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Posted October 16, 2019

General Counsel

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
Austin, TX Full Time

We are currently looking for a General Counsel, based in Austin, Texas. This is a senior level role reporting to the Foundation’s Chief Business...

We are currently looking for a General Counsel, based in Austin, Texas. This is a senior level role reporting to the Foundation’s Chief Business Officer. This position will provide strategic leadership, executive-level legal and business guidance and insights on the full span of Foundation charitable and business activities in the United States, India and South Africa, to the senior leadership of the Foundation.

The General Counsel will support the entire range of Foundation operations, including grantmaking, program related investments (including equity and debt investments), tax-exemption compliance, risk management, contracting, human resources, communications, and intellectual property matters. Critical to this role will be the application of legal experience in solving various strategic & operational challenges in different business contexts & environments.

Key Aspects of this Role:

Be a strategic advisor & thought partner to the Chief Business Officer & Executive Director on new business development, change management & operational initiatives at the Foundation.

Lead the foundation’s internal & external legal resources to maximize social impact & scale operations through the creative and effective use of a variety of financial tools and incentives, including grants, equity investments, debt structures, and service contracts, negotiated with a wide range of partner organizations operating in various countries.

Advise and provide legal counsel on a range of technology and business opportunities related to technology investments the foundation has made to drive social impact, including market-facing operational initiatives (including the Ed-Fi Alliance, GradSnapp, ScholarSnapp, and Data Driven Districts) & internal development priorities.

Advise and support the Human Resources team to maximize empowerment & minimize risk, including labor law, benefits, immigration/visa issues & legal training for employees.

Work closely with the Communications team on all matters relating to protection of the reputation of the Foundation and its founders, including public relations, social media, publications/blogs/website, and other external communications.

Provide risk management guidance as needed to all levels of Foundation staff, including advice and counsel on managing conflicts of interest, contract structures, non-disclosures, annual audits, litigation matters, records retention, and other risk management areas.

Identify organizational-wide policies and processes with legal implications, and take ownership of creating, drafting, ensuring collaborative buy-in, and implementing such policies.

Other responsibilities as asked by the Chief Business Office or Executive Director or Board of Directors.

This is an important and strategic role within the Foundation, and our expectations are equally high. The successful candidate will have experience with the following:

Executive leadership and influencing, both with internal clients and external grantees, investees and other partners, coupled with hands-on execution and delivery

Analyzing complex matters and generating a variety of creative potential solutions that meet both business and legal requirements

Creating and implementing approaches to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the Foundation’s Legal team and the Foundation’s operations overall

Leading a team of legal staff, including providing guidance, direction and professional development to the Foundation Legal team’s attorneys and paralegal

Qualifications & Experience:

Bachelor’s degree and law degree from an accredited US law school required

Unrestricted ability to practice law in Texas in an in-house setting required

Minimum 15 years of experience as a practicing business/transactional lawyer

In-house counsel experience a strong plus

Experience in various business environments a plus

Technology law (including data privacy and security) expertise a plus

Experience working on complex private equity investments and/or financial transactions a plus

Experience with Indian or South African law a plus

Experience in corporate tax a plus

Non-profit/tax-exempt organizations expertise a plus

In addition, the successful candidate for the General Counsel position will demonstrate the following characteristics:

High level of execution focus

Creative problem-solving orientation and consensus-building skills, with the ability to provide sound, actionable advice

Ability to identify salient legal risks and address them effectively, quickly and in a business-appropriate manner

Collaborative and value-added approach

Highest level of ethics, discretion, confidentiality, and professional integrity

Superior writing, communication and presentation skills

Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally

Passion for the mission of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation

This listing expired on Dec 15. Applications are no longer accepted.

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