating legal and compliance systems and processes; work across divisions within Vital to implement, refine, and ensure compliance with legal and compliance processes.

12. Provide training and assistance to all staff about general and specific legal principles and compliances, and liabilities related to their work.

13. Other duties in collaboration with or under the direction of the General Counsel.

Qualifications:

Education and Degree

• Juris Doctorate degree (or its equivalent) from an accredited law school.

Skills and Abilities

• Strong legal drafting skills and extensive contract review and negotiation experience, preferably for a broad range of clients and types of agreements.
• Highly attentive to detail; extremely well organized and responsive.
• Ability to interact confidently and personably with a wide range of people in a multi-cultural environment including executives and other senior management, outside counsel, representatives of government, health policy professionals and experts and staff.
• Ability to balance between making proactive decisions alone and knowing when to seek assistance, input, or approval from supervisor or others.
• Ability to communicate complex legal concepts clearly and concisely to non-lawyers.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a service-oriented, client-focused team, and to be a collaborative, collegial, and supportive colleague.
• Must be comfortable working with language barriers, time differences and managing legal issues in several non-US jurisdictions simultaneously.
• Proficient English writing and speaking abilities (knowledge of other languages, particularly French, Spanish, Portuguese, or Chinese, is an asset).
• Ability to work with staff at all levels to advance legal and compliance goals across the organization.
• Ability to influence and communicate effectively to help ensure buy-in from various stakeholders.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to think strategically and provide business-practical legal advice.
• Demonstrated understanding of working in a cross-cultural context.

Professional Certification -

• Member in good standing of at least one state bar (NY preferred or the ability to obtain in-house counsel registration in NY)

Experience:

Required -

• At least three years of legal experience in a law firm or in-house with a non-profit organization or corporation.

Preferred -

• Experience working in international jurisdictions. Familiarity with the following areas: IP, trademark, commercial transactions, US non-profit law, IRS regulations, 501(c)(4) entities. Experience in the nonprofit or NGO sector, preferably working in or advising a U.S. non-profit internationally.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

• Ability to travel globally approximately 1- 2x per year, as needed.

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