Assistant/Associate General Counsel

The Barnes Foundation•Philadelphia, PA

1d•$140,000 - $200,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Assistant/Associate General Counsel will report to the Senior Vice President, Legal and Government Affairs & General Counsel and will provide day-to-day legal support and counsel across a wide spectrum of matters affecting the Barnes Foundation. This is a generalist in-house counsel role, offering broad, hands-on exposure to nearly every area of nonprofit and cultural-institution law, with substantial opportunity to learn new practice areas, take on increasing responsibility, and grow professionally. Responsibilities include drafting and negotiating contracts; supporting compliance and governance by preparing board and committee materials, maintaining bylaws and policies, coordinating trustee communications, and assisting with regulatory filings. The role also includes advising on employment, intellectual property, cultural property, insurance, and gift agreements; managing legal aspects of major institutional partnerships and initiatives; and contributing to risk management policies and procedures. The ideal candidate will have experience working with nonprofit organizations and a strong understanding of the unique legal challenges faced by cultural institutions, who already has a strong foundation in at least one core substantive area, including corporate and commercial transactions, intellectual property transactions, exempt organizations, and/or labor and employment.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
Admission to the Pennsylvania Bar (or ability to obtain admission).
Minimum of 4 years of post-JD legal experience for Assistant General Counsel; or minimum 8 years for Associate General Counsel.
Demonstrated contract drafting and negotiation experience (vendor/services, licensing, exhibitions/loans, consultants, sponsorships).
Excellent writing and judgment, with the ability to explain complex legal issues clearly to non-lawyers and collaborate across curatorial, operations, development, finance, and human resources departments.
Legal research, negotiation, analysis, communication, and organizational skills.
Curiosity and enthusiasm for generalist in-house practice, including a demonstrated willingness to learn new practice areas.
Ability to work collaboratively, as part of a small legal team.

Nice To Haves

Top tier academic credentials, with demonstrated achievement at each institution.
Legal training received working at one or more law firms.
Intellectual property competence: copyright, trademark, licensing, image/rights clearances.
Experience working in or advising nonprofit organizations, including cultural institutions, and an interest in visual and performing arts.
Familiarity with privacy/data protection issues and legal compliance.
Familiarity with accessibility, anti-discrimination, and fair procurement compliance and operations.
Experience with contract management software implementation, and contract drafting and research tools, clause libraries, and document automation; ability to learn and adopt emerging technologies.
Experience with insurance and risk management.

Responsibilities

Draft, review, negotiate, and interpret contracts, including those related to exhibitions, loans, acquisitions, sponsorships, services, and vendor agreements.
Assist in ensuring compliance with nonprofit regulations, including IRS requirements, charitable solicitation laws, and local ordinances.
Support institutional leadership, and board and committee governance, maintaining bylaws and policies, drafting resolutions, coordinating trustee communications, and assisting with regulatory filings.
Provide legal counsel on employment/HR matters, including policy development, wage/hour compliance, and benefit plan compliance, in coordination with HR.
Provide guidance on intellectual property matters, including copyright, trademark, licensing, rights clearances, and cultural property basics.
Provide legal support for fundraising initiatives, including gift agreements, donor restrictions, naming rights, and endowment compliance.
Manage legal aspects of major institutional partnerships — including cultural collaborations, service/vendor relationships, and other strategic arrangements — with responsibility for day-to-day contractual, governance, and compliance matters.
Contribute to institutional risk management by assisting in the development of policies and procedures to mitigate legal and operational risks.
Draft and maintain a form contract library, using advanced software tools.
Liaise with outside counsel on specialized matters as needed.
Perform additional duties as required.