General Counsel

Job Description

Position Summary

The General Counsel (GC) directs the legal affairs of the IRC and its affiliates. Reporting directly to the President and CEO, the GC is a member of the senior management team and the Leadership Board with full responsibility for the Office of General Counsel staff and budget. The GC provides counsel to the President, Board of Directors, and leadership team members. As a member of the Leadership Board, the General Counsel is part of the corporate team that shapes and drives the IRC’s strategic direction.

Responsibilities

The General Counsel will be a critical member of the leadership team and will work with the President and CEO to manage and support IRC’s strategic direction.

The General Counsel will have the following responsibilities:

• Serve as counsel, strategic advisor and thought partner to the CEO, management and the Board.

• Serve as management liaison and provide legal support to the Board and its committees advising on governance and compliance with exempt organization and other laws, regulations and policies, and coordinating their work in collaboration with the President, other leadership team members and support staff.

• Manage budget and staff of the legal and compliance functions.

• Select and manage relationships with outside paid and pro bono counsel.

• Oversee all legal and governance issues affecting IRC and its affiliates, including compliance with laws, regulations, organizational policies and donor requirements.

• Provide legal support and training to other departments where needed.

• Collaborate with and manage the Ethics and Compliance Unit led by the Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer.

• Manage the defense and/or response of the organization to lawsuits, claims, audits and investigations, and the prosecution of the organization’s claims against others.

• Monitor the legal status of IRC and its foreign offices and affiliates to ensure compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

• Provide advice and legal services to protect IRC’s intellectual property rights worldwide, including trademark and copyright registrations, licensing and infringement issues.

• Travel internationally and within the U.S. as required.

In addition, the General Counsel will be expected to:

• Demonstrate expertise in many areas of law affecting IRC and the policies, practices and procedures applicable to its activities.

• Rely on extensive experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals proactively and to enable management to achieve strategic objectives and resolve complex business problems.

• Exercise a wide degree of creativity and flexibility in carrying out their responsibilities.

Pivotal Experience & Expertise

• Legal acumen: 15+ years of experience practicing law in the corporate, law firm or non-profit organization sectors. Relevant legal practice experience includes: the non-profit sector, international, and regulatory and government contracting, particularly in emerging markets.

• Global mindset: Ability to collaborate and manage risk and complexity across borders and cultures. An understanding of the legal risks presented when operating in countries in conflict under heightened public scrutiny and how to manage those risks.

• Leadership/management: Proven ability to provide true partnership to CEO, Board and senior management as well as to set the direction and strategy for a legal function and to develop and execute strategy and innovative solutions. Proven ability to lead and manage legal staff effectively and efficiently. Knowledge of corporate governance and board of directors’ responsibilities and operations.

• Risk and compliance: An understanding of relevant compliance mandates and the ability to provide oversight for a global compliance function. Possesses a firm understanding of the importance of ethical conduct and compliance to the organization’s success. The GC should be a leader who can foster close collaboration between compliance and other functions and can communicate the importance of compliance to a varied set of stakeholders internally and externally.

Leadership & Management Behavioral Competences

• Drives for results: Coordinates execution by setting appropriate pace. Evokes ownership and accountability, streamlines process/structure, and reallocates resources quickly and flexibly.

• Shapes strategy: Anticipates and interprets market changes, envisions the future, and decides strategic priorities.

• Inspire and influence: Builds powerful relationships, helps others find meaning and purpose in their work, inspires through energetic engagement. Ability to influence people at all levels of the organization, regardless of reporting relationships.

Culture Fit & Impact

• A passion for IRC’s work: The IRC is a mission-driven organization, and interest in its mission and a passion for working in the humanitarian sector globally is important for this role. Prior experience (management, board, advisory) with international or domestic non-profit organizations is desirable.

• A business-focused mentality: The ideal GC candidate will be far more than the most senior lawyer, but an integral part of the corporate leadership team. They will be seen as an enabler of our organization’s work.

• A doer who can manage risk: The IRC works in the world’s most complicated environments, where we consistently have to make decisions around managing risk. Our GC will need to understand the relevant law and be a steward of our people and reputation, while also making thoughtful choices around risk and organizational impact. They must lean forward and be an active member of the leadership team, proactively raising issues and potential solutions.

• A collaborator who leads by example: Our GC will need to work closely with our Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, as well as other key members of our leadership team. In addition, the vision is to more broadly embed OGC with all key business decisions early on, and the GC must set the proper tone and work with those on the legal team to make that happen.

• The gravitas to help lead a growing global institution: As IRC continues to grow, the scale of its work increasingly requires it to engage with government regulators and entities, as well as to be in the public eye. The GC will need to possess the gravitas to engage with regulators on high-profile issues, while also having the confidence and presence to provide counsel to our Board on these matters.

Furthermore, a successful candidate will be excellent in multi-tasking, with a positive, can-do attitude and have excellent written and oral communication skills.

Education and Bar Admission

Candidates must have a J.D. from a well-respected law school and be a member of the New York State Bar in good standing, or be able to commit to waive in within 6 months of start date.

#LI-GR1

Qualifications