General Counsel

Helen Keller Intl

General Counsel

(Remote – flexible to be based in any U.S. state where Helen Keller is a *registered employer)

Guided by the remarkable legacy of its co-founder, Helen Keller, Helen Keller Intl partners with communities striving to overcome longstanding cycles of poverty. By delivering the essential building blocks of good health, sound nutrition, and clear vision, we help millions of people create lasting change in their own lives. Working in 20 countries – across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the United States – and together with a global community of supporters, we ensure every person has the opportunity – as Helen did – to reach their true potential.

Brief Background

As we continue to grow and impact lives, we are seeking a General Counsel to support the work of Helen Keller, a leading international non-profit organization working in public health. The General Counsel serves as the organization's principal internal legal advisor, supporting the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Executive Leadership Team, the Board of Trustees, and colleagues across the organization to exercise sound judgment in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements. This is a senior individual-contributor role, without direct reports, that provides trusted, practical counsel on the legal dimensions of the organization's work. Reporting to the CEO and sitting within the Office of the President, the

General Counsel contributes to key leadership and strategic decisions, builds and manages the organization's relationships with pro bono and paid external counsel, and ensures that legal, regulatory, and fiduciary obligations are met consistently across all geographies in which Helen Keller Intl operates.

As a senior member of Helen Keller’s staff, the General Counsel will act as a bearer of our organizational culture, including upholding our organizational values of compassion, courage, integrity and rigor. They will also have team management responsibilities where they are responsible for nurturing talent and producing project results on time and within scope that will serve the organization into the future.

Management / Functional Relationships

The General Counsel sits in the Office of the President and reports to the President and CEO of Helen Keller. At this time, it is not expected that the General Counsel will have direct reports, though the organization continues to evaluate staffing needs and team organization. The General Counsel will work closely with the CEO, other members of the Executive Leadership Team, Center Heads, Country Directors, the Board of Trustees, and operations staff. In addition, the General Counsel will oversee and/or manage pro bono and paid external counsel across jurisdictions, develop relationships with peer legal advisors and general counsel networks, and engage with regulators, auditors, donors, and partners as needed.

Application Deadline: Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Key Responsibilities / Specific Tasks

 Directs the organization’s legal function, providing expert advice on the full range of legal matters affecting a global nonprofit, including corporate matters, employment, international operations, contracts, intellectual property, data protection, and taxexempt status.

 Acts as a senior member of staff, contributing to key institutional decisions, providing counsel to the CEO and other senior leaders within the organization.

 Provides practical, business-minded advice to the CEO, Executive Leadership Team, Center Heads, and other staff on a broad range of matters.

 Manages legal budgets, sets priorities, allocates resources, and ensures accountability for results.

 Collaborates with and provides leadership to a small team that supports corporate governance, enterprise risk management, and other compliance-related operational functions across global operations.

 Holds chief responsibility for oversight of corporate governance; ensures the Board of Trustees and its committees function effectively, serves as staff liaison to the Governance Committee, and ensures that resolutions, charters, and policies are drafted, approved, and catalogued in accordance with the bylaws and governance best practices.

 Helps leaders identify and think through legal, regulatory, and reputational risks, and supports the organization's broader risk management efforts.

 Manages and/or advises on compliance obligations, including corporate, charitable, and country registration-related matters, and helps the organization stay current and coordinated in compliance-related matters as they require understanding of the law.

 Develops and manages relationships with pro bono and paid external counsel; scopes engagements, coordinates external counsel input, manages legal budgets, and ensures the organization receives high-quality, cost-effective external legal support.

 Advises on and, where appropriate, reviews contract templates and contracts, including employment contracts, vendor contracts, donor awards and sub-awards, leases, non-disclosure agreements, and memoranda of understanding. Helps staff use approved templates correctly and know when to seek legal advice.

 Provides advice and support to People and Culture and managers on employment and personnel matters as required, in partnership with the relevant functions and external counsel where appropriate.

 Oversee legal disputes and litigation, including managing outside counsel and ensuring appropriate resources are allocated to legal matters.

 Advises on privacy, data protection, and artificial intelligence-related matters across global operations.

 Monitors developments in applicable law across the jurisdictions in which the organization operates.

 Strengthens the legal literacy of staff through clear guidance, templates, practical tools, and training, helping the organization manage routine matters confidently and independently.

 Performs other advisory duties consistent with a General Counsel role at a comparable international nonprofit.

Other Duties

This job announcement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties or responsibilities for the position. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. All positions are required to perform any additional tasks assigned by the supervisor.

Skills & Experience

 Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent law degree, and admission to practice (in good standing) in a U.S. jurisdiction, preferably New York.

 Minimum of 10 years of legal experience, including in-house or advisory experience; nonprofit, international NGO, or mission-driven sector experience strongly valued.

 Strong generalist legal background with the judgment to advise across a broad range of legal matters and to recognize when external counsel is required.

 Experience building, leading, or advising on enterprise risk management processes.

 Demonstrated expertise in nonprofit corporate governance, tax-exempt organization law, regulatory compliance, and Board support.

 Experience advising a global or multi-country organization and familiarity with cross jurisdictional legal issues.

 Experience advising on employment and personnel matters, including in an international setting.

 Exposure to data protection/privacy regimes (e.g., GDPR).

 Familiarity with U.S. government grant compliance (e.g., Uniform Guidance) and institutional donor requirements.

 Demonstrated experience selecting, instructing, and managing external counsel, including pro bono relationships.

 Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with a track record of being a trusted, approachable advisor to non-lawyers.

 Ability to translate legal complexity into clear, practical guidance for busy decisionmakers.

 Comfort working independently as an individual contributor in a lean, collaborative environment.

 Fluency in English is required; additional language proficiency is a plus, preferably French or another language relevant to the organization’s operations.

Working Conditions / Travel

Ability and willingness to flex work hours to accommodate multiple time zones is required. Occasional travel required.

Compensation and Benefits

Helen Keller offers a comprehensive benefits package. The compensation for this position will be aligned with the local salary structure. The full-time annualized salary range for this position located in the United States is $132,000 to $224,000, with the midpoint of the salary range at $178,000.

Expectations

Fairness, Belonging and Zero Tolerance to Abuse

As a member of the Helen Keller Family, each employee is expected to:

 Help to develop and maintain an environment that welcomes and develops a multi-cultural workforce with varied lived experiences and identities.

 Foster a work environment where everyone feels valued and included.

 Support employees’ evaluation and promotion processes based on skills and performance.

 Promote a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all members of Helen Keller family, stakeholders in general, and particularly for the communities we serve.

 Follow Helen Keller Code of Conduct helping to prevent any type of abuse including

workplace harassment, sexual abuse and exploitation, and trafficking in persons.

 Adhere to the Organizational Core Values, which include courage, compassion, integrity and rigor.

In the spirit of the extraordinary ability and vision of our founder, Helen Keller Intl fosters an environment of fairness and belonging for our workforce.

Helen Keller Intl is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment.

U.S. Locations where Helen Keller is a registered employer: California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia (DC), Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.