Senior Counsel

Major Function 

The Senior Counsel serves as a trusted legal advisor to the Bezos Earth Fund and independently manages legal matters across a substantial portfolio. Reporting to the General Counsel, the Senior Counsel partners with Programs, Grants Management, Finance, Operations, Communications, Events, and People and Culture to provide clear, practical legal guidance. The role provides strategic counsel on complex organizational matters, develops actionable recommendations, and advances the Earth Fund's priorities while effectively managing legal risk. 

Key Responsibilities 

Program and Strategic Counsel 

• Serve as the primary day-to-day legal advisor to designated teams, initiatives, and organizational functions.
• Advise on legal and tax considerations relating to grantmaking, charitable activities, private foundations, donor advised funds, fiscal sponsorship, regranting, and international funding.
• Advise programs while proposals, implementation plans, milestones, communications approaches, and partnership structures are being developed.
• Manage matters from initial issue identification through recommendation, documentation, implementation, and appropriate follow-through.
• Escalate matters involving novel institutional positions, significant residual risk, Founder interests, affiliated entities, material reputational exposure, or other issues to the General Counsel. 

Contracts and Transactions 

• Structure, draft, review, and negotiate grant-related documents, service and consulting agreements, vendor arrangements, event agreements, partnerships, technology and licensing agreements, research collaborations, and other transactions. 
• Advise on intellectual property, data access and use, publication, confidentiality, commercialization, export controls, cybersecurity, and other issues arising in research and technology matters. 
• Support grant amendments, assignments, extensions, performance matters, and other post-award changes while preserving the approved charitable objective and decision rationale. 
• Evaluate legal and contractual risks and recommend practical solutions that reflect the importance, reversibility, and implementation needs of the matter. 

Compliance and Risk 

• Advise on organizational policies, regulatory compliance, employment and consultant matters, outside engagements, sanctions, international activities, lobbying and ethics, privacy, and information sharing. 
• Help maintain and apply the organization's legal risk framework, including identification of mitigation measures, owners, escalation needs, and residual risk. 
• Monitor relevant legal and regulatory developments and translate material changes into practical guidance. 
• Deliver training and guidance that help employees recognize legal issues and engage the Legal Department appropriately. 

Department Development 

• Partner with the General Counsel and legal team colleagues to create templates, playbooks, approval standards, and guidance for recurring legal work. 
• Provide the substantive legal standards for workflows and tools to be administered through standardized legal processes. 
• Contribute to organized legal records, decision precedents, and institutional knowledge. 
• Manage outside counsel on assigned matters, including scope, work product, responsiveness, and cost. 
• Lead strategic and cross-functional legal projects as needed.  

Education and Experience 

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school. 
• Active membership in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar. 
• Typically 7 years of legal experience, including substantial responsibility for complex matters and client counseling. 
• Substantial experience drafting and negotiating commercial, grant-related, technology, research, licensing, or other complex agreements. 
• Experience advising philanthropic, tax-exempt, research, technology, or mission-driven organizations strongly preferred. 
• Experience with grantmaking, private foundation rules, corporate governance, compliance, intellectual property, data, or legal risk management preferred. 

Required Skills and Abilities 

• Strong legal judgment and demonstrated ability to manage a broad range of matters independently. 
• Significant experience structuring, drafting, and negotiating complex transactions. 
• Working knowledge of nonprofit and tax-exempt organization law, or the demonstrated ability to develop that knowledge quickly and use specialized counsel effectively. 
• Practical, solutions-oriented approach to legal advice and risk management. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to explain complex legal concepts clearly to non-legal audiences. 
• Strong relationship-building, project ownership, and cross-functional collaboration skills. 

Working Approach 

• Exercise sound judgment, discretion, and care with sensitive and confidential matters. 
• Build trusted relationships and collaborate effectively across functions and levels of the organization. 
• Manage competing priorities, respond constructively to changing circumstances, and maintain high standards for accuracy and follow-through. 
• Demonstrate integrity, curiosity, and a commitment to the Earth Fund's mission and team. 

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• Occasional Domestic and international travel. 
• May require extended hours for urgent issues or to meet established deadlines. 
• This position is a hybrid role based in Washington, DC and requires working in the office a minimum of two days per week. 

The salary range for this position is $265,000-$330,000 

This is a paid position. Bezos Earth Fund is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all federal, state, and local laws concerning employment discrimination. The Earth Fund recognizes diversity as an asset essential to accomplishing its work. We actively welcome all qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, gender identity or expression, genetic information, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, national origin, ethnicity, disability, military/veteran status, compensation history or any other basis prohibited by law.