Director, Investments Counsel
About The Position
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) was founded in 2015 by Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg to harness the power of technology to pursue ambitious societal goals, such as curing or preventing all disease and transforming education. CZI operates at the intersection of innovation and scale, building the infrastructure, partnerships, and capabilities that allow scientists, educators, and innovators to tackle complex challenges. The Investments team is crucial in enabling Biohub's work in AI and biology to solve disease and Learning Commons' mission to build AI infrastructure for education. The team's goal is to build a world-class investment portfolio to fund CZI's long-term operations by employing a "manager of managers" approach to find exceptional investment organizations globally. This Director, Investments Counsel role reports to the General Counsel and serves as the primary legal partner for CZI's Investment team. The role involves providing strategic legal counsel on public and private fund investments, co-investments, and other strategic investment opportunities, navigating complex legal, regulatory, and tax considerations. The individual will partner with investment professionals on fund structuring, legal risk, and transaction execution, balancing legal rigor with business objectives. Responsibilities include reviewing, negotiating, and executing investment transactions across taxable and tax-exempt entities, leading complex negotiations, developing legal frameworks, and strengthening governance. Collaboration with Legal, Investments, Finance, Tax, and outside counsel is essential for consistency and efficiency. This role requires deep expertise in investment funds, strong judgment, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders, offering an opportunity to shape CZI's investment legal capabilities and make a significant impact.
Requirements
- 15+ years of legal experience in investment funds and asset management, with deep expertise across private equity, hedge funds, and other alternative investments.
- Significant experience serving as a strategic legal advisor within complex organizations.
- Extensive experience leading investor-side negotiations for fund investments, co-investments, and bespoke transactions across varied legal structures.
- Strong expertise in structuring investments across taxable and tax-exempt entities, including familiarity with UBTI, ERISA, and related considerations.
- Demonstrated ability to lead complex, high-value negotiations and manage multiple concurrent transactions.
- Experience developing and improving legal processes, frameworks, and best practices.
- Proven ability to manage external counsel relationships effectively.
- Strong business judgment and ability to translate legal complexity into practical, actionable guidance.
- Excellent communication and influencing skills, with experience partnering effectively with senior leaders across functions.
- High degree of integrity, discretion, and sound judgment in a dynamic environment.
- Commitment to CZI's mission and ability to operate effectively in a mission-driven, evolving organization.
- Juris Doctor (JD) required; active bar membership (California preferred or willingness to obtain).
Responsibilities
- Lead the legal strategy supporting CZI's investment activities across public and private funds, co-investments, and related investment opportunities.
- Serve as the primary legal advisor to Investment leadership, providing guidance on complex fund structures, co-investments, and bespoke transactions across asset classes.
- Lead the legal execution of investment transactions, including review and negotiation of LPAs, side letters, co-investment agreements, and other key investment documents.
- Structure and negotiate complex arrangements while balancing legal, tax, regulatory, and mission-driven considerations.
- Develop and enhance standardized legal processes, playbooks, and governance practices to improve consistency and efficiency across investment execution.
- Manage relationships with external counsel, ensuring high-quality, practical legal support aligned with CZI's priorities.
- Partner closely with Tax, Finance, Compliance, and other cross-functional teams to support integrated decision-making across entity structures and regulatory requirements.
- Advise on regulatory developments and emerging legal issues related to investment activities, including considerations for tax-exempt investors.
- Lead legal risk assessment and mitigation strategies across investment transactions, including governance, compliance, and reputational considerations.
- Foster strong cross-functional partnerships that enable thoughtful, efficient investment execution.
- Contribute to broader Legal team priorities and cross-functional initiatives as a senior member of Team LeGiT.
Benefits
- Generous employer match on employee 401(k) contributions
- Annual benefit for employees and their families (e.g., housing, student loan repayment, childcare, commuter costs)
- CZI Life of Service Gifts to support causes
- Paid time off to volunteer
- Funding for select family-forming benefits
- Relocation support for employees moving to the Bay Area
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
