Contracts and Compliance Counsel

Overview

An organization dedicated to advancing courts and justice systems is seeking an experienced Contracts and Compliance Counsel. This hybrid legal and operations role focuses on contract law practice, process improvement, contract lifecycle management, and leveraging technology for efficiency. The position involves drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and managing a diverse portfolio of agreements supporting programs, operations, and partnerships with courts, government agencies, commercial vendors, sponsors, funders, associations, and partner organizations.

Responsibilities

Contract Drafting, Review, and Negotiation

• Draft, review, and negotiate various agreements including consulting, professional services, vendor contracts, grant and funding agreements, memoranda of understanding, licensing, insurance, and confidentiality agreements.
• Provide legal review of contracts involving courts, government entities, foundations, associations, and private-sector vendors.
• Identify and mitigate legal, financial, and operational risks in contract terms.
• Ensure contracts clearly define scope of work, deliverables, payment terms, intellectual property, confidentiality, and termination provisions.
• Develop, maintain, and refine standard contract templates, clauses, and approval workflows.
• Lead or support implementation and ongoing management of a contract lifecycle management (CLM) platform to improve tracking, visibility, and turnaround time.

Legal Guidance and Management

• Advise staff on contract-related legal issues, risk allocation, and compliance considerations.
• Interpret and apply applicable laws, regulations, and organizational policies affecting procurement and contracts.
• Support development and refinement of standard contract templates and clauses.
• Escalate complex or high-risk matters to senior leadership or external counsel as appropriate.

Ethics, Governance, and Organizational Support

• Support adherence to ethical standards, conflict-of-interest policies, and governance requirements.
• Provide legal and administrative oversight of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) or human subjects research review process, if applicable.
• Address governance-related legal matters related to contracts and agreements.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of internal legal, contracting, and compliance processes.

Collaboration and Internal Support

• Work closely with programs, finance, and leadership staff to support timely and effective contracting.
• Provide training, tools, and guidance to staff on contracting processes, requirements, and best practices to build internal knowledge and reduce bottlenecks.

People Management and Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and manage staff responsibly and empathetically.
• Set clear expectations, provide regular feedback, and conduct performance evaluations.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team culture.
• Support professional development, workload balance, and succession planning.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Admission to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• Significant experience (typically 5-8 years or more) drafting and negotiating contracts, preferably in non-profit, public-sector, government, or consulting environments.
• Strong knowledge of contract law and risk management principles.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Familiarity with grant-funded or government contracts preferred.
• Demonstrated understanding of standard and commercially reasonable terms across different agreement types (commercial, government, MOU) and ability to apply context-appropriate risk standards.
• Experience collaborating with external counsel preferred.
• Experience with contract management platforms and legal technology tools preferred.
• Supervisory experience preferred.

Additional Skills and Abilities

• Sound judgment in practical matters and critical decisions.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).
• Experience with or willingness to adopt contract management platforms (e.g., Ironclad, Concord, DocuSign CLM) and other legal technology tools.
• Operational discipline including recruiting, training, assigning work, staff development, and administrative oversight.

Compensation and Benefits

• Annual starting salary range: $120,640 - $140,000, based on education, experience, and qualifications.

Insurance

• Medical Insurance: PPO, HDHP options (HMO option for Virginia residents).
• Dental Insurance.
• Vision Insurance.
• Employer-paid Life Insurance for employee and family.
• Employer-paid Accidental Death Insurance.
• Employer-paid Short-Term and Long-Term Disability.
• 125 Plan.
• Employee Assistance Program.

Retirement

• Money Purchase Plan Pension account (9% of salary).
• 403B retirement option.

Paid Time Off

• All Purpose Leave (APL).
• 10 Paid Holidays.

Other Benefits

• Education Assistance.
• Paid Training and Development.
• Qualifies as an employer for Public Service Loan Forgiveness under 501(c)(3).

Location

This is a hybrid role; specific location details are not provided.

Application Information

The position closes on April 13, 2026. Applicants should submit a resume, cover letter, and professional references including at least one previous or current supervisor.

The organization is an equal opportunity employer committed to disability and veteran inclusion.