Founded in 1936, the National Wildlife Federation has grown into America’s largest and most trusted grassroots conservation organization with 52 state and territorial affiliates and more than seven million members and supporters, including hunters, anglers, gardeners, birders, hikers, campers, paddlers, and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and stripes. The mission of the National Wildlife Federation is to unite all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in our rapidly changing world. We advance this mission through programming focused on conserving wildlife, restoring habitats and waterways, expanding outdoor opportunities, connecting children with nature, advancing environmental justice, and addressing the causes and consequences of climate change.
NWF believes that in order to save wildlife and ourselves, we need to ensure that everyone in America has clean air and water, safe communities, easy and equitable access to the daily benefits of nature, and protection from the ravages of climate change. These basic needs, equally necessary and urgent for all people, are foundational to bringing the conservation movement and ethos into the 21st century.
To further our mission, NWF is seeking an experienced and motivated Associate General Counsel to join its Office of General Counsel. As Associate General Counsel, you will work closely with NWF’s in-house legal team and other key staff to provide legal support and assistance on a variety of matters in furtherance of our mission. This is an excellent opportunity for an attorney interested in nonprofit law and management and with a commitment to public interest.
Essential Duties:
Employment law support:
- Collaborate with Human Resources by offering legal advice and practical solutions on employment-law related matters, including employee relations issues.
- Track local, state, and federal employment law developments and offer recommendations to incorporate legal requirements into NWF policies and practices, in addition to considering best practices and NWF’s workplace values.
- Help identify and mitigate potential legal risks related to employment matters, including helping Human Resources develop strategies to proactively address in alignment with our structure.
- Support development of staff guidance and training related to employment law matters, including helping deliver trainings to ensure staff understanding.
- Assist Human Resources with internal investigations into employment-related concerns, and when needed, facilitate communications with employment agencies.
Risk management and compliance support:
- Accurately and succinctly analyze relevant laws, regulations, and case law and distill research into practical take-aways for staff in the form of legal memos, staff policies, guidance, checklists, trainings, and other resources.
- Help project manage where needed any related implementation.
- Continue to monitor updates to laws and regulations that may affect NWF’s business, including identifying emerging legal issues and trends.
- Assist the Office of General Counsel with its lobbying and advocacy compliance, including helping with developing and delivering staff trainings and guidance and fielding consultations with individual programs.
Transactional support:
- Assist with reviewing, drafting, and negotiating a variety of agreements, grants, and other similar legal documents, with an emphasis on federal grants.
- Collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders to understand their business needs and collect other necessary information for preparing such documents and supporting related compliance needs.
- Help advise through transactions on issues related to nonprofit law and tax.
- Develop and maintain contract templates and related staff training and guidance to further streamline the contracting process.
Licenses, registrations, and other similar filings:
- Assist the Office of General Counsel with identifying legal and regulatory filing needs, including help preparing for review state licenses, registrations, or other similar filings, as well as help responding to any related correspondence.
Other duties as assigned
Minimum Requirements/Experience
- Juris Doctor from a nationally recognized, accredited law school.
- Member in good standing with a bar of any U.S. state, and depending on location, able to obtain any required corporate counsel certificate
- 4-5 years of relevant legal experience (nonprofit in-house experience strongly preferred).
Minimum Skills:
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills to effectively work and collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders, including the ability to appreciate, bridge, and leverage differing viewpoints.
- Strong legal research, analytical, and writing skills, including packaging legal concepts for non-legal audiences.
- Excellent attention to detail, demonstrated initiative, sound judgment, and the ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
- Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters with discretion.
- Knowledge of local, state, and federal employment laws and proven experience managing employee relations matters, including internal investigations.
- Knowledge of advocacy rules for related 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organizations.
- Experience reviewing and negotiating agreements, including federal grants and contracts.
- Work expected to reflect the staff values of the National Wildlife Federation: collaboration, mindfulness, empowerment, inclusivity, and mission focus.
NWF Values:
Your actions are expected to reflect the staff values of the National Wildlife Federation: collaboration, mindfulness, empowerment, inclusivity, and mission focus. Your competencies should include:
- Being motivated by values of equity and responsibility to those most marginalized.
- Consistently bringing a high level of empathy and social skills to work and interpersonal interactions.
- Actively seeks feedback, direction, and guidance from all team members and keeps staff informed of decisions that impact them.
- Being dedicated to advancing NWF’s internal equity transformation and compelling partners and allies to incorporate equity into their work; and
- Passion for and commitment to NWF’s mission
Applicants are invited to learn more about National Wildlife Federation’s required equity competencies at https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Careers.
Travel Requirements:
May include occasional work travel (e.g., meetings, events, other office visits). Expect flexibility and availability when travel is necessary.
Location and Work Mode:
This position is based out of the Washington, D.C. metro area. The National Wildlife Federation is committed to a flexible and empowered work environment with an authentic community of care for all staff. In this position, the employee may work in the office, or in a hybrid manner, to be decided jointly with their supervisor in the final stages of the interview process. For more information on Work Modes, please review the benefits section of our careers page: https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Careers
Compensation and Benefits:
The salary range for this position $130,000-$140,000 annually, commensurate with experience.
We are proud of our designation by Mogul as a Top 100 Workplace with the Best Benefits, and by Forbes as one of America’s best small employers! We value work-life balance and a family-friendly atmosphere with flexible scheduling. We want you to be able to integrate work and personal life with attention to your self-care, so that your work schedule is not depleting. We offer benefits so you feel restored and fueled through the day and week.
We offer these supports to help manage your mental, emotional, and physical health:
- Paid time off: Vacation that starts off at three weeks accrual, unlimited wellbeing (this time can be used for physical, spiritual, emotional, cultural, religious or financial wellbeing for yourself, a partner, or family member – including pets), 10 holidays, and 3 floating holidays
- We close down for a paid winter break between December 25 to January 1 to recognize end of-year stress, and time for reflection, rejuvenation, and spending time with family.
- Up to 16 weeks of fully paid Family and Medical Leave
- Low-cost health, dental, and vision insurance options – all outpatient mental health is covered at in-network rates
- Therapist available at no cost
- Pet insurance and discount perk program
- Annual wellbeing allowance
In addition to your salary, we offer the following supports to your personal finances:
- Retirement plan with immediate match and vesting
- Annual year end retirement contribution
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Adoption and Surrogacy assistance
- Pet adoption stipend
- Student Loan management
Applicants are invited to learn more about National Wildlife Federation’s benefits package at https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Careers.
Application:
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Candidates must submit a cover letter and resume.
For more information on our recruiting process, please review our Careers page: https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Careers
We strive to increase diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) in all elements of our work and with our partners to support the interdependent needs of wildlife and people in a rapidly changing world. We recruit, employ, train compensate, and promote regardless of race, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender individual), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, genetic information, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Applicants are invited to learn more about National Wildlife Federation’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at nwf.org/equity.
We recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a job, therefore our job descriptions are guidelines, not hard and fast rules. Your experience, which may include paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work, helps build the competencies and knowledge that translates to our openings. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and a culture of excellence. Therefore, we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our positions.
Please let us know if you require accommodations during the application or interview process by reaching us at hrhelp@nwf.org or 703-438-6244.
If selected for this position, a background check will be conducted.