Job details
Job type full-time
Full job description
The assistant general counsel position is an exciting and unique opportunity for an experienced, collaborative and mission-driven attorney to join a small and dynamic in-house legal teamThe assistant general counsel will report to the general counsel and will be a collaborative thought partner supporting room to read’s complex, worldwide organizationThis is a generalist role that requires the ability to quickly learn new areas of law, creatively problem solve, and efficiently meet the compliance needs of a complex organization with the limited resources of a growing non-profit.
The assistant general counsel will have primary responsibility for corporate governance of room to read’s 25 entities in 19 countries and one or more of the following: room to read’s publishing initiative, global data privacy, worldwide labor and employment, charitable fundraising, contract and records management, child safeguarding, and ethics and compliance.
Headquartered in san francisco, room to read has offices in europe and asiaWe will consider qualified candidates from around the world, particularly in those areas where we have officesPermanently remote candidates will also be consideredCandidates without a u.sState bar license must demonstrate prior experience working with global companies or non-profits.
Duties & responsibilities:
Generalist legal support
Support corporate governance of room to read’s parent, branch and legally separate entities
Oversee regulatory compliance calendar, ensuring timely filing of materials need to maintain fundraising registrations, business registrations and licenses, and other regulatory requirements
Research and advise worldwide stakeholders on legal matters impacting the organizationAreas of law may include employment, cybersecurity, fcpa, records management, charitable fundraising, public health emergencies, international operations, intellectual property, tax, global policies, gdpr and global data privacy, child safeguarding and others
Develop implementation plans and materials and provide training on legal and compliance matters
Develop ethics and compliance programs for worldwide officesReview and update formal policies, conduct compliance training and recommend and provide trainings to foster a culture that upholds the organization’s high ethical standards and fulfills regulatory and contractual requirements
Draft, review and advise worldwide teams on a wide variety of contracts, including programmatic agreements, government mous, vendor and service agreements, office leases, donor and grant agreements, cause marketing agreements, author and illustrator agreements, employment and independent contractor agreements and publishing agreements
Work collaboratively with people operations team to ensure compliance with local labor law in our global officesProactively advise on legal requirements and best practices
Develop and maintain worldwide network of pro bono counsel
Support organization’s new and existing programmatic initiatives including the literacy program, girls’ education program, and publishing initiative
Advise worldwide development team on fundraising rules and regulations, including uk charitable act, cause marketing, india fcra and others
Support general counsel in protection of room to read’s intellectual property through investigation and response with support from outside counsel
Support general counsel in development of and ensure compliance with guidelines for copyright protection for room to read’s programmatic materials, images, local language books, and online book resource literacycloud.org
Assist with various special projects and other ad-hoc duties, as needed.
Qualifications:
Required:
J.d./ llb/post graduation in law /or the equivalent from an accredited institution
7-10 years in-house, firm or government legal experience is required
The successful candidate will have 3-5 years’ experience one or more of the following areas:
Book publishing
Open-source publishing
Data privacy
Labor & employment
Charitable fundraising
International non-profit
Membership in good standing with one or more state or federal bar; non-us bar memberships will be considered
Prior success working closely and building relationships with diverse groups of people
Ability and desire to travel internationally
Prior experience in a fast-paced, growth-oriented global or regional organization
Ability to think strategically and possess excellent business judgment
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in english
Ability to juggle multiple priorities simultaneously and take initiative
Preferred:
3 or more years in-house or non-profit legal department experience
Experience working in corporate governance in a complex organizational structure
Ngo experience
Expertise in reviewing of a variety of agreements, including software licenses, partner agreements, donor agreements, vendor and service agreements, etc.
Prior success in working in compliance with donor requirements, including usaid, un agency, world bank, private foundations and other related institutional donors
Non-profit and tax experience
Ethics and compliance experience
Experience working with outside counsel – coordinating pro bono support
Experience working in copyright and intellectual property
Compensation:
Room to read offers competitive pay with excellent benefitsThe non-monetary compensation includes a unique opportunity to be part of an innovative, meaningful, fun, and rapidly growing organization that is changing transforming the lives of millions of children in developing countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education.
Location(s)
Global office - remote - united statesglobal office - united kingdom - london, global office - united kingdom - remote, india - delhi
To be successful at room to read, you will also:
Have passion for our mission and a strong desire to impact a dynamic nonprofit organization
Be a proactive and innovative thinker who achieves results and creates positive change
Have a very high level of personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness
Embrace diversity and a commitment to collaboration
Thrive in a fast-paced and fun environment
Room to read is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to identifying and developing the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgroundsEoe/m/f/vet/disabled
