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Position Overview

The Rockefeller Foundation seeks a proactive and dynamic Senior Legal Operations Specialist to support the work of the Legal, Ethics, and Governance team. The Senior Legal Operations Specialist will independently manage the Foundation’s contracts throughout the contract lifecycle, and analyze Foundation policies and related communications content, all while ensuring adherence to internal policy and compliance with regulations. This entails drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and finalizing complex contracts in accordance with legal standards. They will also assess and mitigate risks associated with these contracts, policies, and communications, and collaborate with cross-functional teams. Documents regularly reviewed are expected to include vendor, consultant, and similar agreements, internal policies of the Foundation and its affiliated entities, and related press releases, social media requests, and other communications content. They will perform a variety of paralegal, project management, and general business duties in connection with matters arising from program, operations, and investment teams, and other matters of a general corporate nature for the Foundation and its affiliated entities. Additionally, they will assist with the coordination of workflow in the Legal department.

The Senior Legal Operations Specialist will work under the general supervision of the Associate General Counsel but must be capable of working independently and managing simultaneous complex projects.

The ideal candidate will have proven expertise in drafting and negotiating contracts as well as knowledge of contract management, legal record-keeping, and other project management-related tasks. They will demonstrate a strong sense of collaboration and initiative while providing independent judgment on matters of significance. They will also demonstrate strong organizational skills, the ability to work on diverse teams, and be exceedingly skilled at bridging gaps and making connections.

Pay Range: $97,783 - $132,007. This represents the present low and high end of the Foundation’s pay range for this position. Actual pay will vary based on various factors, including but not limited to experience.

Work Schedule: This role is on a hybrid work schedule, and required to be in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Principal Duties And Responsibilities

• Drafts, reviews, and finalizes contracts, including resolving issues with internal and external parties, and related documents accurately and in a timely manner, ensuring alignment with organizational policies and legal standards
• Reviews and revises statements of work and proposals provided by contractors to meet contractual requirements, ensures consistency with business expectations identifies and raises legal issues, and assesses risks
• Provides educated and thoughtful guidance on contract terms and conditions and templates to internal teams and partners
• Researches regulations to ensure contracts are current and in compliance with regulations and laws, as needed
• Analyzes portfolio of contracts for consistency and alignment with the Foundation’s other portfolios, including the Foundation’s grantmaking portfolio and those of affiliated entities
• Works with internal partners and external counterparties to move contracts to finalization, including but not limited to preparing a summary analysis of agreement deal terms, collecting feedback on contracts, managing versions, negotiating open points, and ensuring execution in line with approval and signature authorities
• Drafts contract amendments, extensions, and terminations, as well as other legal documents (e.g., non-disclosure agreements, liability and publicity waivers and releases)
• Manages the contract database platform for the Legal department, including oversight of the process for execution of contracts and electronic filing and maintenance of all final, executed documents; and implements management processes to enhance efficiencies
• Assists with trademark and intellectual property matters
• Updates legal-related training and policy documents and leads training on contract process for programmatic and operational teams within the Foundation
• Reviews the Foundation communications content (including use of name/logo) for legal compliance, accuracy, and alignment with the Foundation’s branding policies
• Review related materials that incorporate the Foundation’s intellectual property to ensure compliance with the law and Foundation policies and guidelines
• Works closely and maintains a professional relationship with other departments and external stakeholders on contract requirements and approval processes
• Performs any other assigned duties, including preparing legal correspondence, governance matters, legal research, approval requests, or other documents as needed

Education, Experience, And Skills

• Generally expected to have five years of experience in a law firm corporate department or an in-house transactional/corporate legal or contracting role (paralegal, contracts administrator, or similar)
• Ability to work independently with minimal oversight
• Ability to complete multiple, complex projects on time
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with excellent attention to detail and strong proofreading skills; ability to prioritize tasks and multi-task
• Exceptional initiative, judgment, and organizational skills as well as considerable discretion and diplomacy
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint and familiarity with contract management software and tools
• Excellent interpersonal, communication (oral and written), and telephone skills to effectively interact with internal and external stakeholders
• Comfortable interacting with all levels of management
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including additional hours as needed
• Bachelor’s degree
• New York Notary Public qualification a plus

Qualifications And Competencies

• Data Oriented : Consistently achieves results, by approaching work informed by data.
• Decision Quality : Makes good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward.
• Communicates Effectively : Develops and delivers multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Strategic Learning : Actively learns through experimentation when tackling new problems, using both successes and failures as learning fodder.
• Values Differences : Recognizes the value of different perspectives and commits to inclusion, equity, and diversity in every aspect of work.

About The Rockefeller Foundation

The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We make big bets to promote the well-being of humanity. Today, we are focused on advancing human opportunity and reversing the climate crisis by transforming systems in food, health, energy, and finance. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at http://rockefellerfoundation.org and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn .

The Rockefeller Foundation offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that includes health insurance programs, tuition reimbursement and student loan repayment, a generous 401K, parental leave, and various forms of paid time off, all to help our employees feel energized, cared for, and engaged.

As an organization, we focus on six values to advance our culture and continue our success. We are dedicated to being Transparent , Optimistic , Accountable , Collaborative, Trusted, and Equitable . We operate from a strong commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in everything that we do. It is not only the right thing to do – we could not make an impact without our team members' diverse perspectives and experiences. We expect all employees at the Foundation to contribute by developing their unique perspectives and talent, challenging conventional wisdom through evidence and reason, and amplifying marginalized voices.

The Rockefeller Foundation is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity and compliance with all federal, state, and local laws concerning employment discrimination, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. To this end, the Foundation ensures equal opportunity to all employees and applicants regardless of race, color, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, lawful alien status, physical, mental, and medical disability, veteran status, liability for service in the United States Armed Forces, or any other protected status.

The Rockefeller Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer.