Associate General Counsel - Program Related Investments and Complex Transactions
Application Deadline: October 4 EOD
The Foundation
We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: that people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. By building a global and cultural workplace that supports greater diversity, equity, and inclusion — of voices, ideas, and approaches — together with our employees and partners, we can help all people improve their lives from poverty and health to education. As an organization we offer hybrid work arrangements, generous PTO and contribution to your retirement fund, a diverse and inclusive workplace backed by 11 Employee Resource Groups and embed DEI in everything we do!
The Team
The Business Operations organization strives to enable the foundation’s 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 resources.
"Guidance, Solutions, Integrity" describes the legal team'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 team delivers comprehensive legal services by providing efficient and reliable legal guidance, managing legal risk, and supporting the development of solutions.
Role Summary
This role will serve as an active member of the foundation's legal team and collaborate with other team members to represent the entire foundation and ensure effective coverage, work allocation and communication regarding legal issues across the foundation, all from a "one legal team" and "one foundation" perspective. This role will provide legal support complex transactions, including program related investments (“PRIs”) and collaborations in furtherance of the foundation’s charitable objectives (collectively, “Investments”). Representative internal clients include the foundation’s Strategic Investment Fund (“SIF”) and Biotech Accelerator teams. For more information about the SIF Team, please refer here. The Biotech Accelerator team leverages several tools, including grants and equity, to fund the conception, design, and testing of fundamentally new biotech platforms that have the potential to change current best practices or business models and show proof of concept for these platforms in furtherance of the foundation’s charitable objectives.
Your Role
Understand and support the programmatic, operational, and business objectives of internal client groups, develop creative solutions, and resolve issues using the appropriate legal framework in consideration of the foundation's values and consistent with foundation practices and policies.
Structure, negotiate, and draft documents related to the foundation’s Investments and provide practical business-oriented legal advice and counsel, and become a trusted advisor to internal foundation client groups.
Provide legal support for the management and maintenance of existing Investments.
Provide guidance in developing and implementing strategies to accomplish the foundation's goal of global access (making access to technology and products available at an affordable price in low and lower-middle income countries, U.S. educational markets and elsewhere and promoting broad dissemination of knowledge and information).
Provide support in other legal matters or foundation policies and issues as needed.
Manage outside counsel as appropriate.
Train and educate foundation personnel regarding laws and best practices applicable to business transactions, global access and private foundations.
Keep current on new and emerging laws and policy developments impacting business transactions and private foundations.
Legal management of the transaction documentation process, including maintenance of formal document templates.
Your Experience
Juris Doctor and a minimum of 10 years of experience in the practice of law with demonstrated expertise in being the lead lawyer on complex transactions, including equity investments, debt financings, complex collaboration/commercial agreements, and cross-border transactions.
Experience with transactions that involve nuanced intellectual property matters and securities laws issues is helpful.
Superior drafting and negotiating abilities are required.
History of effectively servicing highly-skilled and demanding client base, balancing and prioritizing multiple tasks, establishing a role as a trusted advisor and providing innovative solutions in a complex and fast-paced environment.
Strong business sense and client focus, with the ability to work with business teams and embrace appropriate risk-taking to achieve programmatic objectives.
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 the ability to communicate and interact effectively with clients at all levels of the foundation and build strong client relations.
Self-motivated and a passion for both the mission of the foundation and understanding the foundation’s programmatic goals.
Current bar membership is required.
Highest standards of ethics and integrity.
Team oriented with a sense of humor.
Other Attributes
Willing to travel as required.
Open to both Seattle (preference) and Washington, D.C.
*Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.
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Hiring Requirements
As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.
Depending upon your work location, we may require proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 and any recommended booster doses. All employees based in the United States are to provide proof of full vaccination upon hire and any recommended boosters, subject to applicable laws.
Accommodations
If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request to .
Inclusion Statement
We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We’re committed to creating a workplace where employees thrive both personally and professionally. We also believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve—in race, gender, age, cultures and beliefs—and we support this diversity through all of 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.
Apply online: http://gatesfoundation.contacthr.com/114105691
