General Counsel

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The Public Health Institute (PHI) is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health, well-being, and quality of life for people throughout California, across the nation and around the world. As one of the largest and most comprehensive public health organizations in the nation, we are at the forefront of research and innovations to improve the efficacy of public health statewide, nationally, and internationally.

PHI was distinguished as one of the top 50 “Best Non-Profit Organizations to Work For” by the Non-Profit Times in a national search.

Position Summary

The General Counsel is the most senior legal official in the corporation and serves as Corporate Secretary to the corporation of the Public Health Institute (PHI). As a member of the executive leadership team reporting to the President & CEO, the position serves as executive sponsor on key high-level initiatives. The General Counsel oversees the Office of General Counsel.

This is a regular full-time hybrid (remote and in-person) position that is required to work in the office located in downtown Oakland, CA on a regular but flexible schedule to be mutually agreed upon. The incumbent is also required to travel in and outside of California for in-person meetings, events, and other activities several times a year.

Full salary range for this position: $267,264 to $421,412 per year. The typical hiring range for this position is from $267,264 (minimum) to $344,338 (midpoint), based on 100% FTE. The starting salary is determined based on the candidate’s knowledge, skills, experience, as well as budget availability.

For more information about PHI, the General Counsel position, and the Board of Directors, please see the Position Profile.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

General Counsel

• Serves as the most senior legal official in the corporation and reports directly to the President & CEO.
• Serves as a member of the executive leadership team of the organization with responsibility for supporting the President & CEO’s vision for the overall success, budget, and strategic direction of PHI, its subsidiaries, and legal affiliates.
• Responsible for PHI’s overall legal, regulatory, governance, and in support of PHI, its subsidiaries and legal affiliates, including those related to research and research misconduct.
• Assesses and manages legal risks, including identify potential legal challenges and developing strategies to mitigate or address them.
• Serves as a the most senior advisor to the President & CEO on all legal, governance, and regulatory requirements.
• Advises the Board of Directors, through the Board Chair, on all legal, regulatory, governance requirements, and mitigation of related risks.
• Serves as Corporate Secretary and performs corporate governance, ensuring all bylaws are updated and followed.
• Serves as the most senior legal advisor on the fiduciary responsibilities of corporate officers and Board members.
• Provides legal advice and strategic thinking that supports the long-term goals and objectives of the organization. Anticipates legal issues and provides proactive solutions.  Aligns legal strategies with overall business goals.  Serves as part of the organization’s core brain trust and provides expert, strategic legal advice to the executive, strategy and business development teams.
• Serves as the most senior legal advisor on all issues related to privacy, confidentiality, intellectual property, and trade secrets.
• Keeps abreast of legal and industry changes that may affect PHI.
• Consistently practices ethical Leadership within the organization, promoting integrity, transparency, and accountability in all legal and governance matters.
• Leads and/or participates in negotiations with outside parties.
• Responsible for the overall management and supervision of the Office of General Counsel and the supervision of the Institutional Review Board under the direction of the Institutional Official.
• Responsible for the overall management and provision of all internal and external attorneys and legal professionals representing PHI, its subsidiaries and legal affiliates, as well as the provision and management of all legal services, legal opinions, and risk management.
• Represents the corporation and/or or supervise the representation by outside counsel in all judicial, government, legal, regulatory proceedings.
• Represents the corporation in the formation, negotiation, documentation, and implementation of major transactions and lines of business. This includes interacting with a wide variety of outside parties such as public and private funding and regulatory agencies, potential business partners, contractors and vendors, outside counsel, and opposing counsel.
• Responsible for managing the intellectual property portfolio of PHI, its subsidiaries and legal affiliates including all trademark, copyright, patent, and common law rights in the U.S. and globally, as applicable.

Corporate Secretary

• Serves as the Corporate Secretary to the Public Health Institute corporation and is responsible for maintaining corporate records, corporate minute books, resolutions, and formal actions taken by the Board of Directors and any Committees.
• Responsible for all corporate registrations and filings domestically and globally.
• Responsible for registration and maintenance of PHI’s intellectual property portfolio, its subsidiaries and legal affiliates including all trademark, copyright, patent, and common law rights in the U.S. and globally, as applicable.
• Manages any registered agents, abandoned property compliance, and registration requirements, as needed.

