Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel

## **Compensation Range**
The general range for this full-time position is **$177,000 – $283,200**. Salary offers will be commensurate with experience, qualifications, skills, training, and education.

## **About Humane World for Animals**
Humane World for Animals, a global leader in animal advocacy and protection, is seeking a **Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel** for the Office of General Counsel.

In this role, you will play a leadership role in the Office of the General Counsel and CLO Organization by supporting both Humane World for Animals and Humane World for Animals International legal and governance operations. You will work closely with the General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer to provide substantive legal advice and oversight of the organization’s legal operations.

This employee will be a key thought partner and thought leader in supporting the General Counsel/CLO’s efforts to develop legal strategies, modernize operations, and recommend and collaborate on efforts to leverage process improvements, develop workflows, and standardize policies and procedures necessary for a strong legal infrastructure. These efforts will include talent development, training, strong client engagement, and the development of a legal leadership cohort to foster knowledge sharing within the legal teams and provide leadership over the division’s operations and budget.

This employee will support efforts to create a diverse and inclusive work environment and to prioritize support of the organization’s mission, strategic plan, priorities, and governance structures, including supporting Humane World for Animals and Humane World for Animals International Board of Directors and other related boards.

## **Functional Areas**
The functions of the position fall into five categories:

1. **Managing, advising, and providing legal oversight** to OGC lawyers with the goal of providing Humane World for Animals and its affiliates legal advice on a wide variety of legal issues applicable to 501(c)(3) and other tax‑exempt organizations.
2. **Supervising key administrative activities and operations.**
3. **Leading the development and coordination** of the General Counsel’s management team.
4. **Managing legal department staff.**
5. **Coordinating the division’s communications activities**, including intranet content, training resources, and legal service delivery improvements.

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## **Responsibilities**

### **Managing, advising, and providing legal oversight**
In this role, the Deputy General Counsel is responsible for the following activities as they relate to in‑house lawyers:

– **Setting annual goals**
– **Overseeing development plans**
– **Holding regular check‑in meetings**
– **Addressing performance issues**
– **Collecting and synthesizing feedback** from department peers, subordinates, business colleagues, and external lawyers
– **Conducting and documenting annual performance reviews**
– **Succession planning**
– **Keeping the General Counsel/CLO informed** of performance issues and matters that may expose the organization to civil or criminal charges, violations or penalties, material financial liability, government scrutiny, operational disruptions, negative publicity, or ethics/compliance concerns

### **Supervising key administrative activities and operations**
– **Developing the department’s mission and vision** and collaborating on strategic planning and budget preparation
– **Refining staffing strategy**, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, and training new personnel
– **Overseeing relationships with external lawyers**, including retention, diversity, billing policies, and pro bono/reduced‑fee arrangements
– **Engaging and managing third‑party resources**
– **Leveraging technology improvements** and management systems
– **Developing knowledge management practices**, including records retention and document destruction policies
– **Coordinating communications activities**, including intranet content for Humane World for Animals and Humane World for Animals International
– **Recommending and developing legal project management tools**
– **Managing general office administration** such as space planning

### **Leading the General Counsel’s senior team**
– **Coordinating senior leadership team activities**
– **Scheduling and documenting leadership meetings** and retreats
– **Overseeing completion of strategic deliverables**

### **Managing Staff**
– **Ensuring development opportunities for non‑lawyer staff**
– **Addressing issues identified in staff surveys**
– **Supporting division‑wide activities** such as staff meetings and recognition events

### **Client Relations**
– **Representing the legal department** at organizational meetings and events
– **Recommending clients for education activities** and assisting staff in developing and presenting legal training programs

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## **Qualifications and Requirements**
– **Juris Doctorate** degree from an accredited law school required
– **Minimum of twelve (12) years of experience** with an established law firm, corporation, government, or multilateral agency
– **Proven management experience** in a mission‑based organization, including staff leadership, strategic planning, and budget oversight
– **Current license in good standing** to practice law
– Experience with **tax‑exempt organizations**, **international law**, and **litigation** is a plus
– **Experience supervising attorneys** required
– Excellent analytical, organizational, oral, and written communication skills
– Proven expertise in **change management**
– Ability to provide accurate, timely, accessible legal advice tailored to organizational needs
– Ability to identify underlying legal issues in complex situations and resolve problems strategically and proactively
– Ability to support and enhance overall organizational performance
– Ability to manage multiple priorities and work independently and collaboratively across all levels
– Maintains confidentiality of sensitive information
– Demonstrates a high degree of **emotional intelligence**, fostering a positive and inclusive work environment

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## **Location**
This position is in the **DC Metro Area — Remote Eligible**.

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## **Equal Opportunity Statement**
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, marital or parental status, or protected veteran status. **EOE**

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