Description:
Join AIR as a Senior Legal Counsel and use your experience and expertise to help us deliver on our mission: to generate and use rigorous evidence that contributes to a better, more equitable world for all.The Senior Legal Counsel will serve as a strategic legal advisor, offering broad guidance across organizational matters, managing legal risk, supporting compliance and governance, and fostering collaboration with internal teams and external counsel. This role is for a legal generalist with deep expertise in at least one of the following areas: labor and employment law, government contracts, data privacy, nonprofit corporate governance, or tax-exempt organizations. The Senior Legal Counsel will report to the Chief Legal Officer. The successful candidate will bring a collaborative mindset, strategic thinking, and the ability to earn trust across a wide range of stakeholder groups.
This is a hybrid position that requires the individual to work from AIR's Arlington, Virginia office one to two days per week.
Responsibilities:
The responsibilities for the position include:
- Provide legal guidance across a broad range of issues affecting the organization.
- Serve as a strategic partner to internal teams, helping define the role of legal in business operations.
- Assess legal risks and present practical, solution-oriented advice.
- Draft, review, and negotiate corporate resolutions, contracts, policies and other legal documents.
- Support compliance efforts and corporate governance initiatives.
- Collaborate with external counsel as needed.
- Stay current on relevant legal developments and proactively advise the organization.
- Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time based on business needs.
Qualifications:
Education, Knowledge, and Experience:
- Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school and at least 15 years of relevant experience.
- Admission to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
- Minimum of 12 years of legal experience in private practice, government, or in-house settings.
- Prior in-house legal experience strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated depth in at least one of the following areas:
- Labor and employment law
- Government contracts
- Data privacy
- Copyright and trademark
- Nonprofit corporate governance
- Tax-exempt organizations
- Strong understanding of legal risk management, compliance, and corporate governance.
- Experience addressing legal issues associated with government contracts or grants.
- Experience collaborating with external counsel and cross-functional teams.
Skills:
- Strategic thinking and problem-solving with the ability to present practical, solution-oriented advice.
- Sophistication in defining the role of legal within a business context and fostering collaboration.
- Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
- Ability to quickly earn trust and build credibility across a wide range of stakeholder groups.
- High level of professional integrity and discretion.
- Proficient in using standard Microsoft 365, including OneDrive, SharePoint, Excel (advanced), Word, PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat Pro.