San Jose, California
Charlotte, North Carolina
Posted: 21-Mar-25
Location: San Francisco, California
Type: Full Time
Salary: Varies
Categories:
Salary Details:
Preferred Education:
Additional Information:
About Humanity United
Humanity United (HU) is a philanthropic organization focused on advancing the dignity and voice of those most affected by violent conflict, exploitation, and injustice. Established in 2008 to cultivate conditions for enduring peace and freedom, HU today focuses on systemic change across three bodies of work: Peacebuilding, Forced Labor and Human Trafficking, and Racial Justice and Equity, with a strong focus on leveraging Public Engagement across these issues. Humanity United is part of The Omidyar Group, a diverse collection of companies, organizations, and initiatives united by a desire to improve the lives of people and societies.
Position Summary:
Humanity United is seeking a full-time, mid-level attorney with a strong commitment to working in the nonprofit sector and an interest in joining a dynamic grantmaking and direct impact enterprise consisting of a 501(c)(3) private foundation, a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, and a 501(c)(3) public charity. The position requires an attorney who has a deep knowledge of the legal rules that apply to tax-exempt organizations and who is also a strong generalist or has the capacity to become one quickly. Depth of experience in one or more of the other legal areas of responsibility listed in the following paragraph is also highly desirable. The ideal candidate will demonstrate exceptional and equity-informed communication skills and be able to offer legal counsel across departments, collaborating with others to devise and implement creative legal solutions in a complex and mission-driven nonprofit setting.
The Associate General Counsel will report to the General Counsel and will support HU’s work by advising on contracts, grantmaking, direct charitable activities, nonprofit tax and regulatory compliance, advocacy and lobbying, donor collaborations, communications, trademarks, human resources and organizational policy issues. The position includes ongoing, day-to-day activities as well as longer-term projects such as structuring and managing partnership initiatives, developing and presenting training materials on compliance topics, managing the enterprise’s lobbying allocation process, designing and maintaining contract workflows, advising on grantmaking initiatives, and supporting human resources policies and procedures.
HU’s hybrid work approach provides ongoing flexibility for regular US-based remote work for this position, combined with periodic in-person gatherings. A Washington, DC or San Francisco Bay Area location is preferred but not required.
Core Job Responsibilities:
- Project management, in partnership with the General Counsel and across operational and programmatic teams, to develop, implement, and manage operational systems and capacities to deploy a variety of capitals in complex, innovative and highly-regulated contexts and geographies
- Serve as a broad-based resource for staff legal concerns and collaborate to find practical answers to a diverse range of legal questions associated with HU’s programmatic work and operations
- Conduct legal research and analyze legal issues that affect the organization and its activities at the local, state, federal, and international levels, and prepare findings, recommendations, templates, and plans to effectively advise the organization
- Advise and support staff in scoping, structuring, implementing, and managing multi-donor partnerships and other HU-driven initiatives
- Review, negotiate and draft a variety of contracts and other agreements, and oversee the contract management function alongside the Contracts Administrator, including ensuring that contract and grant agreement processes are up-to-date and effective
- Facilitate the organization’s giving by advising staff on how to address legal aspects of grantmaking across private foundation, public charity, and social welfare entities
- Implement equity-informed policies, procedures, and systems around a variety of legal compliance and risk-management issues
- Stay up-to-date with and advise staff on laws applicable to private foundations, public charities, and social welfare organizations, including IRS lobbying, self-dealing, and campaign intervention rules
- Manage reporting, state registrations, corporate minute books, and other compliance requirements for the organization
- Provide advice on human resources and employment law matters
- Manage the organization’s trademark portfolio and advise Communications staff on issues related to intellectual property, including licensing
- Assist in developing and presenting trainings on a range of legal issues
- Serve as a thought partner for the General Counsel, coordinate with legal personnel at peer foundations regarding best practices, and strategically consult with and effectively manage outside counsel
- Other duties and projects as assigned by the General Counsel
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Must-have requirements:
- Licensed to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction (preference for CA or DC)
- D. from an accredited law school with an outstanding academic record
- Right to work in the United States
- Proven experience in law firm and in-house settings, preferably including:
- Deep experience in private foundations, 501(c)(4) organizations, and/or public charities
- Background in international grantmaking or global nonprofit operations
- In-depth knowledge of tax-exempt organization law and nonprofit sector regulations
- General corporate law training and skill in contract review, negotiation, and contract process management
- Demonstrated commitment to HU’s mission and values, with a perspective on how principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice can be applied in a legal function
- Highly organized self-starter with project management skills, with the ability to work independently but with the judgment to know when to seek guidance
- Strong analytical skills and demonstrated ability to understand complex legal concepts and offer succinct and practical explanations and counsel to colleagues
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complicated legal concepts to non-legal colleagues in understandable terms
- Flexibility, adaptability, and imagination to address legal concerns in a dynamic environment
- Ability to travel domestically as needed (approximately 5-10%)
It’s a bonus if you bring:
- Direct lived experience of the issues we work on.
- Experience in structuring and managing complex cross-sector partnerships and initiatives
We encourage qualified candidates with informal or indirect experience to describe how their prior work experience has served as preparation for this role.