Legal and Compliance Operations - Consultant

Purpose of the role

The Legal and Compliance Operations Consultant supports the Chief Operating Officer on the legal and compliance needs of the organization. This is an execution-focused role: the person is assigned varied legal and compliance tasks connected to GFNE's work and carries each through to completion with precision and reliable follow-up. This role requires the ability to coordinate, organize, and execute across a global organization, and to work closely with external counsel where specialist input is required.

Scope of work

The central function of this role is to provide direct, ongoing support to the Chief Operating Officer across GFNE's legal and compliance needs. The work is varied and largely responsive: the Consultant takes on assigned tasks as they arise, prioritized by the COO, and carries each through to completion with careful, consistent follow-up.

 

These tasks fall across the areas below. The points under each are illustrative of the kind of work involved rather than an exhaustive list.

1. US and Swiss nonprofit compliance

• Track and maintain GFNE's compliance obligations across entities, keeping a live view of filing dates, renewals, and regulatory deadlines.
• Support adherence to US 501(c)(3) requirements, including the boundaries around political activity and lobbying, and coordinate the administration of related disclosures.
• Coordinate statutory and regulatory filings across both jurisdictions, routing matters to counsel and finance where specialist input is needed.
• Support the compliance and governance requirements of GFNE's entities.
• Track compliance requirements early and coordinate the timely executions of various compliance needs. 
• Support GFNE's data protection and privacy obligations at a coordinating level, working with counsel on GDPR and equivalent requirements, with particular relevance for the European entity, and flag privacy considerations that surface in day-to-day operations.
• Prepare and organize documentation for audits and regulatory information requests.

2. International grantmaking compliance

• Support the compliance checks around GFNE's international grantmaking, coordinating grantee due diligence with counsel and finance, including sanctions and watchlist screening.
• Help administer expenditure responsibility and equivalency determination processes where grants require them, maintaining the supporting records and tracking reporting deadlines.
• Prepare and organize documentation for grant due diligence and funder information requests.

3. Board and governance support

• Prepare board and committee materials, coordinate meeting logistics, and produce accurate minutes and resolutions.
• Maintain the governance calendar, tracking meeting cadence, committee cycles, and statutory deadlines such as the Form 990 and Swiss or European equivalents.
• Administer the conflict of interest and disclosure processes, including collecting, tracking, and safely maintaining declarations.
• Act as custodian of GFNE's governing documents, keeping bylaws and board-approved policies current, version controlled, and properly filed.

4. Legal coordination and cross-functional support

• Serve as the coordination point between GFNE and its external legal counsel in the US, Europe, and any other region where the organization operates.
• Scope and brief legal questions clearly, gather the background counsel needs, and track matters through to resolution.
• Help identify and engage counsel in new jurisdictions as GFNE's footprint grows.

Nature of the engagement

This is a consultancy of approximately 80 hours per month, structured as a blend of ongoing availability and defined monthly deliverables. Work is assigned and prioritized by the Chief Operating Officer. The role suits someone who is self-directed and highly organized, and who is comfortable moving across a varied set of tasks and shifting priorities within a remote, globally distributed team.

Required skills and experience

• Around 7 or more years of relevant experience across a blend of nonprofit compliance, paralegal, and legal operations work. 
• A legal qualification is not required, but would be an added advantage. 
• Demonstrated experience in the nonprofit or philanthropy sector. (Essential.)
• Comfort working within a remote, globally distributed team across multiple time zones. (Essential.)
• Strong communication, coordination, and collaboration skills, with the ability to work smoothly across teams and regions. (Essential.)
• A strong learning ethos and the acumen to navigate US and Swiss nonprofit and philanthropic environments. Direct familiarity with US 501(c)(3) and European nonprofit frameworks is an advantage, not a requirement.
• Exceptional attention to detail, with a disciplined approach to follow-up and follow-through. This is an execution-heavy role, and dependability on the detail is central to it.
• Self-directed and well organized, able to manage varied tasks with minimal oversight.
• Comfort operating across cultures and time zones, and with the ambiguity that comes with a young, growing organization.
• Sound judgment and discretion in handling sensitive and confidential legal and people matters.
• Ability to translate complex legal and regulatory guidance into clear, practical language for colleagues without a legal background.

Equity and inclusion

GFNE is committed to building a diverse team and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds and locations. All qualified applicants will receive consideration regardless of nationality, background, age, beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, health, or disability. Applications from under-represented and marginalized groups are strongly encouraged.

Confidentiality

The role involves regular contact with sensitive organizational, legal, and personal information. The Consultant is expected to handle all such information with discretion and to maintain strict confidentiality throughout and after the engagement.