Company:

Location:

Salary Information:

Description:

Title: General Counsel
Schedule: Regular, full-time Division: Office of the President
FLSA: Exempt
Working Group: Office of the President General
Reports to: Executive Chief of Staff/Senior Vice President

Ministry Function:

The General Counsel (GC) will play a critical role in supporting the Christian faith-based mission and ministry of Convoy of Hope (COH), through developing and implementing the global legal strategy for COH. The GC will advise the Office of the President, leadership team, and board on critical legal issues facing COH. The GC will coordinate COH’s corporate legal strategy while stewarding and managing complex legal issues, including matters related to nonprofit, tax, employment, domestic and foreign regulations, fundraising, supply chain, and corporate governance. The position requires an attorney who has a working knowledge of the legal rules that apply to tax-exempt organizations but who is also a strong generalist.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Lead overall coordination of corporate legal strategy for the organization.

Advise and counsel the President, leadership team, and board on critical legal and riskmanagement issues facing COH.

Identify legal and regulatory risks to COH and ensure appropriate strategies are in place to mitigate or prevent legal and risk exposure, including matters related to religious liberty laws.

Design and implement systems and processes related to local, state, federal, and international laws and regulations, including building a legal and risk management team and function.

Serve as a leader in the overall ministry of COH, not only in the legal function, but through spiritual leadership, mentorship, prayer, and speaking publicly about COH’s ministry.

Manage contract administration and oversee the drafting and review of contracts, leases, and partnership agreements.

Conduct legal research and analyze legal issues that affect COH and its activities at the local, state, federal, and international levels, and prepare findings, recommendations, and plans to effectively navigate legal issues.

Lead the creation, governance, and administration of legal entities and registrations in the U.S. and internationally.

Provide support with corporate governance, including management of board minutes and administration.

Lead regular review of COH processes and ensure conformity with all laws, regulations, and rules enforced by U.S. federal, state, and local regulators, emphasizing nonprofit law, employment law, and religious liberty laws.

Collaborate with and manage relationships with any domestic and international litigation and outside counsel.

Manage COH’s intellectual property portfolio.

Serve as a broad-based resource for team legal concerns and collaborate to devise and implement creative legal solutions in a complex nonprofit setting.

Coordinate risk management functions such as the insurance management process.

MINISTRY DESCRIPTION

Collaborate with other teams on organization-wide projects.
Assist in developing and presenting training on legal and risk management issues.
Provide innovative legal solutions to meet organizational goals.
Working familiarity in the relevant areas of law include corporate, nonprofit, governance, regulatory, employment, contracts, nonprofit tax, communications, intellectual property, supply chain, fundraising and planned giving, nonprofit status, data privacy, and real estate. However, expertise in all areas is not expected.

Other duties and projects as assigned.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

As a Faith based organization, Convoy of Hope believes it is critical that each team member embraces the organization’s religious purposes for which it exists and not only agrees with its Statement of Faith but demonstrates it in their lives on an ongoing basis.

Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school required.

Current admission with good standing to the Missouri bar or immediate eligibility for limited admission as in-house counsel is required.

15+ years of generalist legal experience, including litigation, with a strong understanding of nonprofit law and regulations matters at local, state, federal, and international levels.

Experience as in-house counsel at a large corporation or international NGO is preferred.

Ability to manage short-term dynamics that require rapid response, while advising on longer term strategy and risk.

Significant experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts.

Experience creating and delivering legal and regulatory training.

Demonstrable passion for COH’s mission and a commitment to nonprofits.

An effective communicator at all levels in the organization, with strong oral and written skills and a willingness to share information.

A collaborative and flexible style, with a strong service mentality and ability to lead organizational functions at a high level.

Excellent skills in collaborating and advising across divisions, functions, and geography.

Ability and willingness to travel internationally, occasionally on short notice, required.

Cultural understanding and respect are required to handle sensitive international issues and relationships.

Ability to use a PC/Mac based software programs, including Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.

Serve as an advocate for the ministry, striving to nurture, broaden, and develop financial and resource opportunities to support and expand organizational and program ministry.

Ability to positively represent the ministry of Convoy of Hope, including its mission statement and core values, to all outside constituencies.