General Counsel

USA Volleyball•Tustin, CA

4d•$220,000 - $280,000•Onsite

About The Position

General Counsel serves as a senior legal executive, providing comprehensive legal leadership across the organization’s commercial, contractual, intellectual property, and regulatory functions. This role is designed to protect and advance the mission of USA Volleyball (USAV) by delivering trustworthy, proactive legal counsel that enables confident decision-making at every level of the organization. Reporting directly to the CEO, the General Counsel will be the primary architect of USAV’s commercial legal strategy, with responsibility for overseeing the full spectrum of legal activity that supports USAV’s revenue-generating operations, partnership ecosystem, media and broadcast relationships, brand protection, and domestic and international agreements. This executive will serve as a trusted strategic partner to organizational leadership, bringing sophisticated legal expertise to high-stakes decisions involving commercial transactions, naming rights, licensing, sponsorship structures, intellectual property, risk management, employment matters, and governance compliance. General Counsel will work closely with the CEO, executive team, and Board of Directors to ensure legal strategy is fully aligned with organizational priorities and long-term growth objectives. Proactive engagement of outside counsel is essential to ensure sound guidance across the full range of legal disciplines. Success in this role will be measured by the quality and timeliness of legal guidance, the strength of the organization’s commercial agreements, the mitigation of organizational risk exposure, and the ability to translate complex legal considerations into clear, actionable guidance for a dynamic, mission-driven organization. The General Counsel will model the professional standards, ethical integrity, collaborative mindset, and commitment to excellence that define USAV. Extended hours may be required to include nights, weekends, and holidays. Moderate travel is expected to attend annual meetings (Board and Region, assigned events and SafeSport audits.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school required; must be an active member in good standing of the California State Bar.
Minimum of ten (10) years of legal experience, with demonstrated expertise in commercial transactions, contract negotiation, and intellectual property, ideally in a senior in-house or comparable law firm context.
Proven experience negotiating and closing complex, high-value commercial agreements, including sponsorships, licensing, media rights, naming rights, and strategic partnership structures.
Substantial experience in intellectual property law, including trademark registration, licensing, and enforcement.
Demonstrated ability to provide executive-level legal counsel, translating complex legal matters into clear, business-ready guidance for senior leaders and boards.
Exceptional negotiation, communication, and relationship management skills, with the ability to build trust and credibility across diverse internal and external stakeholders.
High degree of professional integrity, sound judgment, and a collaborative, service-oriented leadership style.
Must successfully pass a USAV background screen (prior to hire date).
Must complete SafeSport training within two weeks of hire date and keep current as a condition of continued employment.

Nice To Haves

Experience advising nonprofit organizations, national governing bodies, or mission-driven entities; understanding of Olympic and amateur sport governance is a plus.

Responsibilities

Serve as the principal legal advisor on all commercial and transactional matters, including sponsorships, licensing, media rights, broadcast agreements, naming rights, venue contracts, and strategic partnerships.
Lead the negotiation, drafting, and review of high-value commercial agreements, ensuring terms protect USA Volleyball’s interests, reflect market standards, and support organizational growth objectives.
Develop and maintain a commercial legal framework that supports the USAV’s revenue strategy, including scalable contract templates, approval workflows, and risk assessment protocols.
Advise the executive team and Board on the legal implications of commercial opportunities, emerging business models, and strategic transactions, including any M&A activity, joint ventures, or major partnership structures.
Support the identification and evaluation of commercial risks associated with new business initiatives, international activities, and partnership opportunities, and recommend mitigation strategies accordingly.
Lead legal due diligence, negotiation, and closing on commercial real estate transactions, including the acquisition of training or event facilities, coordinating financing, title, zoning, and environmental review as needed.
Own and manage USAV’s intellectual property portfolio, including trademarks, copyrights, trade dress, and domain assets, ensuring comprehensive registration, maintenance, and enforcement strategies are in place.
Lead enforcement actions against unauthorized use of USAV marks, logos, and branded content, including correspondence, cease-and-desist activities, and coordination with outside IP counsel as needed.
Advise on licensing arrangements involving USAV’s marks and content, ensuring appropriate protections, and usage restrictions are embedded in all agreements.
Partner with the creative, marketing, and technology functions to ensure new brand elements, digital platforms, and content initiatives are protected and compliant with applicable IP law.
Establish and oversee a disciplined contract management system, including standardized templates, review and approval processes, version control, and archiving procedures.
Ensure timely and thorough legal review of all material agreements, including vendor contracts, event agreements, athlete and coach agreements, technology agreements, and service provider relationships.
Build and maintain a legal operations function that delivers consistent, efficient support to internal stakeholders across the organization.
Identify and implement appropriate use of outside legal counsel, managing external relationships, scope, and costs effectively to complement the internal legal function.
Advise the CEO and BOD on matters of corporate governance, nonprofit compliance, and obligations under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, USOPC requirements.
Ensure USAV’s organizational practices, policies, and agreements reflect current legal requirements and best practices across all relevant jurisdictions., emphasis on California law.
Partner with the Chief of People and Culture on employment law matters, including California-specific compliance, policy development, and dispute resolution.
Provide legal oversight for SafeSport compliance, athlete protection policies, and related governance matters, ensuring legal standards are embedded in organizational practice.
Oversee the organization’s data privacy compliance obligations, including California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and ensure appropriate policies, practices, and agreements are in place.
Identify, assess, and advise on legal risk across the organization, proactively recommending strategies and structural safeguards that protect USAV from legal exposure.
Oversee the management of litigation, disputes, and claims involving the organization, including selection and supervision of outside litigation counsel, strategy development, and settlement authority within approved parameters.
Proactively engage outside counsel or specialized advisors in areas outside the General Counsel's core competency (e.g., engaging employment counsel for complex labor matters, multi-state privacy compliance) ensuring USAV receives sound guidance across the full range of legal disciplines it encounters.
Maintain awareness of legal developments, regulatory changes, and industry trends that may impact the organization’s operations, partnerships, or risk profile, and communicate implications to leadership accordingly.
Develop and oversee legal risk policies and escalation protocols that ensure timely identification and resolution of emerging legal matters.
Serve as a strategic legal advisor to the CEO, providing timely, clear, and actionable counsel on organizational decisions with legal implications.
Prepare and present legal briefings, risk assessments, and governance recommendations to the Board of Directors and its committees as requested.
Participate in executive leadership discussions related to organizational strategy, commercial development, and stakeholder engagement, contributing a legal lens to enterprise-level decisions.
Represent USAV in negotiations and discussions with external legal counsel, partner organizations, governing bodies, and regulatory entities.

Benefits

Paid Time Off - Accrue 12 hours each pay period (up to a maximum of 29 days).
Holidays - Up to 15.5 paid holidays per year
403B retirement plan - Employer match up to 8%
Health Benefits (medical, dental, vision)- No monthly premiums are deducted for employee only health benefit. An opt-out rebate is provided for employees waiving USAV medical coverage given coverage with a qualified group health plan.
Wellness program - Earn up to $1000/year for completing health activities
Paid Parental leave
Director Life Insurance
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Employer-paid life and AD&D Insurance
DEI, Social and Wellness Committees
Discounts on sponsored vendor apparel (Mizuno)