General Counsel (9630)

PATH is a global non-profit organization that works to accelerate health equity by bringing together public institutions, businesses, social enterprises, and investors to solve the world’s most pressing health challenges. With expertise in science, health, economics, technology, advocacy, and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales solutions—including vaccines, drugs, devices, diagnostics, and innovative approaches to strengthening health systems worldwide. PATH has projects in over 70 countries, offices in over 20 countries, and approximately 1500 full-time employees worldwide.

We are seeking a General Counsel (GC) to be a key member of PATH’s Executive Team and provide overall legal leadership to the organization. In this role, the GC will report to the COO (with a dotted line to the CEO) and will provide legal advice to the Executive Team, Board of Directors, senior leaders and business managers. The GC is responsible for all of PATH’s legal affairs, including corporate governance, enterprise risk management, intellectual property, commercial agreements and transactions, litigation management, employment matters and human resources and international entity formation. Additionally, the GC will oversee the Legal Affairs department and outside counsel.

Beyond overseeing and optimizing the entire legal function, PATH is looking for a strategic, thoughtful and inspiring leader who will work closely with the COO, CEO, Executive Team and business leaders to contribute to PATH’s commitment to accelerating health equity. Ideal candidates will have a proven track record of vision, expertise, leadership and team-building. An ideal candidate will be forward thinking, global context savvy and able to engage at all levels of the organization. They will invite and manage divergent views and manage productive conflict and difficult decisions.

Responsibilities

• Ensure management of legal services for all PATH program areas and shared services/operational departments.
• Inspire, lead and oversee the Legal Affairs team. Advise and move forward the optimal structure and workflow of the Legal Affairs department, in addition to ensuring appropriate management of the department, including personnel and budget. This includes, looking beyond the Legal Affairs department to identify intersected work and collaborate with other functional areas to implement enhancements.
• In partnership with COO and internal departments, identify, prioritize, plan and implement risk management and compliance projects and strategies.
• Oversee and manage PATH’s enterprise risk management, working closely with COO, Finance and other internal stakeholders.
• Manage all governance-related aspects of PATH and subsidiary and affiliated entities, including legal advice to Board of Directors, participation in Board meetings and preparation of board resolutions and related documents.
• Ensure legal services and advice to Human Resources in the U.S. and globally (working with outside counsel and internal stakeholders), including immigration, separations of employment, conflict of interest and general employment and labor law compliance.
• Ensure compliance pertaining to tax-exempt status, including advising on permissibility of advocacy practices and lobbying regulations.
• Manage intellectual property portfolio and provide legal advice on intellectual property, including patents, copyright, trademark law.
• Responsible for legal advice on evaluating allegations of misconduct and internal investigations.
• Provide litigation oversight, including working with outside counsel.
• Advise on legal and regulatory issues impacting the nonprofit sector, and advise on potential impacts of ongoing policy development and changes.
• Oversee relationships with external attorneys and legal firms; ensure any outsourced legal need.
• Lead data privacy and compliance initiatives.

Required Experience

• JD from an accredited school and current bar membership in good standing in at least one US jurisdiction required. Current WA state bar membership preferred.
• 10+ years of relevant experience, including a minimum of five years leading a high-performing in-house legal team. Demonstrated experience in one or more of the following areas: complex commercial transactions, public/private partnerships, transactions addressing complex technology collaborations, including multi-party collaborations with a variety of and multiple partners – public sector, academia, pharmaceutical, biotech, or biomedical.
• Experience providing institutional legal counsel and advice with strong risk assessment skills.
• Experience providing legal leadership and advice within a global organization that operates in a complex, highly regulated and changing sector, preferably in the life sciences/biopharma, large NGO or public sector.
• Cultural sensitivity and experience in a global, geographically dispersed organization.
• Ability to evaluate, manage, redesign, and build teams in a complex, multifaceted setting.
• Entrepreneurial, energetic, adaptable, and resilient executive who is comfortable working in a changing and uncertain global environment.
• Capable of both developing organizational legal strategy and leading execution of initiatives.
• Rational, logical, and decisive leader makes decisions based upon data and facts.
• Adept EQ, exceptional communication skills and sound judgment.
• Excellent listener who seeks to understand and learn.
• Inspiring leader with gravitas, maturity, energy and humility.
• Experience in nonprofit governance, compliance and administration, including regulations and requirements pertaining to tax-exempt status, is a plus.

Must have legal authorization to work in the United States.

PATH is dedicated to building an inclusive workforce where diversity is valued.

PATH is an equal opportunity employer. Every qualified applicant will be considered for employment. PATH does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or orientation, genetic information, age, national origin, marital status, disability status, political ideology, military or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.