General Counsel

Description:

Overview:
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Company Overview:
Radio Free Asia (RFA) is an independent, nonprofit news organization with a singular and powerful mission: to provide accurate, uncensored news and information to people living in countries where a free press is restricted, controlled, or does not exist.

For nearly three decades, RFA has served as a trusted source of independent journalism across Asia, delivering reporting in multiple languages to audiences in China, North Korea, Tibet, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and other regions where access to reliable information can be limited or actively suppressed. Through radio broadcasts, digital platforms, and multimedia journalism, RFA provides millions of people with access to facts, perspectives, and stories that might otherwise remain untold.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., RFA operates with full editorial independence as a private, nonprofit organization funded through a federal grant from the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). Its journalists and contributors work in some of the world's most challenging media environments, often navigating significant political, legal, and personal risks in pursuit of truthful reporting.

Today, RFA stands at a pivotal moment. As the global media landscape continues to evolve and geopolitical tensions reshape the environment in which independent journalism operates, the organization is navigating significant change while remaining steadfast in its commitment to press freedom, accountability, and public service. The issues facing RFA are complex, highly visible, and often unprecedented, requiring thoughtful leadership, adaptability, and strategic decision-making across every part of the organization.

As funding structures, geopolitical realities, and the media landscape continue to evolve, RFA is rebuilding and positioning itself for the future. This creates a unique opportunity for the General Counsel to help shape the next chapter of the organization and ensure that strong legal, governance, and operational foundations support long-term success.

For leaders who are motivated by mission and energized by complexity, RFA offers a rare opportunity to contribute to work with meaningful global impact. The organization's commitment to journalistic excellence, freedom of expression, and access to information has never been more important—or more relevant—than it is today.

Role Summary:
Reporting to the President, the General Counsel (GC) serves as the chief legal advisor and a strategic thought partner to the President, Board of Directors, and senior leadership team of Radio Free Asia (RFA). More than the organization's lead attorney, the General Counsel is an enterprise leader who helps shape decisions, manage risk, and ensure that the organization can fulfill its mission in an increasingly complex legal, regulatory, and geopolitical environment.

Radio Free Asia occupies a unique and critically important space. Operating under a congressional mandate and with full editorial independence, RFA delivers accurate and uncensored news and information to audiences living in countries where free press does not exist. Supporting that mission requires legal leadership that is sophisticated, agile, and deeply grounded in both sound judgment and organizational strategy.

The General Counsel provides counsel across a broad range of issues including governance, employment and labor matters, contracts, litigation, intellectual property, federal grant compliance, insurance, and media related legal issues. At the same time, the role extends well beyond traditional legal practice. The General Counsel serves as a trusted advisor to organizational leadership, helping navigate complex questions involving press freedom, censorship, reputational risk, international operations, and the rapidly evolving external environment in which RFA operates.

This leader will work closely with the President and executive team to ensure legal considerations are integrated into strategic and operational decisions. They will partner with the Board of Directors on governance matters and serve as Corporate Secretary, ensuring the organization maintains strong governance practices, sound policies, and an unwavering commitment to integrity and accountability.

RFA is operating in a period of significant change and external uncertainty. Accordingly, the General Counsel must bring the judgment, resilience, and adaptability necessary to lead through ambiguity and complexity. Success in the role will require a leader who is equally comfortable serving as counselor, strategist, problem solver, and collaborator, balancing legal considerations with mission priorities and operational realities.

The successful candidate will bring a pragmatic, solutions-oriented approach and will be comfortable moving seamlessly between strategic counsel and day-to-day problem solving. They will possess the agility and resilience required to operate effectively in an environment characterized by change, ambiguity, and evolving priorities.

The General Counsel oversees relationships with outside counsel and specialized legal resources and is responsible for ensuring that legal matters are addressed proactively, efficiently, and in a manner that protects both the organization and its long-term mission. They will foster trust and credibility across the enterprise through responsiveness, transparency, and a practical approach to problem solving.

As a member of the senior leadership team, the General Counsel will contribute broadly to organizational strategy and culture, bringing a collaborative mindset, exceptional judgment, and a deep appreciation for the importance of independent journalism and freedom of expression.

Responsibilities:
Key Near-Term Priorities

• Serve as a strategic advisor to the President and senior leadership team during a period of organizational transformation and external uncertainty.
• Strengthen governance practices, legal processes, and enterprise risk management capabilities.
• Evaluate the use of outside counsel and specialized legal resources.
• Provide guidance on matters involving federal grants, labor and employment issues, international
• operations, and media-related legal risks.
• Support the continued evolution of organizational policies and practices to ensure compliance while enabling operational effectiveness.
• Partner closely with the Board of Directors and its committees to maintain strong governance and accountability.
• Help the organization navigate emerging legal, regulatory, and geopolitical developments affecting international journalism and press freedom.

Principal Duties & Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic legal counsel and enterprise-wide guidance.
• Serve as the chief legal advisor to the President, Board of Directors, and senior leadership team on matters involving governance, non-profit organizations, employment and labor law, immigration, contracts, litigation, intellectual property, federal grants, insurance, and regulatory compliance.
• Conduct legal research and provide practical, business-focused guidance to support organizational decision-making.
• Interpret U.S. laws, foreign laws, and international agreements relevant to RFA's operations and international broadcasting activities.
• Provide guidance regarding issues involving press freedom, censorship, libel, defamation, and other media-related matters.
• Advise departments across the organization on copyright and fair use, disciplinary actions, licensing, trademarks, internal policies, public statements, and litigation risk mitigation