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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 division’s approach to providing responsive legal guidance supporting pursuit of the foundation’s mission and implementation of the foundation's programmatic and operational strategies. The Legal division delivers comprehensive legal services by providing efficient and reliable legal guidance, managing legal risk, and supporting the development of solutions to achieve the mission of the foundation and its affiliated entities.

The Legal division partners with our colleagues across the foundation to enable mission-driven work by maintaining an efficient, well-run global organization where employees can thrive and make their best contributions. Doing this well requires effective collaboration, strong alignment, and thoughtful planning across both operational and programmatic teams – as well as shared accountability for mitigating risk and optimizing the foundation’s operational resources.

Your Role

The individual we are seeking will be responsible for providing sophisticated yet practical legal advice regarding the laws applicable to U.S. tax-exempt organizations operating globally, and to advise on legal issues related to global tax and financial compliance for the foundation’s activities and operations, including its funded projects and regional office operations and activities. This position also includes advising on how to properly structure and manage complex grants, contracts, program related investments and other collaborations (collectively, “Transactions”). This individual will provide support across the foundation, its regional offices and its affiliated entities (collectively, the “Foundation”).

What You’ll Do

Core responsibilities include:

• Coordinating global tax and legal requirements applicable to multi-jurisdictional investments and transactions by private foundations.
• Proactively engaging with foundation divisions and teams to incorporate strategies and goals into legal analysis and advice appropriately aligned with the foundation’s risk tolerance.
• Identifying and advising on legal issues across a wide range of subject areas, while specializing in the laws applicable to tax-exempt organizations in non-U.S. regions.
• Identifying, mitigating and/or resolving areas of legal risk, working closely with the Chief Legal Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Controller to ensure the foundation is following practices of good governance, particularly with respect to its regional offices and global presence.
• Developing cross-foundation policies and practices regarding tax and regulatory compliance and helping to ensure consistent foundation-wide application for cross-border transactions and investments.
• Understanding and supporting the objectives of internal client groups, developing creative solutions, and resolving issues in compliance with applicable law and the foundation's values and risk philosophy.
• Structuring, negotiating and drafting complex Transaction agreements, and providing guidance in developing and implementing guidelines for Transaction terms and conditions, policies and practices and management.
• Advising on tax and other legal issues associated with the foundation’s regional offices.
• Demonstrating generalist expertise to identify legal issues and collaborate, where appropriate, with other legal team members or foundation stakeholders to lead the resolution of complex and strategic legal issues in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and Foundation policies and processes.
• Demonstrating subject matter expertise and leadership on projects and activities where such expertise is required.
• Quickly establishing a relationship of trust with key partners and participating as a primary point of contact and strategic advisor to diverse program and/or operations client groups.
• Facilitating compliance with, and ensuring current knowledge regarding, applicable domestic and foreign tax laws, policy and regulatory requirements in countries where the foundation maintains a legal presence or is otherwise active.
• Collaborating with the Legal Leadership Team and broader legal team to ensure effective coverage, work allocation and communication regarding legal issues related to the foundation, all from a “one team” perspective; collaborate to ensure legal advice is consistent across divisions and teams.
• Managing outside counsel as needed.
• Supporting training and education of foundation staff on legal and compliance issues.
• Some travel may be required.

Your Experience

• Admitted to practice law in the U.S. or in another common law jurisdiction J.
• Minimum of 15 years’ experience in the practice of law with proven subject matter expertise in the laws applicable to tax-exempt organizations, including rigorous work in the tax area.
• Substantial law firm experience, and in-house experience with a private foundation or tax-exempt organization, preferred.
• Outstanding drafting and negotiating abilities are required.
• Strong business sense and client focus.
• Ability to work with flexibility, efficiency, enthusiasm, and diplomacy both individually and collaboratively as part of a team effort.
• Strong interpersonal skills, maturity, sound judgment, and ability to communicate in a clear and compelling manner with internal and external audiences.
• Intellectual curiosity, discipline, resourcefulness, and resilience.
• Self-motivated and a passion for the mission of the foundation.
• Highest standards of ethics and integrity.
• Sense of balance, humor, and perspective.

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 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.