Vice President of Legal and Compliance Services and General Counsel

SUMMARY

UnidosUS (formerly NCLR) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that serves as the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization. Since 1968, we have challenged the social, economic, and political barriers that affect Latinos through our unique combination of expert research, advocacy, programs, and an Affiliate Network of more than 300 community-based organizations across the United States and Puerto Rico. We believe in an America where economic, political, and social progress is a reality for all Latinos, and we collaborate across communities to achieve it.

Reporting to the CFO, the Vice President of Legal & Compliance Services and General Counsel is the organization’s senior legal and compliance advisor providing expert legal counsel and strategic guidance to the Board of Directors, Audit Committee, Leadership, and Management.

This position will possess a deep and broad understanding of the law, especially laws governing tax exempt organizations, including 501-c-3s, 501-c-4s, and 501-c-6s. This position will be able to translate their knowledge and experience into clear, concise, and practical legal advice that aligns with the organization’s mission, strategy, and goals.

This position will be able to proactively identify legal risks and offer solutions to mitigate them, potentially saving the organization from costly litigation and regulatory fines. This position will understand the organization inside and out and will possess the ability to translate complex legal issues into targeted strategies, and be able to work closely with the CEO, COO, CFO, and other top executives to align legal strategies with organizational objectives.

This position is responsible for a broad portfolio of legal and compliance functions, including (i) ensuring legal compliance with federal and state, laws, regulations, and grants; (ii) advising the Audit Committee on matters pertaining to enterprise risk management; (iii) providing advice about legal issues pertaining to program, policy, advocacy, legislative affairs, voter registration, immigration, as well as regulatory and tax compliance matters; (iv) representing the organization in litigation and court matters; (v) ensuring compliance with the document retention policy; (vi) supporting the disaster recovery and business continuity program; (vii) administering all federal and state business registrations such as state solicitation and fundraising registrations; (viii) advising on the adequacy of directors and officers and other business insurance coverages; (ix) ensuring compliance with procurement, contracting, grant-making, and other policies and procedures; and (x) securing specialized legal and compliance advice from third-party experts whenever necessary.

This position is a member of the UnidosUS Leadership Team and is responsible for collaborating with designated employees within each department from across the organization in a matrixed structure to procure goods and services; to enter into and ensure compliance with contracts, inbound and outbound grants, and other legal agreements; and to deliver other legal and compliance services.

Location: This position is hybrid, and will be based in Washington, DC. UnidosUS policy is to work onsite at least two days per week or as needed to fulfill the duties of the position.

Salary: $270,000-$300,000

Essential Functions:

