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UnidosUS (@WeAreUnidosUS) · 1 day ago

Vice President of Legal and Compliance Services and General Counsel

Washington, DC

Full-time

Hybrid

Director/Executive

$270K/yr - $300K/yr

15+ years exp

UnidosUS is the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization, dedicated to challenging barriers faced by Latinos. The Vice President of Legal & Compliance Services and General Counsel will serve as the senior legal advisor, providing expert counsel on legal compliance, risk management, and strategic guidance to the organization’s leadership.

AdvocacyConsultingLegalNon ProfitSocial

Responsibilities

Create and operate an internal function that serves as a centralized center of excellence for all legal and compliance matters, including designing a matrixed process with governing policies and procedures that requires each department and its designated employees to first seek the legal department’s advice, counsel, review, and approval before a) procuring goods and services, b) entering into any type of legal agreement, c) responding to a subpoena or request for information, d) engaging in litigation matters; and e) concluding on matters of legal or regulatory compliance, corporate governance, intellectual property rights, cybersecurity attacks, and other enterprise risk management areas

Provide legal advice and strategic guidance to the Board, Cabinet, Leadership Team, and Management on a wide variety of complex legal, governance, regulatory, compliance, program, policy, advocacy, and operational matters

Maintain partnerships with a network of reputable law firms and legal professionals who have specialized knowledge, niche expertise, and requisite subject matter expertise that may be required from time to time to address unique or unusual legal, regulatory, and compliance matters and to develop ongoing strategies to protect and defend the organization from a variety of new and emerging business risks and threats

This position currently does not directly manage any staff. In recognition that internal legal and compliance services are delivered through a matrixed structure in which much of the creation and management of contracts, grants, subgrants, and other legal agreements are created and managed by employees outside of the legal department, this position will be required to demonstrate a variety of soft skills, including enterprise-wide collaboration, excellent communication, effective listening and comprehension, motivation and influencing, conflict resolution, time management, prioritizing and multi-tasking, and cross-functional teamwork

Ensure compliance with a wide variety of legal, governance, regulatory, contractual, and operational matters, including compliance with (i) IRS regulations; (ii) legal agreements; (iii) OMB’s guidance for federal awards; (iv) governing documents that delineate each entity’s legal structure, governance requirements, operational guidelines, and state reporting obligations; and (v) all laws, regulations, and internal policies

Create and maintain a centralized procurement compliance function that is governed by procurement policies and procedures that all employees must adhere to in order to procure goods and services with and without federal funds, including formal RFP requirements and authorization limits

Create and maintain a centralized contracting compliance function designed around nonprofit best practices, policies, and procedures that require the use of mandatory contract terms and conditions, pre-approved contract templates, and authorization limits

Create and maintain a centralized outbound grantmaking compliance process designed around nonprofit best practices, polices, and procedures that require the use of mandatory terms and conditions, pre-approved grant agreement templates, and authorization limits

Create and maintain a centralized inbound grants management compliance function that ensures terms and conditions are reasonable; certifications and acknowledgments are accurate; and federal grants are in compliance with OMB Uniform Guidance

In close collaboration with the Resource Development team, ensure the organization is in compliance with state laws that regulate the solicitation of funds for charitable purposes

In collaboration with the Audit Committee, ensure the organization’s enterprise risk management function supports the organization’s mission, strategic goals, and objectives while identifying and mitigating risks; and providing crisis management guidance

In collaboration with outside counsel, lead and manage litigation, and other legal disputes involving the organization, including (i) preparing for and representing the organization in court proceedings; (ii) safeguarding the organization’s rights and interests; (iii) conducting legal research and analysis; (iv) engaging in negotiation and settlement discussions; and (vi) advocating on the organization’s behalf during trial

Lead the organization’s strategic response to subpoenas, information requests, depositions, testimonies, and investigations, including (i) determining the organization’s proper response to information and public access requests; (ii) preparing the organization for investigations; (iii) properly handling the production of records in response to subpoenas and other requests; and (iv) advising employees how to prepare for a deposition or testimony under oath before a trail

Ensure the organization’s document retention policy is consistent with best practices and being adhered to, including properly retaining documents long enough to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and legal obligations and discarding designated documents in a timely and secure manner

Ensure insurance coverage is commensurate with each associated risk and is a strategic component of the organization’s overall enterprise risk management program. Also, assist in the design of insurance terms such as coverage limits and deductible amount, and contribute to the negotiation of insurance premiums

Qualification

Juris Doctor (JD)Tax-exempt lawLitigation experienceNonprofit complianceContract negotiationRisk managementLegal researchFederal grantsBilingual (English/Spanish)CommunicationCollaboration skillsProblem-solvingTime management

Required

Juris Doctor (JD) degree with strong academic record, bar membership in good standing; the ability to practice law in the District of Columbia and the ability identify and mitigate the organization's legal and compliance risks across the United States

At least 15 years of experience in tax-exempt / non-profit law working for an in-house legal department, law firm, and/or governmental agency, including hands-on litigation experience; and expertise in areas such as tax-exempt and employment law; political and lobbying regulations; federal award and other statutory compliance; and contracting, procurement, and fundraising

At least 10 years of experience directly leading and managing professional legal staff within a matrixed nonprofit organizational structure to deliver legal and compliance services, advice, and counsel for nonprofit organizations

At least 10 years of experience with nonprofit legal and compliance issues, including federal grants and contracts, civil rights, and enterprise risk management issues

At least 10 years of experience providing advice about legal and compliance issues pertaining to program, policy, advocacy, legislative affairs, and regulatory and tax compliance matters

At least 10 years of experience providing advice about the procurement of goods and services, including negotiating price and quality; and preparing legal contracts, inbound grants, outbound grants, and other legal documents

At least 10 years of experience in preparing presentations, documents, and reports for the board of directors; audit committee, and senior leadership as well as experience making presentations

At least 10 years of experience representing or preparing organizations for litigation and court matters; and responding to subpoenas and requests for information

At least 5 years of experience ensuring document retention and destruction best practices; supporting the disaster recovery, business continuity, and crisis management; and administering all federal, state, and local business, solicitation, and fundraising registrations

Ability to travel as needed (less than 10%)

Familiarity with directors' and officers' insurance and other coverages; and writing policies and procedures related to procurement, contracting, and grant-making and ensuring compliance

Strong contract document drafting, negotiation, research, analysis, and written and verbal communication skills

Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and creatively with other legal and non-legal staff, both internal and external to the organization and to work independently, and a strong track record of integrity, honesty, professional discretion, and ability to manage sensitive/confidential matters

Demonstrated experience with and knowledge of the Latino community

Preferred

Master's in Business Administration (MBA)

Bilingual (English/Spanish) skills

Company

UnidosUS (@WeAreUnidosUS)

We are UnidosUS, the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, formerly known as the National Council of La Raza (NCLR).

Founded in 1968

Washington, District of Columbia, USA

51-200 employees