Counsel & Director of Legal Affairs

Description

• Advise the CEO, Board of Directors, and Board Committees on governance best practices, bylaws, committee charters, fiduciary duties, conflicts of interest, and overall nonprofit regulatory and organizational compliance.
• Develop and manage licensing strategies for standards, learning products, certification materials, and digital tools.
• Serve as the primary liaison to external legal counsel for litigation, employment law matters, intellectual property issues, and specialized legal needs.
• Contribute to AMPP’s data protection strategy and compliance with global privacy requirements.
• Provide hands-on support in internal compliance investigations.
• Assist in developing and maintaining handbooks, codes of conduct, workplace compliance policies, and training materials.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements supporting AMPP’s global portfolio of products, programs, services, events, strategic partnerships, and future organizational growth initiatives.
• Partner with Procurement, Finance, Operations, Events, and Commercial teams to structure agreements that balance risk management with business enablement.
• Support the Chief Standards Officer and standards leadership to ensure appropriate legal protection of standards development activities.
• Partner with Group Compliance to implement and monitor legal compliance policies at the local and global levels.
• Liaise with federal, state, and international authorities on legal and regulatory matters.
• Ensure compliance with applicable domestic and international data privacy, security, and industry-specific regulations, including U.S. federal and state privacy laws, payment and data security standards, child privacy requirements, and foreign data protection regimes.
• Lead contract lifecycle processes, templates, approvals, and workflow governance.
• Protect AMPP’s intellectual property portfolio, including standards, certification marks, trademarks, copyrighted content, digital products, research outputs, and educational materials.
• Lead compliance oversight across areas including tax-exempt organization rules, privacy regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), export controls, accreditation requirements, and nonprofit regulatory obligations.
• Deliver in-person legal and compliance training across the U.S. to support commercial law, ethics, contract risk, and compliance awareness.
• Support local M&A activity, including due diligence, transaction review, and integration.
• Advise on legal implications of new business models, strategic partnerships, growth initiatives, and product development.
• Ensure legal considerations are embedded early in business decision-making and aligned with organizational goals.
• Ensure AMPP maintains proper records, charter documents, governance frameworks, and legal filings.
• Provide proactive, solutions-oriented legal support to commercial teams, R&D, Operations, Membership, Education, and Events.
• Oversee all agreements such as MOUs, partnership contracts, vendor and service agreements, event/venue contracts, IP agreements, sponsorship agreements, data-use agreements, and licensing arrangements.
• Support organizational compliance related to harassment prevention, discrimination, workplace safety, and employee rights.
• Provide legal guidance to HR and leadership on employment-related matters, including hiring, discipline, terminations, accommodations, and internal investigations.
• Support and strengthen AMPP’s compliance framework, including whistleblower procedures, conflict-of-interest management, and ethics programs.
• Partner with the Senior Director of Board Relations to support the Board of Directors and committees, including preparation of legal documents, resolutions, policies, and governance materials.
• Advise on digital governance, data licensing, cybersecurity risk, technology contracts, and emerging AI/ML regulatory expectations.
• Serve as the first point of contact for compliance-related questions and concerns within the organization.
• Lead corporate governance and corporate maintenance activities, ensuring legal compliance and operational integrity.
• Manage and resolve claims, disputes, and pre-litigation issues in a manner that safeguards AMPP’s interests and supports fair outcomes.
• Oversee legal strategy, documentation, and cost management for external legal services.
• Support legal review for digital platforms, online services, databases, and data-driven product innovations.
• Oversee trademark registration, enforcement, and proper use of AMPP-owned marks.

Requirements

• Strong analytical abilities with the capacity to interpret and evaluate complex contractual terms, financial implications, risk models, and regulatory data.
• 8–12+ years of progressive legal experience in corporate, in-house, government, or association settings.
• Strong judgment, critical thinking, and legal problem-solving skills.
• Collaborative partner aligned with AMPP’s values (Connect, Listen, Anticipate, Simplify, Serve)
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving ability
• Experience in a law firm, corporate legal department, or regulatory agency.
• Experience working with professional associations, nonprofits, certification bodies, or standards organizations.
• Familiarity with ISO/IEC 17024, 17065, or 17020 accreditation frameworks.
• Expertise in commercial contracting, corporate governance, compliance, IP protection, employment law, and risk management.
• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited U.S. law school.
• Ability to manage multiple matters simultaneously and prioritize effectively.
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy in legal drafting and review.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust and collaborate cross-functionally.
• Able to develop sound, defensible recommendations in high-stakes or time-sensitive environments.
• Skilled at evaluating risk, synthesizing diverse information, and making decisions in ambiguous or rapidly evolving situations.
• Ability to review cost structures, quantify legal exposure, assess damages or liabilities, and support budgeting for outside counsel and major legal initiatives.
• Ability to translate complex legal issues into clear, practical business guidance.
• Ability to interpret complex statutes, regulations, contracts, and organizational policies.
• Active bar membership in at least one U.S. state; eligible for in-house counsel registration in Texas.
• Able to synthesize disparate information into clear, actionable legal recommendations for senior leadership.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Skilled in analyzing compliance metrics, market data, and operational information to support legal decision-making and organizational risk mitigation.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to align legal advice with organizational strategy.
• Experience in data governance, cybersecurity, AI/ML policy, or technology contracting.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, cross-functional, international environment.
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Practical and solutions-focused communicator
• Demonstrated ability to balance legal considerations with strategic business objectives.
• High level of professionalism, discretion, and ethical conduct.

Benefits

Training + Development

Interview process

Visa Sponsorship

Security clearance