Assistant General Counsel, Legal (GH & GMRI)

The Foundation

We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. We believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve. We provide an exceptional benefits package to employees and their families which include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation-paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to engage in several employee communities. As a workplace, we’re committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally.

The Team

"Guidance, Solutions, Integrity" describes the Legal division’s approach to providing responsive legal guidance supporting pursuit of the foundation’s mission and implementation of the foundation's programmatic and operational strategies. The Legal team delivers comprehensive legal services by providing efficient and reliable legal guidance, managing legal risk, and supporting the development of solutions to achieve the mission of the foundation and its affiliated entities.

The Legal team partners with our colleagues across the foundation and its affiliated entities to enable mission-driven work by maintaining an efficient, well-run global organization where employees can thrive and make their best contributions. Doing this well requires effective collaboration, strong alignment, and thoughtful planning across both operational and programmatic teams – as well as shared accountability for mitigating risk and optimizing the foundation’s operational resources.

Applications will be accepted until 5:00pm PST on June 20, 2025.

Your Role

We seek an individual to provide legal advice for the foundation and its affiliates, specifically the Global Health Division (GH) and Gates Medical Research Institute (GMRI). This includes legal support for grantmaking activities and global operational needs, requiring a demonstrated understanding of U.S. tax-exempt private foundation law. This role also supports the negotiation, drafting, and execution of contracts, complex transactions, and investments that align with our charitable activities and internal policies and practices. This includes providing legal advice related to procurement, technology transactions, consulting services, collaboration agreements, and other business and charitable arrangements. This is an exciting opportunity to apply your legal skills to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. You will be part of a dynamic legal team supporting high-impact work that improves lives across the globe.

What You’ll Do

• Advise on legal issues related to the foundation's charitable and tax-exempt activities, including grantmaking and other investments.

• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad spectrum of contracts and grants, including vendor agreements, consulting agreements, licensing agreements, collaboration agreements and technology and other transactions.

• Understand the goals of internal clients and develop creative solutions to address a full range of legal matters within the foundation’s risk tolerance framework.

• Contribute to legal process improvements that enhance efficiency and risk management.

• Support broader legal team projects and cross-functional initiatives as needed.

• Collaborate with outside counsel, as needed.

• Support training and education of foundation staff on legal issues.

• Some travel may be required.

Your Experience

• A Juris Doctor degree and current bar membership in good standing are required.

• Minimum of 5-7 years’ experience in the practice of law; law firm experience preferred.

• Extensive experience in structuring, drafting and negotiating a wide array of agreements.

• Excellent writing and negotiation abilities.

• Skilled in effectively serving a demanding client base in a complex and fast-paced work environment.

• Ability to communicate difficult legal concepts clearly and non-legalistically to business clients orally and in writing.

• Demonstrated ability to learn and apply new areas of law applicable to new and evolving technologies, business models, regulatory systems, and investment models.

• Strong business sense and client focus.

• Ability to work with flexibility, efficiency, enthusiasm, and diplomacy both individually and collaboratively as part of a team effort in a highly matrixed environment.

• Capability to adapt engagement to collaborate with personnel at all levels, ranging from senior executives to technical specialists.

• Quickly grasp and embrace new and rapidly evolving subject areas, demonstrating intellectual curiosity and excitement to engage proactively and confidently with unfamiliar topics. 

• Strong interpersonal skills, maturity, sound judgment, and ability to communicate in a clear and compelling manner with internal and external audiences.

• Self-motivated and with a strong sense of ownership and urgency.

• Passion for the mission of the foundation.

• Highest standards of ethics and integrity.

• Sense of balance, humor, and perspective.

*Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.

The salary range for this role is $233,600 to $362,200 USD. We recognize high-wage market differences in Seattle and Washington D.C., where our offices are located. The range for this role in these locations is $254,700 to $394,700 USD. As a mission-driven organization, we strive to balance competitive pay with our mission. New hires salaries are typically between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint. Actual placement in the range will depend on a candidate’s job-related skills, experience, and expertise, as evaluated during the interview process.

Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Candidate Accommodations

If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request here.

Inclusion Statement

We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We strive for a global and cultural workplace that supports ever greater diversity, equity, and inclusion — of voices, ideas, and approaches — and we support this diversity through all our employment practices.

All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.