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Staff Counsel

Washington, DC

Staff Counsel (Part Time – 24 hours/week)

MAJOR FUNCTION:

The Bezos Earth Fund has an exciting part-time opportunity for an experienced attorney. The selected candidate will provide a broad range of transactional, corporate governance and compliance-related support to the organization.  The Staff Counsel will work with colleagues across the organization to advance our goals of protecting nature, stabilizing the climate, and promoting a just transition to a sustainable global economy. The position offers the opportunity to engage with thought leaders in a range of technical and philanthropic fields, working domestically and globally.

The successful candidate will possess a strong work ethic and capacity to work independently while demonstrating an ability to be a team player who always maintains a high degree of professionalism.  They should be a strong communicator with the ability to manage several cross-functional relationships and interactions.  The ideal candidate will be a proactive thinker with a high attention to detail and the aptitude to prioritize tasks and take initiative to improve processes where needed. 

 KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Staff Counsel will have the following core responsibilities:

  • Assist with reviewing and revising service contracts, grant agreements, and non-disclosure agreements.
  • Negotiate and draft contracts, help manage corporate and tax matters for the Fund, provide research and support employment law issues, and support regulatory compliance across the Funds operations.
  • Assist in the development of standard processes and tools to ensure that contracts are prepared accurately and efficiently.  
  • Research and interpret regulations, laws, guidelines, and relevant case law to support program and operations teams in making substantive business decisions. 
  • Help ensure organizational compliance with various registration and reporting requirements.
  • Work with legal department colleagues to maintain electronic legal department files that are intuitively organized and easy to navigate.
  • Interface with outside counsel and other external collaborators, as needed.
  • Prepare presentation materials for internal staff and assist with strategic projects, as needed.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

 EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

  • Minimum requirements for the position include a law degree and admission to the DC Bar or a State Bar and at least 7 years' experience practicing law in relevant specialties either in house, in government, or with a law firm.
  • Experience working with tax-exempt organizations or a demonstrated commitment to public interest is preferred.
  • The ideal candidate will have experience with intellectual property law; some litigation experience is also a plus, though not required.

 SKILLS AND ABILITIES

  • Commitment to client service and supporting colleagues to solve problems that advance the Earth Fund's mission.
  • Flexibility, creativity, and keen analytic ability.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills.
  • Ability to collaborate effectively with external and internal colleagues at all levels.
  • Self-motivated work ethic, demonstrating sound judgment, initiative, and an ability to manage multiple priorities. 

 PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING CONDITIONS:

  • Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
  • Position is based in Washington, DC
  • Position requires in-person presence at the Earth Fund’s Washington, D.C. office for a minimum of five (5) hours on each Tuesday and Wednesday. The remaining hours may be performed remotely.

PRORATED SALARY RANGE:  $150,000- $180,000

 This position offers a competitive salary and benefits package. The Bezos Earth Fund is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all federal, state, and local laws concerning employment discrimination. The Earth Fund recognizes diversity as an asset essential to accomplishing its work. We actively welcome all qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, gender identity or expression, genetic information, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, national origin, ethnicity, disability, military/veteran status, compensation history or any other basis prohibited by law. Qualified applicants are encouraged to submit a resume and cover letter to be considered.

The closing date for this position is December 1, 2024.

 

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