• Legal & Compliance Management: Create and operate an internal function that serves as a centralized center of excellence for all legal and compliance matters, including designing a matrixed process with governing policies and procedures that requires each department and its designated employees to first seek the legal department’s advice, counsel, review, and approval before a) procuring goods and services, b) entering into any type of legal agreement, c) responding to a subpoena or request for information, d) engaging in litigation matters; and e) concluding on matters of legal or regulatory compliance, corporate governance, intellectual property rights, cybersecurity attacks, and other enterprise risk management areas.
• Expert Legal Advice and Counsel: Provide legal advice and strategic guidance to the Board, Cabinet, Leadership Team, and Management on a wide variety of complex legal, governance, regulatory, compliance, program, policy, advocacy, and operational matters.
• Outside Legal Counsel Management: Maintain partnerships with a network of reputable law firms and legal professionals who have specialized knowledge, niche expertise, and requisite subject matter expertise that may be required from time to time to address unique or unusual legal, regulatory, and compliance matters and to develop ongoing strategies to protect and defend the organization from a variety of new and emerging business risks and threats.
• Matrixed Management: This position currently does not directly manage any staff. In recognition that internal legal and compliance services are delivered through a matrixed structure in which much of the creation and management of contracts, grants, subgrants, and other legal agreements are created and managed by employees outside of the legal department, this position will be required to demonstrate a variety of soft skills, including enterprise-wide collaboration, excellent communication, effective listening and comprehension, motivation and influencing, conflict resolution, time management, prioritizing and multi-tasking, and cross-functional teamwork.
• Enterprise-wide Compliance: Ensure compliance with a wide variety of legal, governance, regulatory, contractual, and operational matters, including compliance with (i) IRS regulations; (ii) legal agreements; (iii) OMB’s guidance for federal awards; (iv) governing documents that delineate each entity’s legal structure, governance requirements, operational guidelines, and state reporting obligations; and (v) all laws, regulations, and internal policies.
• Procurement of Goods and Services: Create and maintain a centralized procurement compliance function that is governed by procurement policies and procedures that all employees must adhere to in order to procure goods and services with and without federal funds, including formal RFP requirements and authorization limits.
• Legal Contracts for Goods and Services: Create and maintain a centralized contracting compliance function designed around nonprofit best practices, policies, and procedures that require the use of mandatory contract terms and conditions, pre-approved contract templates, and authorization limits.
• Outbound Grant Agreements: Create and maintain a centralized outbound grantmaking compliance process designed around nonprofit best practices, polices, and procedures that require the use of mandatory terms and conditions, pre-approved grant agreement templates, and authorization limits.
• Inbound Grant Agreements: Create and maintain a centralized inbound grants management compliance function that ensures terms and conditions are reasonable; certifications and acknowledgments are accurate; and federal grants are in compliance with OMB Uniform Guidance.
• Solicitation of Funds: In close collaboration with the Resource Development team, ensure the organization is in compliance with state laws that regulate the solicitation of funds for charitable purposes.
• Risk Management and Mitigation: In collaboration with the Audit Committee, ensure the organization’s enterprise risk management function supports the organization’s mission, strategic goals, and objectives while identifying and mitigating risks; and providing crisis management guidance.
• Pre-litigation and Litigation: In collaboration with outside counsel, lead and manage litigation, and other legal disputes involving the organization, including (i) preparing for and representing the organization in court proceedings; (ii) safeguarding the organization’s rights and interests; (iii) conducting legal research and analysis; (iv) engaging in negotiation and settlement discussions; and (vi) advocating on the organization’s behalf during trial.
• Subpoenas, Information Requests, & Investigations: Lead the organization’s strategic response to subpoenas, information requests, depositions, testimonies, and investigations, including (i) determining the organization’s proper response to information and public access requests; (ii) preparing the organization for investigations; (iii) properly handling the production of records in response to subpoenas and other requests; and (iv) advising employees how to prepare for a deposition or testimony under oath before a trail.
• Document Retention: Ensure the organization’s document retention policy is consistent with best practices and being adhered to, including properly retaining documents long enough to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and legal obligations and discarding designated documents in a timely and secure manner.
• Business Insurance Coverage: Ensure insurance coverage is commensurate with each associated risk and is a strategic component of the organization’s overall enterprise risk management program. Also, assist in the design of insurance terms such as coverage limits and deductible amount, and contribute to the negotiation of insurance premiums.

Required Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree with strong academic record, bar membership in good standing; the ability to practice law in the District of Columbia and the ability identify and mitigate the organization’s legal and compliance risks across the United States.
• At least 15 years of experience in tax-exempt / non-profit law working for an in-house legal department, law firm, and/or governmental agency, including hands-on litigation experience; and expertise in areas such as tax-exempt and employment law; political and lobbying regulations; federal award and other statutory compliance; and contracting, procurement, and fundraising.
• At least 10 years of experience directly leading and managing professional legal staff within a matrixed nonprofit organizational structure to deliver legal and compliance services, advice, and counsel for nonprofit organizations.
• At least 10 years of experience with nonprofit legal and compliance issues, including federal grants and contracts, civil rights, and enterprise risk management issues.
• At least 10 years of experience providing advice about legal and compliance issues pertaining to program, policy, advocacy, legislative affairs, and regulatory and tax compliance matters.
• At least 10 years of experience providing advice about the procurement of goods and services, including negotiating price and quality; and preparing legal contracts, inbound grants, outbound grants, and other legal documents.
• At least 10 years of experience in preparing presentations, documents, and reports for the board of directors; audit committee, and senior leadership as well as experience making presentations.
• At least 10 years of experience representing or preparing organizations for litigation and court matters; and responding to subpoenas and requests for information.
• At least 5 years of experience ensuring document retention and destruction best practices; supporting the disaster recovery, business continuity, and crisis management; and administering all federal, state, and local business, solicitation, and fundraising registrations.
• Ability to travel as needed (less than 10%).
• Familiarity with directors’ and officers’ insurance and other coverages; and writing policies and procedures related to procurement, contracting, and grant-making and ensuring compliance.
• Strong contract document drafting, negotiation, research, analysis, and written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and creatively with other legal and non-legal staff, both internal and external to the organization and to work independently, and a strong track record of integrity, honesty, professional discretion, and ability to manage sensitive/confidential matters.
• Demonstrated experience with and knowledge of the Latino community.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s in Business Administration (MBA).
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) skills.

