UK Assistant General Counsel

Effective Ventures Foundation (UK) is looking for an Assistant General Counsel to join its legal group. EV UK is a charity registered in England and Wales that sponsors many charitable projects associated with effective altruism, including the Centre for Effective Altruism and 80,000 Hours. It works with Effective Ventures Foundation USA Inc. (EV US) to jointly support many of these projects. The Assistant General Counsel will assist the General Counsel on all legal matters for EV UK, including: 

• Ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations
• Identifying and mitigating legal risks
• Managing litigation and investigations
• Supporting fiscally sponsored organisations on legal matters

EV UK often works closely with EV US on cross-border issues. This role will therefore involve working collaboratively with EV US’s General Counsel and Assistant General Counsel.

The Ideal Candidate 

EV UK is at an inflection point, with a significant pivot in organisational strategy underway and very little “business as usual.” An ideal candidate for this role will therefore have the flexibility and creativity to work with internal stakeholders and external advisors to put EV UK and its sponsored projects on the best footing to continue doing good in the world. We list key responsibilities below based on the legal team’s current activities, but candidates should expect to adapt based on organisational needs.

We also expect that most strong candidates will be familiar with effective altruism and longtermism, but we could see ourselves hiring an otherwise excellent candidate with more limited initial familiarity if they are able to demonstrate genuine interest. An ideal candidate will see themselves as first and foremost working toward a better world and future, with that outlook framing their representation of EV UK. 

Key Responsibilities

• Report to the General Counsel
• Assist the General Counsel with all legal group work, with a focus on the  following:
  • Legal Risk Management, Compliance  and Day-to-Day Legal Support
  • Track and mitigate legal risks to EV UK
  • Track and mitigate UK legal risks to sponsored charitable projects
  • Responding to regulatory inquiries following the collapse of FTX (formerly one of EV UK’s major donors)
  • Manage relationships with external lawyers
  • Manage a diverse range of legal issues for EV UK, including:
    • Tax and compliance issues
    • Corporate policies and procedures
    • Contracts of all types, from NDAs to complicated commercial transactions
    • Real estate and leasing issues
    • Employment law issues, including immigration and visas
    • Data protection compliance issues
• Support to Fiscally Sponsored Projects
  • Manage  EV UK’s legal relationships with fiscally sponsored projects
  • Provide ongoing legal support to fiscally sponsored projects 

Skills and Experience

1. Ethical orientation: You should be sympathetic to the principles of Effective Altruism and be ready to partner with the executive team to understand how legal considerations intersect with EV’s mission.
2. Qualified to practise as a solicitor in England and Wales (current practising certificate is not required).
3. 5+ years legal experience, with in-house experience a plus but not required

Other pluses but not required:

1. Experience of working with charities in the UK, either in-house or in private practice
2. Experience with cross-border legal and compliance issues, particularly involving the US
3. Experience with GDPR and data protection issues
4. Experience of UK tax law and in particular VAT for charities

1. Analytical Skills: Ability to identify, assess, and mitigate legal risks, as well as to analyse complex legal documents and contracts.
2. Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills to effectively convey legal advice and information to the board, employees, and other stakeholders. Ability to translate complex legal concepts into understandable terms for non-legal professionals. Ability to assess risk, effectively convey degree of certainty around risk, and help decision-makers effectively address complicated trade-offs.
3. Negotiation Skills: Strong negotiation skills to resolve legal disputes, negotiate contracts and manage legal issues in external relationships.
4. Attention to Detail: Meticulous attention to detail to ensure accuracy in legal documents, contracts, and compliance with laws and regulations.
5. Problem Solving: Ability to identify and resolve legal issues, as well as to provide creative and practical solutions to mitigate risks and support the organisation’s objectives.
6. Interpersonal Skills: Strong relationship-building and collaboration skills to work effectively with colleagues, fiscally sponsored projects, and external legal counsel. Ability to manage and navigate sensitive situations, such as conflicts of interest and employee relations issues.
7. Crisis Management: Ability to work collaboratively through intense, stressful situations while maintaining morale and focus.

We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every single qualification.  Research shows that people who identify as being from underrepresented groups are more prone to experiencing imposter syndrome and doubting the strength of their candidacy, so we urge you not to exclude yourself prematurely and to submit an application if you’re interested in this work. We think the work we are doing makes representation even more important, and we strive to include a range of diverse perspectives on our team.

Salary and benefits

This is a full-time position. Your starting salary would be £113,000. There may be some flexibility in salary for exceptional candidates with significant experience. The role could be based out of our offices in Oxford or remote.

Our benefits reflect our belief in investing in our people to build the strongest possible team. We want everyone to be able to be able to perform at their best as we provide world-class support and maximise our positive impact.

Prioritised health & wellbeing

We provide private medical, vision and dental insurance, up to 3 weeks’ paid sick leave, and a mental health allowance of £5,000 each year.

Flexible working

You’re generally free to set your own schedule (with some overlapping hours with colleagues). We work closely with US-based colleagues, so flexibility around evening hours is desirable.

Generous vacation

We provide all team members with 25 days’ holiday each year, plus public holidays.

Professional development opportunities

We offer a £5,000 allowance each year and build in opportunities for career growth through on-the-job learning, increasing responsibility, and role progression pathways.

Parental leave and support

New parents have up to 14 weeks fully-paid leave and up to 52 weeks leave in total. We also provide financial support for child care to help parents balance child care needs.

Pension and income protection plans

We offer a 10% employer / 0% employee pension contribution, and income protection insurance.

Equipment to help your productivity

We will pay for high-quality and ergonomic equipment (laptop, monitors, chair, etc.), in the office or at home if you work remotely.

Global team retreats

As we are a remote team, we hold in-person co-working weeks once a quarter and staff retreats once to twice a year to work on our plans and build strong working relationships.

Apply

Apply here.

We’re looking for someone to start as soon as possible and will review applications on a rolling basis.

After considering your written application, we may invite you to complete a short trial task followed by further interviews. We’ll invite finalists to provide references.

We’re committed to fostering a culture of inclusion, and we encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. We especially encourage applications from women, gender minorities, and people of colour who are excited about contributing to our mission. We’re an equal opportunity employer. For particularly qualified candidates, we are open to receiving applications from individuals looking for a part time role.

If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, or have any other questions about applying, please contact careers@ev.org.