Deputy General Counsel & Chief of Legal Operations (Volunteer)

Deputy General Counsel & Chief of Legal Operations (Volunteer)

PromiseTrust | Legal Operations, Governance & Organizational Excellence

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Division: PromiseTrust

Location: Remote / Hybrid (NYC Collaboration as Needed)

Type: Volunteer Executive Leadership Role

Commitment: Approximately 5–10 Hours Per Week

Minimum Commitment: 6-Month Commitment Required

Reports To: Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel

Works Closely With: Executive Leadership Team, Board of Directors, Division Chiefs, Outside Counsel, PromiseFinance, PromisePeople, PromiseShield, and Organizational Leadership

About Mentor A Promise

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a New York City–based nonprofit organization supporting children, youth, and families experiencing housing instability through mentorship, literacy, educational enrichment, social-emotional learning, creative expression, workforce development, housing innovation, and community-centered opportunity.

As MAP continues to grow, so does the need for strong legal operations, governance systems, organizational accountability, and institutional stewardship.

The legal function at MAP is not simply a support service.

It is a strategic partner in protecting the organization, enabling innovation, managing risk, and strengthening long-term sustainability.

About PromiseTrust

PromiseTrust serves as Mentor A Promise's Legal Division and is responsible for:

• Legal Affairs
• Corporate Governance
• Contracts & Agreements
• Compliance
• Risk Management
• Employment & Labor Relations
• Intellectual Property
• Board Governance
• Legal Operations
• Policy Development
• Organizational Accountability

PromiseTrust exists to help ensure MAP operates with integrity, transparency, accountability, and legal excellence while advancing its mission.

Role Overview

Mentor A Promise is seeking an experienced and highly organized Deputy General Counsel & Chief of Legal Operations to serve as the operational leader of PromiseTrust and the principal deputy to the Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel.

This executive leadership role is responsible for the day-to-day management, administration, coordination, and operational effectiveness of the Legal Division.

The Deputy General Counsel helps transform legal work into scalable systems, efficient processes, institutional knowledge, and strategic organizational capability.

This role oversees the operational infrastructure that allows the Legal Division to function effectively and support MAP's continued growth.

The ideal candidate combines legal expertise, operational excellence, project management discipline, and organizational leadership.

Core Areas of Responsibility

Legal Operations

Lead the day-to-day operations of the Legal Division by:

• Managing legal workflows and processes
• Developing operational procedures and standards
• Overseeing legal intake and request management
• Tracking legal matters and priorities
• Improving efficiency and responsiveness
• Supporting strategic planning and reporting

Serve as the operational backbone of PromiseTrust.

Legal Technology & Innovation

Oversee the division's legal technology ecosystem, including:

• Contract management platforms
• Matter management systems
• E-signature solutions
• Document management systems
• Legal workflow automation
• AI-enabled legal productivity tools
• Knowledge repositories

Help modernize and scale legal operations through technology.

Knowledge Management

Develop and maintain institutional legal knowledge systems, including:

• Contract libraries
• Legal templates
• Governance documents
• Compliance resources
• Policies and procedures
• Legal playbooks
• Training materials

Help preserve and strengthen MAP's institutional knowledge.

Outside Counsel Management

Coordinate and manage relationships with:

• Pro bono legal partners
• Law firms
• Specialized counsel
• Regulatory advisors
• Intellectual property counsel
• Employment counsel
• Real estate and housing counsel

Support engagement, communication, budgeting, and performance management of outside legal resources.

Budget Administration

Partner with PromiseFinance and Legal Leadership to:

• Develop legal budgets
• Monitor expenditures
• Forecast legal expenses
• Track outside counsel costs
• Evaluate vendor spending
• Improve resource allocation

Ensure strong financial stewardship within the Legal Division.

Legal Project Management

Lead legal project management efforts by:

• Tracking legal initiatives
• Managing timelines and deliverables
• Coordinating cross-functional projects
• Monitoring project progress
• Identifying risks and dependencies
• Supporting execution of strategic priorities

Help ensure legal work is delivered efficiently and effectively.

Governance & Board Support

Support governance operations involving:

• Board governance processes
• Committee coordination
• Corporate records management
• Organizational resolutions
• Governance documentation
• Governance reporting

Help strengthen institutional accountability and governance excellence.

Cross-Divisional Legal Partnership

Collaborate across MAP divisions, including:

• PromisePeople
• PromiseFinance
• PromiseShield
• PromisePublic
• PromiseStack
• PromiseLearning
• PromiseHousing
• Executive Leadership

Help ensure legal guidance and operational support remain integrated throughout the organization.

Qualifications

We welcome candidates from legal, nonprofit, corporate, governance, compliance, and operational leadership backgrounds.

Helpful experience may include:

• Legal Operations
• In-House Counsel
• Corporate Law
• Nonprofit Law
• Governance
• Compliance
• Contract Management
• Risk Management
• Legal Technology
• Project Management

Strong candidates often demonstrate:

• Exceptional organizational and leadership skills
• Strong legal judgment
• Operational management expertise
• Project management experience
• Strategic thinking
• Process improvement capabilities
• Excellent communication skills

Juris Doctor (JD) strongly preferred.

Licensed attorney preferred but not required for exceptional legal operations professionals.

First-Year Priorities

Within the first year, this leader will help:

• Establish operational standards for PromiseTrust
• Implement legal matter and contract tracking systems
• Build a centralized legal knowledge repository
• Strengthen outside counsel management practices
• Improve legal project management processes
• Develop legal dashboards and reporting systems
• Enhance governance documentation and workflows
• Support the continued growth of MAP's legal infrastructure

Success Measures

Success in this role includes:

• Improved Legal Division efficiency
• Strong legal matter tracking and visibility
• Effective outside counsel management
• Well-maintained legal knowledge systems
• Strong project delivery and execution
• Improved governance support
• Effective budget management
• Increased organizational confidence in legal operations

Why This Role Matters

As organizations grow, legal complexity grows with them.

Strong legal leadership requires more than legal expertise.

It requires systems.

It requires coordination.

It requires operational excellence.

The Deputy General Counsel & Chief of Legal Operations helps ensure that PromiseTrust operates as a modern, efficient, and strategic legal function capable of supporting MAP's mission and future growth.

This role helps transform legal support into institutional strength.

What You'll Gain

• Executive leadership experience within a growing nonprofit organization
• Opportunity to help build and scale a best-in-class legal division
• Direct collaboration with executive leadership and board governance
• Experience overseeing legal operations, technology, governance, and compliance systems
• Professional references and letters of recommendation
• Meaningful impact supporting children, youth, and families experiencing housing instability

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist and submit:

• Resume or CV
• Brief statement of interest
• Relevant legal, governance, compliance, or operational leadership experience

Please share experience involving:

• Legal Operations
• Governance
• Compliance
• Contract Management
• Legal Technology
• Project Management
• Organizational Leadership

Help build the legal foundation behind the mission.

Because strong organizations are built not only through vision—but through governance, accountability, and trust.

This role holds the pieces together.

From legal operations to governance to execution—help ensure the Legal Division operates with excellence before challenges arise.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with our organization. At this time, volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, and programmatic requirements. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.