Skills and Abilities

• Steadfast commitment to UnidosUS mission, vision, and values: Excellence, Respeto, Accountability as well as to U.S. Latino community, Latino non-profit organizations, and the Latino market.
• Ability to speak clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; to listen and get clarification, respond well to questions, to create and deliver excellent presentations; and to effectively lead, manage, and facilitate all types of groups meetings.
• Excellent organizational and e-file management skills; desire and ability to role-up sleeves and directly perform the work; and demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced, complex, and matrixed work environment, including simultaneously working on multiple priority projects with non-negotiable deadlines.
• Self-motivated, initiative-taking, and ability to work independently; ability and desire to do what it takes to achieve excellent results on a sustained basis; and ability to collaborate with employees at all levels and departments throughout the organization to perform the work and achieve desired goals and objectives.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, prioritize assignments, meet deadlines, and follow up; and must be well organized, have a strong attention to detail, resourceful, innovative, flexible, and a good problem-solver.
• Proficient in the use of a variety of research tools including Lexus Nexis and various artificial intelligence applications such as ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Co-Pilot.
• Committed to professional growth and development for self and any future staff; takes responsibility for decisions and work product; accessible to employees on a daily basis; solicits and applies customer feedback (internal and external); fosters quality work; improves processes, products and services; continually works to improve knowledge and skills; leads by example; promotes a culture of customer service and accountability; and skilled in recruiting, hiring, and retaining top talent.
• Displays willingness to make decisions; exhibits sound and accurate judgment; supports and explains reasoning for decisions; includes appropriate people in decision-making process; and makes timely decisions.

Competencies

• Problem Solving--Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Develops alternative solutions; Works well in group problem solving situations; Uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Oral Communication--Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; Listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Demonstrates group presentation skills; Participates in meetings.
• Written Communication--Writes clearly and informatively; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet needs; Presents numerical data effectively; Able to read and interpret written information.
• Leadership--Exhibits confidence in self and others; Inspires and motivates others to perform well; Effectively influences actions and opinions of others; Accepts feedback from others; Gives appropriate recognition to others.
• Business Acumen--Understands business implications of decisions; Displays orientation to profitability; Demonstrates knowledge of market and competition; Aligns work with strategic goals.
• Judgment--Displays willingness to make decisions; Exhibits sound and accurate judgment; Supports and explains reasoning for decisions; Includes appropriate people in decision- making process; Makes timely decisions.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Ability to travel as needed (less than 10%).
• Accurately complete detailed forms and reports.
• Coordinate multiple tasks simultaneously and perform some repetitive motion activities.
• Sit for prolonged periods of time, frequently required to stand, walk, and sit.
• Frequently required to utilize hand/finger dexterity & frequently required to talk or hear.
• Occasionally required to lift/push light weights up to 25 pounds.
• Vision abilities incl. close, distance, peripheral, & depth vision; and ability to adjust or focus.
• Utilize visual acuity to operate equipment, read technical information, and/or use a keyboard.
• The noise level in the work environment usually is quiet to moderately loud.

COVID-19 Considerations:

• UnidosUS follows

CDC guidance and strongly encourages employees to stay up to date on vaccinations and practice a range of preventive measures to support their well-being and maintain a healthy work environment.

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or physical requirements. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

ABOUT US

UnidosUS (formerly NCLR) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that serves as the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization. Since 1968, we have challenged the social, economic, and political barriers that affect Latinos through our unique combination of expert research, advocacy, programs, and an Affiliate Network of more than 300 community-based organizations across the United States and Puerto Rico. We believe in an America where economic, political, and social progress is a reality for all Latinos, and we collaborate across communities to achieve it. For more information on UnidosUS, visit unidosus.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads and X.

Employment with UnidosUS is contingent upon the successful completion of a background screen.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, national origin, marital status, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, personal appearance, family responsibilities, political affiliation, or enrollment in a college, university, technical school, or adult education.