Legal Counsel – Corporate & Business Affairs

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States, +2 more countries.

📋 Description

• Act as the primary legal partner for Partnerships and Fundraising, People, Finance, Communications, Technology, Product, Grants Management, and public affairs teams.

• Structure, draft, and negotiate intricate corporate partnerships, funding agreements, technology and vendor contracts, and strategic transactions.

• Provide counsel on corporate, commercial, employment, privacy, nonprofit, and operational issues.

• Collaborate with teams to grasp objectives, devise feasible structures, and deliver practical legal and business-risk guidance.

• Create templates, playbooks, and standardized approaches for recurring legal tasks.

• Offer advice on major and non-standard gifts, including bequests, planned gifts, donor-advised fund grants, restricted gifts, securities, cryptocurrency, and various non-cash contributions.

• Draft and evaluate gift agreements, donor restrictions, planned-giving documentation, and funding arrangements.

• Counsel on charitable solicitation, fundraising disclosures, sponsorships, cause-marketing arrangements, commercial co-ventures, and nonprofit regulatory obligations.

• Assist public affairs and Communications with lobbying, advocacy, public-policy involvement, and political-activity restrictions.

• Direct legal strategy for products, partnerships, and operational models that impact multiple programs, countries, or teams.

• Develop GiveDirectly’s legal and regulatory framework for Data Partnerships, MNO data, and remote enablement.

• Lead legal efforts to establish relationships with MNOs, governments, and other data custodians.

• Advise on data privacy, consent, data sharing, telecommunications regulations, and responsible data practices.

• Draft and negotiate NDAs, data-sharing agreements, MoUs, and related contracts.

• Support interactions with regulators and government partners.

• Transform organization-wide legal frameworks into applicable models for specific countries and programs.

• Collaborate with other Counsel on cross-portfolio issues.

• Manage external and local counsel coordination.

• Enhance standards, tools, and workflows across the global Legal team.

• Report to the Head of Legal.

⛳️ Requirements

• Qualification as an attorney in at least one jurisdiction, coupled with relevant post-qualification legal experience.

• Strong background in corporate, commercial, and transactional law, including structuring and negotiating complex partnerships and agreements.

• Experience in advising on intricate funding arrangements, external partnerships, or transactions with significant legal and business implications.

• Proven expertise in data privacy and data protection, encompassing data sharing, consent, and the use of personal or regulated data.

• Ability to comprehend unfamiliar legal and regulatory frameworks, including nonprofit and fundraising requirements, and formulate practical solutions to novel challenges.

• Strong legal and business acumen, capable of assessing risks contextually and proposing clear paths forward.

• Experience in advising multiple functions and fostering trusted relationships with colleagues, counterparties, and senior stakeholders.

• Capacity to develop new legal capabilities, manage a diverse portfolio independently, and guide external or specialized advisors when necessary.

• Excellent written, verbal, and negotiation abilities.

• Fluency in English.

• Exceptional alignment with GiveDirectly Values and active demonstration of emotional intelligence, problem-solving skills, project management, follow-through, and promoting inclusivity.

• Preferred: experience engaging with data-protection authorities, telecom regulators, governments, or other public entities.

• Preferred: experience negotiating data-sharing agreements with MNOs or other entities holding sensitive or regulated data.

• Preferred: experience advising on technology-driven products or data-intensive operational models.

• Preferred: experience working across multiple jurisdictions, especially in emerging markets.

• Preferred: privacy or data-protection certification.

• Preferred: experience advising charitable organizations on fundraising, planned giving, bequests, donor restrictions, or non-cash gifts.

• Preferred: familiarity with tax-exempt organization law, charitable solicitation, cause marketing, lobbying, advocacy, or political-activity regulations.

• Preferred: experience in international development, humanitarian response, or other mission-driven organizations.

• Must overlap with the East Africa timezone by at least 3 hours.

• Employment visa sponsorship is not available in the U.S. or U.K.

• Subject to checks for previous-employer misconduct, reference checks, criminal background checks, and sanctions screening.

🏝️ Benefits

• 10% bonus at target performance, with potential for additional upside.

• Annual benefits stipend of $21,393 for employees in the United States, £2,760 for employees in the United Kingdom, or $8,454 for employees in Kenya.

• Comprehensive health benefits plan, with specifics varying by country.

• Flexible paid time off.

• Desk setup allowance.

• Learning and development allowance.

• Supportive team environment.

• $3,000 referral bonus for a Senior Manager or above role, payable if the referred candidate is hired.

• Reasonable accommodations available during the application or interview process and throughout employment.