General Counsel

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Take charge of Convergent's legal strategy – Establish the overall legal and risk framework for the organization and all FROs. Provide counsel to the President/CEO and leadership team on critical decisions, structural matters, and areas of legal or regulatory risk—before issues arise.

• Lead the strategy and governance of intellectual property – Develop and sustain Convergent's IP strategy across the FRO portfolio: determining optimal filing times, what to protect, and structuring licensing and spinout transactions. Collaborate with FRO CEOs to ensure IP decisions are made thoughtfully and in a timely manner. Manage relationships with external patent advisors and create straightforward playbooks that empower FRO teams to make informed disclosure choices without unnecessary escalation.

• Oversee and cultivate the legal team – Provide strategic guidance to the FRO General Counsel and Contracts Counsel. Set clear escalation protocols, ensuring the function operates cohesively rather than as a collection of individual contributors.

• Manage relationships with outside counsel – Oversee Convergent's list of external counsel across nonprofit law, patents, corporate transactions, employment, and international issues. Negotiate fees, assess performance, and ensure the appropriate firm is engaged for the right matter at the correct price point.

• Guarantee compliance with 501(c)(3) regulations throughout the portfolio – The disregarded LLC structure safeguards corporate liability, not tax-exempt status. You'll oversee FRO activities for compliance with exempt organization standards, identify risks before they escalate into IRS issues, and maintain strong oversight relationships with specialized external counsel.

• Navigate international and regulatory complexities – Convergent has UK entities, government-funded FROs, and a developing array of international relationships. You'll ensure the organization adheres to GDPR, OFAC, anti-bribery laws, and other cross-border regulations.

• Lead deal strategy on intricate transactions – Engage early in discussions on spinout structures, licensing agreements, FRO graduations, and university partnerships—not just at the contract stage. Assist in shaping the deal prior to legal drafts being created.

• Create systems and playbooks – Develop templates, process documentation, and institutional knowledge that allow Convergent's legal function to scale effectively without linear headcount increases. The objective is to enhance the legal function in a way that accelerates the organization's overall efficiency.

⛳️ Requirements

• A strategic thinker with a proactive approach – You don’t wait for problems to be presented. You survey the landscape, recognize emerging challenges, and assist the organization in staying ahead. When someone expresses a desire to pursue "X," your instinct is to explore how to achieve it rather than focus on potential obstacles.

• An experienced corporate attorney – Holding a J.D. with active bar membership in at least one U.S. state and over 10 years of practice. Your expertise lies in corporate or commercial law—you understand deal structures, how to manage complexity and volume, and how to effectively engage outside counsel. Experience in the nonprofit or research sector is a significant advantage; familiarity with 501(c)(3) compliance, disregarded entities, and exempt organization law is crucial, whether from direct experience or your ability to quickly learn.

• Proactive in managing risk—not reactive – You recognize compliance vulnerabilities, structural weaknesses, and transaction risks before they escalate into crises. You have a framework for escalating issues appropriately and resolving them effectively, helping the organization understand that being proactive on straightforward matters allows for intelligent risk-taking in other areas.

• A proficient resource manager – You know how to select the right firm for specific tasks, negotiate fees, and ensure your outside counsel delivers real value. You view legal expenditures as a resource to be optimized rather than merely a cost to approve.

• Comfortable with structural intricacies – Convergent operates as a nonprofit fiscal sponsor with 13 single-member LLC subsidiaries, UK entities, government contracts, philanthropic funding, IP licensing, and simultaneous spinout transactions. If that seems overwhelming, you are undeterred by it.

• Clear and decisive communicator – You convey legal advice in terms that non-lawyers can understand and act upon. You know when to say no, and you make "no" impactful by using it sparingly. When a path forward is identified, you express it confidently.

• A people leader and relationship builder – You will manage a small legal team, collaborate closely with FRO CEOs, and act as a trusted advisor to Convergent's leadership. You prioritize these relationships, provide candid feedback, and hold yourself to the same standards you expect of others.

🏝️ Benefits

• An opportunity to make a difference in the world and collaborate with some of the most talented scientists, operators, and thinkers in the R&D ecosystem.

• Competitive salary with a 6% 401k match, equitably benchmarked based on experience and adjusted for location.

• Excellent medical insurance options: 10–20 plans available across major national and local carriers. Employee and family premiums for most plans are fully covered by the Company contribution.

• Comprehensive dental and vision insurance. Employee and family premiums for most plans are fully covered by the Company contribution.

• Company-paid life insurance, AD&D, long- and short-term disability insurance, along with optional supplemental insurance choices.

• 19 holidays (including a week off between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day).

• 3 weeks of PTO with increases based on tenure, along with separate allocations for sick and parental leave.

• Generous fertility benefits and childcare reimbursement.

• Education and professional development support.

• Wellness allowance to promote fitness and wellness activities.

• Quarterly offsite team retreats and additional chances to connect with teammates in person.

• Support for fully remote work.