The Foundation

We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. We believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve. We provide an exceptional benefits package to employees and their families which include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation-paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to engage in several employee communities. As a workplace, we’re committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally.

The Team

Guidance, Solutions, Integrity” describes the Legal Team’s approach to providing responsive legal guidance supporting foundation operations, and the implementation of the foundation’s strategies. The Legal Team offers creative solutions that accomplish programmatic objectives, develops, and implements efficient legal processes to streamline our grantmaking and contracting practices, and applies preventive legal strategies and compliance policies to minimize risks and safeguard our reputation.

Your Role

This is an exciting role for an exceptional employment attorney to drive global labor and employment compliance efforts at the foundation and affiliate organizations! This position reports to the Director, Legal (People; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) and is an individual contributor (i.e., non-managerial) role. At times, you may act as the proxy for the Director. While your work will include providing day-to-day labor and employment legal advice, the majority of your time will be dedicated to ensuring the foundation is achieving labor and employment compliance in the various regions we operate. You are adept at dealing with ambiguity and able to translate complex issues into simple terms. You must have a passion for identifying process improvement opportunities and implementing solutions, and significant experience driving large-scale projects to completion.

What You’ll Do

• Develop a strategic approach for the global labor and employment compliance program. Partner with various internal stakeholders to ensure the foundation is meeting global compliance requirements relating to labor and employment policies, guidelines, and processes, with an approach that balances pragmatism and risk.
• Refine and deliver labor and employment compliance training and education of global personnel on legal issues.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to drive audits and address audit findings. Strong focus on implementing continuous improvement initiatives and driving behavior change across the organization.
• Be a trusted legal partner and work collaboratively with internal groups to navigate wide-ranging employment related matters, including: hiring and recruiting issues; drafting, amending and interpreting employment related agreements; performance management; investigations; wage and hour issues; immigration, leaves of absence and workplace accommodations; employee benefits; terminations, position eliminations, and workforce restructuring activities; and general support of the global human resources and Diversity, Inclusion and Equity teams. You may also support litigation, in the U.S. and other regions where the foundation operates.
• Serve as an employment legal team relationship manager for certain foundation operation teams, working closely with the leadership of those teams to become a trusted partner, provide guidance, and help coordinate legal team resources as appropriate in relation to global compliance efforts.
• Manage relationships with outside counsel on employment related matters and educate clients and partners on legal matters, developments, policies, and procedures.
• Keep current on new and emerging laws, policy developments and best practices related to labor and employment global compliance programs, with a focus on those relating to tax-exempt organizations and private foundations.
• Some travel may be required.

Your Experience

• A Juris Doctorate degree from accredited law school and active state bar license in good standing, of at least one U.S. state bar.
• 10+ years of substantive labor and employment experience with an in-house legal department and in private practice. Familiarity with the laws and regulations applicable to private foundations is preferred.
• Proven track record of successfully supporting growth of an organization outside the U.S. and representing and advising clients with a global workforce.
• Extensive experience developing and driving global labor and employment compliance efforts and experience leading and/or partnering with auditing teams.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically, creatively, and proactively.
• Ability to lead change and build effective relationships to gain the respect and trust of others.
• Experience advising on global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs.
• Experience providing counsel and support on contingent workforce related matters from an employment law perspective.
• Excellent legal and operational judgment and attention to detail. You are independently motivated and have a continuous improvement mindset.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively support a demanding client base and serve as counselor on ground-breaking, emerging legal issues in a complex, fast-paced and evolving legal and policy environment.
• A consistent track record of successful collaboration with cross-discipline and multi-functional teams that coordinate effectively across organizational boundaries and geographies.
• Strong interpersonal skills, maturity, sound judgment, and ability to communicate in a clear and compelling manner with internal and external audiences, verbally and in writing and advise on issues that may not have clear answers.
• Ability to coordinate, prioritize and manage deadlines, workflow, and execution in a fast-based and demanding work environment.
• Intellectual curiosity, discipline, resourcefulness, and resilience. A sense of humor and perspective is always appreciated!

Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.

The salary range for this role is $256,600.00 to $397,700.00 USD. We recognize high-wage market differences in Seattle and Washington D.C., where our offices are located. The range for this role in these locations is $279,600.00 to $433,300.00 USD. As a mission-driven organization, we strive to balance competitive pay with our mission. New hires salaries are typically between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint. Actual placement in the range will depend on a candidate’s job-related skills, experience, and expertise, as evaluated during the interview process.

Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Candidate Accommodations

If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request here.

Inclusion Statement

We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We strive for a global and cultural workplace that supports ever greater diversity, equity, and inclusion — of voices, ideas, and approaches — and we support this diversity through all our employment practices.

All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.