Deputy Director, Legal (Tax)

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

Application Deadline: Friday, November 21st

Your Role

The Deputy Director, Legal (Tax) will be responsible for providing sophisticated yet practical legal advice regarding the laws applicable to U.S. private foundations, primarily by overseeing the development and continuous improvement of investment-related guidance for the Legal division, ensuring coordination within the division and with key stakeholders across the foundation, and for developing and implementing a training strategy for such guidance in partnership with other Legal team members. The position also includes advising on how to properly structure and manage complex grants, contracts, program related investments and other collaborations (collectively, “Transactions”), and advising on other foundation operations and activities in compliance with laws and policies that apply to the foundation’s work globally. This individual will provide support across the foundation, its regional offices and its affiliated entities, and will manage other lawyers embedded in the foundation’s programs.

What You’ll Do

• Serve as the legal relationship manager for stakeholders such as Grants and Contracts Services (GCS) on matters related to grants and direct charitable expenditures, and the associated investment compliance policies and practices.

• Develop and implement a knowledge management strategy for tax and investment compliance guidance that is integrated within the Legal division’s broader knowledge management platforms and coordinated with platforms maintained by key stakeholders such as GCS.

• Proactively engage with foundation colleagues to incorporate strategies and goals into legal advice and compliance strategies that are calibrated appropriately for the foundation’s risk tolerance.

• Develop and implement a strategy for training and educating foundation staff on legal and compliance issues related to Transactions and global investment-making.

• Identify and advise on legal issues across a wide range of subject areas, while specializing in the laws applicable to tax-exempt organizations.

• Identify the need for, and develop and maintain, cross-foundation policies, practices and guidance regarding investment compliance, ensuring appropriate stakeholder engagement and change management.

• Manage a team of direct reports and serve in a consultative role to the Legal Leadership Team, in collaboration with other Deputy Directors within the Legal division.

• Understand and support the objectives of internal client groups, developing creative solutions, and resolving issues in compliance with applicable law and the foundation's policies, values and risk philosophy.

• Structure, negotiate and draft complex Transactions, and provide guidance in developing and implementing guidelines for Transaction terms and conditions, policies and practices and management.

• Demonstrate 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.

• Demonstrate 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.

• Manage outside counsel as needed.

• Some travel may be required.

Your Experience

• Juris Doctor degree and current bar membership in good standing are required.

• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in the practice of law with proven subject matter expertise in the laws applicable to tax-exempt organizations operating globally. 

• Substantial in-house experience with a private foundation required.

• Outstanding drafting and negotiating abilities are required.

• Experience successfully managing a team of other legal professionals preferred but not 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.

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

The salary range for this role is $293,200 to $454,400 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 $319,500 to $495,300 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.