Senior Counsel, Philanthropy in United States Embassy at Jobgether

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Senior Counsel, Philanthropy based in the United States.

This senior legal role provides strategic counsel to a mission-driven organization focused on advancing social impact and supporting communities through philanthropic initiatives.
The position serves as a key legal advisor on charitable giving, nonprofit compliance, and complex regulatory matters.
You will guide executive leaders and cross-functional teams by translating legal requirements into practical solutions and risk management strategies.
The role offers the opportunity to shape policies, programs, and operational frameworks across a wide range of philanthropic activities.
You will work on matters involving donor advised funds, grantmaking, investments, fiscal sponsorship, and nonprofit governance.
This is a highly collaborative environment where legal expertise directly supports meaningful social impact and organizational growth.

The Senior Counsel, Philanthropy will provide expert legal guidance across charitable operations while helping strengthen compliance practices, manage risk, and enable innovative philanthropic solutions. The role requires strong judgment, cross-functional influence, and the ability to make complex legal concepts accessible to business partners.

• Serve as a senior legal advisor on charitable and exempt-organization law, including nonprofit tax compliance, grantmaking practices, fiscal sponsorship, partner due diligence, and advocacy regulations.
• Advise leadership and internal teams on complex philanthropic activities, including donor advised funds, international grants, grants to non-501(c)(3) entities, and mission-related investments.
• Review, negotiate, and develop legal agreements, grant documents, investment materials, policies, templates, and operational guidelines.
• Lead legal reviews for new programs, services, and initiatives while identifying potential risks and recommending practical mitigation strategies.
• Provide guidance on election-related activities, advocacy work, political restrictions, donor disclosure requirements, and communications compliance.
• Support compliance program development by translating legal requirements into effective tools, processes, and policies.
• Manage legal projects with cross-functional teams and provide technical leadership, training, and knowledge sharing across the organization.
• Monitor regulatory and legislative developments affecting nonprofit organizations and communicate their impact on operations and strategy.
• Support responses to legal inquiries, investigations, subpoenas, and external counsel coordination when required.
• Advise on nonprofit structures, fiscal sponsorship models, investment programs, and other specialized legal matters.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in nonprofit and charitable sector law, strong advisory capabilities, and the ability to balance legal compliance with organizational goals. They should be comfortable partnering with executives and diverse stakeholders in a purpose-driven environment.

• Juris Doctor degree and California law license or registered in-house counsel status required.
• 8+ years of experience practicing charitable sector law, including nonprofit tax, exempt organization compliance, fiscal sponsorship, and/or election and advocacy regulations.
• Experience advising charitable organizations, public foundations, or similar nonprofit entities in-house or through private practice.
• Principal-level knowledge of 501(c)(3) requirements, expenditure responsibility rules, grantmaking compliance, and nonprofit governance.
• Experience advising on mission-related and program-related investments, including applicable regulatory requirements, is preferred.
• Familiarity with fiscal sponsorship, intermediary organizations, or multi-entity nonprofit structures is strongly preferred.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex legal topics clearly to non-legal audiences.
• Excellent judgment, discretion, and ability to manage confidential or sensitive matters.
• Strong risk assessment skills, with the ability to distinguish significant business risks from theoretical concerns.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across teams while maintaining a strong commitment to legal standards and organizational values.

• Competitive base salary ranging from $132,600 to $199,000 USD depending on geographic tier and location.
• Fully remote work environment.
• Opportunity to contribute to meaningful philanthropic and social impact initiatives.
• Comprehensive benefits package.
• Supportive and collaborative workplace culture.
• Professional development and continuing education opportunities.
• Inclusive environment that values diverse perspectives and backgrounds.