Job Opportunity for Associate General Counsel at Gates Foundation in New Delhi

Application deadline – August 8, 2022

Group Summary

“Guidance, Solutions, Integrity” describes the legal team’s approach to providing responsive legal guidance supporting the foundation’s mission and strategy implementation. Legal team members represent the entire foundation and the legal team offers creative solutions that support the accomplishment of foundation objectives, develops and implements efficient legal processes to streamline the foundation’s investment practices, and applies preventive legal strategies and policies to address risk and support the safeguarding of the foundation’s reputation.

Leadership and Culture

Our culture shapes our choices about what we do and how we do it. We believe that energized people, working well together, fueled by great leadership in an inclusive environment can do extraordinary things. We expect foundation employees to intentionally and consistently embody our values of optimism, collaboration, rigor, innovation, and inclusion.

Location Summary

Our efforts in India focus on key issues that will affect the future of India’s most vulnerable communities: reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health and nutrition; urban sanitation; agricultural development; gender equality, and digital financial inclusion. With a particular focus on Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, we work with partners to develop impactful and sustainable solutions to improve the quality and coverage of key services for the poor and vulnerable. We also work in the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh to support programs in urban sanitation, agricultural development, gender equality, and digital financial inclusion.

Position Summary

Serve as a 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. 

The role will report to a Director in the Legal team based in Seattle. 

Core Responsibilities

• 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 legal documents related to the foundation’s investments, including grants, contracts, and complex collaborations in furtherance of the foundation’s charitable strategies.
• Understand legal compliance best practices for foundation grants, investments and other foundation activities, including with respect to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act and other applicable laws, Global Access, data/privacy matters, charitability, intellectual property, for-profit engagement and advocacy.
• Demonstrate generalist expertise to identify legal issues and collaborate, where appropriate, with other legal team members to lead the resolution of legal issues related to foundation activities across India and other countries in Asia, as appropriate, in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
• Serve as the legal team’s relationship manager for the foundation’s India Country Office, working closely with the leadership of that office and providing guidance and helping to coordinate resources where appropriate.
• Facilitate compliance with regulatory requirements applicable to the foundation’s India Country Office and other India-based activities, including collaborating with other legal team members on operational matters, including requirements related to employment/labor, tax, business registration, cybersecurity, insurance, records retention, and workplace health and safety. 
• Establish a partnership of trust with key partners and participate as a strategic and day-to-day advisor.
• Build relationships with and manage outside counsel, as applicable. 
• Support training and education of foundation personnel on legal issues, as well as grantees and partners as appropriate.
• Keep current on and track relevant new and emerging laws, policy developments and best practices, including those relating to tax-exempt organizations, private foundations, cross-border giving and operational compliance across India.
• Travel to the foundation’s offices in the U.S. at least three times a year and other foundation offices, as appropriate; other travel as required. 

Core Knowledge & Skills

• Direct experience guiding and generally advising clients on broad and multi-jurisdictional commercial legal and business matters in India, with knowledge of grant making and other investment vehicles within philanthropy a plus.
• Expertise in leading, drafting and negotiating complex transactions and collaborative relationships.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and build relationships to gain the respect and trust of others.
• Ability to communicate complex legal concepts clearly and non-legalistically to clients in both writing and orally. 
• Ability to work with diplomacy, flexibility, efficiency, intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm both individually and collaboratively as part of a team effort in a highly matrixed organization.
• Ability to prioritize work in context of the foundation’s risk tolerance framework, priorities and objectives.
• Demonstrated passion for the foundation’s mission and values and legal team purpose statement.
• Comfortable in a wide range of cultural and geographic settings, demonstrating culturally sensitive behavior with a diverse range of people.
• Highest standards of ethics and integrity.
• Sense of balance, humor and perspective.  

Education & Experience

• Bachelor of Law with preferably 15 years’ experience in the practice of law; a combination of law firm and in-house counsel experience preferred; current bar membership or the equivalent is required.
• History of effectively supporting a demanding client base, serving as counselor on ground-breaking, emerging legal issues in a complex, fast-paced and evolving legal and policy environment.

*Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.

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 hr@gatesfoundation.org.

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.