Executive and Organizational Leadership

• Partners with the President & CEO and other executives to steward the overall organization as a member of the Executive Leadership Team.
• Works in partnership with other executives and departments to foster a collaborative and results-driven culture that encourages joy in purpose-driven work, learning and improvement, dynamic thinking and nimbleness in responding to needs and opportunities, compliance, rigor, and focus on organization mission and strategic goals advancement.
• Models and creates an equity focused environment centered on embracing diversity and authentic inclusion in all areas of work and is a prerequisite for advancing health equity purposefully.

Other

• Works in the hybrid (remote and in-person) model as required.
• Travels in and outside of California for in-person meetings, events, and other activities as requested.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• 15 years of experience as an attorney, with a substantial portion of that serving as a strategic advisor to executives, and specific experience working with nonprofit organizations and boards of directors on legal matters.
• 10 years of experience managing other attorneys, legal paraprofessionals, and contract administrators.
• Experience managing the legal, regulatory, governance, and/or risk management portfolio of an organization, its subsidiaries and legal affiliates, including three years of which was serving as in-house counsel.
• Juris Doctorate (or M) degree from an ABA-accredited school of law, current admission in good standing to practice law in California.

Other Required Qualifications

• Experience in and knowledge of federal, state, or local government grant and contract regulations, public health law, privacy, information security.
• Experience serving as in-house counsel.
• Broad legal knowledge and expertise, with a strong foundation across various areas of the law.
• Strategic and business acumen with the ability to understand the organization’s strategic goals and align legal strategies with overall organizational and business goals.  Capacity to think strategically and provide legal advice that supports the long-term strategic goals of the organization.  Ability to anticipate legal issues and provide proactive solutions.
• Proficiency in assessing and managing legal risk.
• Strong problem-solving skills to address legal challenges creatively and find practical solutions.  Adept at analyzing complex issues and propose viable options.
• Clear communicator on legal matters to executives, managers, and Board members both in writing and verbally.
• Diplomatic interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively with multiple audiences – always with professionalism, directness, and compassion.
• Ethical judgment, unquestionable integrity, and a commitment to ethical conduct.
• Strong negotiating skills and experience in effectively negotiating a range of matters in a range of situations to achieve an effective outcome for the organization.
• Experience in business management, finance, government cost accounting, and development of strategic initiatives for new ventures, organizational expansion, and revenue generation.  An understanding of financial principles and the ability to assess the financial implications of legal decisions and strategies.
• Knowledge or experience managing the legal and regulatory requirements related to research and research misconduct.
• An ability to manage to and meet budget targets, develop a proactive vision for long-term success, and manage toward that vision.
• Experience in employee relations and employment law and legal matters.
• Experience serving as the lead legal advisor on issues related to privacy, confidentiality, and trade secrets.
• Experience serving as the lead legal advisor on issues related to fiduciary responsibilities of corporate officers and Board members.
• Experience managing a broad intellectual portfolio for a government contractor or grantee.
• Experience managing outside counsel on a wide array of legal issues.
• Experience maintaining the corporate records, corporate minute books, resolutions, and formal actions taken by the Board of Directors and any Committees.
• Experience representing a client and/or supervising the representation by outside counsel on behalf of a corporate client.
• Legal knowledge in procurement and leases.
• Demonstrated track record of serving mission-oriented organizations and a genuine passion for the mission of PHI to advance health equity and well-being for individuals and communities, with a focus on the most underserved at the local, state, national, and global levels.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of political law for non-profit organizations.
• Experience and general knowledge of the field of health and public health.

FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT (FLSA) STATUS

This position is classified as exempt based on the job duties. However, based on the FTE, salary level of the employee, or federal/state/local laws, the employee may be classified as nonexempt.

EEO Statement

The Public Health Institute is committed to a policy that provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, pregnancy, medical condition including genetic characteristics, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identification and expression, sexual orientation, and to make all employment decisions so as to further this principle of equal employment opportunity. To this end, the PHI will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, pregnancy, medical condition including genetic characteristics, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identification and expression, sexual orientation, and will take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are offered employment and employees are treated during employment without regard to these characteristics.

For further information regarding Equal Employment Opportunity, copy and paste the following URL into your web browser: http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf

ADA Statement:

The Public Health Institute is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Recruitment Team at least 48 hours in advance at Recruitment@phi.org.

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We’re so pleased the Public Health Institute is an organization you would like to work with. Do you have questions about this opportunity? If so, email our recruitment team at Recruitment@phi.org.

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