Description:

A Non-Profit Organizations established the foundation to create positive outcomes for future generations. Guided by this vision and the Statement of Founders' Intent, the foundation fosters path-breaking environmental conservation, scientific discovery, and preservation of the special character of the San Francisco Bay Area. We strive to make significant and durable impacts on the world.

Together, we work to honor the vision of our founders and serve as stewards of the resources they have entrusted to us. We establish specific strategies based on advice from experts, identify partners who share our goals and measure results along the way. We build relationships and fund work in areas where we hope to make significant impacts; and we know that working together expands our ability to drive meaningful change.

We believe there can be no lasting change for the good if that change is not just and widely shared. Comprehending and incorporating values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in pursuing goals and refining strategies is vital to achieving our desired outcomes. These values weave through what we do and shape how we operate.

The Opportunity:
We are seeking a strong associate general counsel to join as a key legal team member. In this role, you will serve as the primary legal counsel for several of the foundation's programmatic and administrative teams, and work with colleagues across the foundation, including our Board and Executive Committee. Your work will cover a wide range of legal areas, including tax compliance, commercial contracts, real estate law, employment law, insurance law, intellectual property, and employment law. You will have visibility and responsibility across the foundation, and a significant degree of autonomy, flexibility, and support to deliver excellent legal services.

Our ideal candidate will be a skilled legal advisor with a high level of EQ, able to develop strong relationships with the teams you support and be seen as a trusted advisor. You have strong listening skills, high learning agility, and a history of building partnerships with your internal and/or external clients.

What you will do:

Serve as the primary legal counsel for assigned teams, advising staff on a range of issues arising in non-profit organizations, such as tax compliance, commercial contracts, real estate law, employment law, insurance law, intellectual property, and employment law.
Review grants, contracts, and other business transactions for legal compliance, including with the federal tax laws for private foundations.
Independently exercise good judgment on complex legal issues.
Take a leadership role in continually improving foundation legal policies and procedures and developing and delivering engaging legal training for non-lawyers.
Conduct legal research and analysis independently and with outside counsel, staying up to date on legal developments affecting the foundation.
Contribute to the broader foundation community by joining in on foundation-wide projects and teams.
As needed, work on special projects with the General Counsel and Secretary to the Board.

What you bring with you:

Qualifications:

J.D. with a minimum of fourteen years of relevant legal experience.
Experience in a law firm or in-house in a comparable organization.
Experience with laws applicable to 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations, preferably private foundations.
Experience working successfully and independently with clients.
A track record of building strong relationships with clients and co-workers.
A high learning agility, with experience in multiple areas of the law.
A license to practice law in California is preferred. If not admitted in California, candidate must be eligible to register as In-House Counsel with the State Bar of California.