Legal Counsel, Corporate & Business Affairs

Overview

This role is for a Legal Counsel, Corporate & Business Affairs position focused on building the organization’s Business Affairs capability and serving as a primary legal partner to global functions. The work involves structuring and advising on complex corporate, commercial, funding, and charitable relationships, including navigating legal and regulatory questions as the organization grows.

A major initial priority is establishing the legal and regulatory foundation for Data Partnerships and remote enablement, including developing workable approaches to data privacy and MNO data that can be adapted across programs and local contexts.

Responsibilities

Build Business Affairs and advise global functions

• Serve as a primary legal partner to Partnerships and Fundraising, People, Finance, Communications, Technology, Product, Grants Management, and public affairs.
• Structure, draft, and negotiate complex corporate partnerships, funding arrangements, technology and vendor agreements, and other strategic transactions.
• Advise on corporate, commercial, employment, privacy, nonprofit, and operational matters arising within supported teams.
• Partner with teams early to understand objectives, develop workable structures, and provide practical advice on legal and business risk.
• Build templates, playbooks, and repeatable approaches for recurring work as the organization scales.

Support fundraising, charitable giving, and public affairs

• Advise on the structure, acceptance, and administration of significant or non-standard gifts, including bequests and other planned gifts, donor-advised fund grants, restricted gifts, securities, cryptocurrency, and other non-cash contributions.
• Draft and review gift agreements, donor restrictions, planned-giving documentation, and other funding arrangements; coordinate with tax or trusts-and-estates counsel when needed.
• Advise on charitable solicitation, fundraising disclosures, sponsorships, cause-marketing arrangements, commercial co-ventures, and related nonprofit regulatory requirements.
• Support public affairs, Communications, and other teams on lobbying, advocacy, public-policy engagement, and political-activity restrictions, including applicable registration, tracking, and reporting requirements.
• Develop practical guidance and escalation pathways so teams can identify when fundraising or external-engagement activities require Legal review.

Lead legal strategy for Data Partnerships and other strategic initiatives

• Lead legal strategy for new products, partnerships, and operating models affecting multiple programs, countries, or teams.
• Develop legal and regulatory approaches to Data Partnerships, MNO data, and remote enablement as an initial priority.
• Serve as legal partner to Global Data Partnerships, leading legal work required to establish relationships with MNOs, governments, and other data holders.
• Advise on data privacy, consent, data sharing, telecommunications regulation, and responsible data use; direct specialist analysis where needed.
• Draft and negotiate NDAs, data-sharing agreements, MoUs, and related arrangements; support engagement with regulators and government partners.
• Work with Product, Technology, Programs, and program-facing Counsel to translate organization-wide approaches into workable models for specific countries and programs.

Contribute across Legal

• Partner with other Counsel on matters that cross portfolios or require shared expertise.
• Coordinate external and local counsel where specialist or jurisdiction-specific support is needed.
• Take ownership of other priority legal matters as team and organizational needs evolve.
• Help strengthen standards, tools, and ways of working used across the small, global Legal team.

Requirements

• Qualification as an attorney in at least one jurisdiction, with relevant post-qualification legal experience.
• Strong corporate, commercial, and transactional experience, including structuring and negotiating complex partnerships and agreements.
• Experience advising on complex funding arrangements, external partnerships, or other transactions involving significant legal and business considerations.
• Demonstrated expertise in data privacy and data protection, including data sharing, consent, and the use of personal or regulated data.
• Ability to understand unfamiliar legal and regulatory frameworks—including nonprofit and fundraising requirements—and develop practical approaches to novel questions.
• Strong legal and business judgment, with the ability to assess risk in context and recommend a clear path forward.
• Experience advising multiple functions and building trusted relationships with colleagues, counterparties, and senior stakeholders.
• Ability to build new legal capabilities, manage a varied portfolio independently, and direct external or specialist advisors when needed.
• Excellent written, verbal, and negotiation skills; English fluency.
• Alignment with the organization’s values and commitment to inclusivity.
• Welcome and encourage applications from candidates with personal or professional experience in the low-income and/or historically marginalized communities the organization serves.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience engaging with data-protection authorities, telecom regulators, governments, or other public authorities.
• Experience negotiating data-sharing arrangements with MNOs or other holders of sensitive or regulated data.
• Experience advising on technology-enabled products or data-intensive operating models.
• Experience working across multiple jurisdictions, particularly in emerging markets.
• Privacy or data-protection certification.
• Experience advising charitable organizations on fundraising, planned giving, bequests, donor restrictions, or non-cash gifts.
• Experience with tax-exempt organization law, charitable solicitation, cause marketing, lobbying, advocacy, or political-activity rules.
• Experience in international development, humanitarian response, or another mission-driven organization.

Compensation & Benefits

Base compensation and target bonus vary by location; benefits are provided via an annual benefits stipend.

United States

• Base Salary: $134,400
• Bonus at Target Performance: 10% (~$13,440; potential for upside). For reference, with the organization’s current performance multiplier, this amount would be $15,724 in 2025
• Estimated Total Compensation at Target: $147,840+
• Annual Benefits Stipend: $21,393

United Kingdom

• Base Salary: £91,900
• Bonus at Target Performance: 10% (~£9,190; potential for upside). For reference, with the organization’s current performance multiplier, this amount would be £10,752 in 2025
• Estimated Total Compensation at Target: £101,090+
• Annual Benefits Stipend: £2,760

Kenya

• Base Salary: $106,280
• Bonus at Target Performance: 10% (~$10,628; potential for upside). For reference, with the organization’s current performance multiplier, this amount would be $12,434 in 2025
• Estimated Total Compensation at Target: $116,908+
• Annual Benefits Stipend: $8,454

Unless otherwise noted, the benefits stipend may be used to cover benefits or taken as additional taxable income.

Location

• Fully remote
• Must overlap with an East Africa timezone by at least 3 hours.
• The employer can only employ people in certain places; candidates should check whether their country is included.
• Unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas in the U.S. or U.K. at this time.

Travel Requirement

• Approximately 1–2 trips per year, with additional travel as needed for significant partnerships or regulatory engagement.

Additional Information

• Reports to: Head of Legal
• Level: Senior Manager

Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Safeguarding: The employer conducts pre-hire screening, which may include reference checks, criminal background checks, and sanctions screens.

Reasonable Accommodations: The employer is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible work environment and will provide reasonable accommodations during the application or interview process, or to perform essential functions of the role.