General Counsel

Civitech•Austin, TX

17h•Remote

About The Position

Civitech is a public benefit corporation dedicated to creating a fairer and more equitable democracy by building the tools and infrastructure needed to increase civic participation, empower Democratic candidates to win, and support the success of progressive causes. Since its founding in 2019, over 1400 partners—a range of nonprofit organizations, national political committees, and individual campaigns—have utilized Civitech’s tools to reach tens of millions of voters to help create a more equitable and progressive democracy. The General Counsel will serve as Civitech's primary legal advisor, providing guidance on contracts, corporate governance, employment matters, compliance, risk management, and vendor relationships. This role will help ensure the company's legal framework supports growth while appropriately managing risk. The ideal candidate is a practical business partner with deep expertise in business law, employment law, workforce compliance, and risk management. Experience advising organizations with remote, multi-state workforces and complex contractor relationships is highly desirable. Experience with election law, campaign finance law, voter engagement programs, political communications, or campaign operations is a strong plus. Civitech’s Values: We act with Integrity – At Civitech, we hold ourselves to the highest standards and value open and transparent communications with all of our stakeholders. Our rigorous approach to product design, testing, and data science leads to accurate assessments of our outcomes and challenges us to constantly improve our tools. We are Changemakers – As a team, Civitech seeks to make transformational change in our democracy by eliminating obstacles meant to hamper contribution from every member of the community. We are Collaborators - Buoyed by our mission, we look for opportunities to partner with everyone committed to making democracy easier to participate in. We seek to understand the challenges our partners face and use our skills and creativity to help them solve them. We are Bold – We recognize that disruptive change won’t come with doing business as usual. Civitech seeks to revolutionize civic participation by bringing innovation and creativity to politics.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
Active bar membership in good standing.
8+ years of legal experience, including substantial experience in business law, corporate law, employment law, or commercial contracting.
Strong understanding of contract review, risk assessment, corporate governance, and employment law.
Experience advising senior leadership on legal and business matters.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to balance legal risk with practical business needs.

Nice To Haves

Prior in-house counsel or General Counsel experience.
Experience supporting technology, SaaS, data, consulting, or service-based businesses.
Significant experience advising organizations that utilize a mix of employees, contractors, temporary workers, and seasonal staff.
Strong knowledge of worker classification, wage and hour laws, multi-state employment compliance, and workforce risk management.
Familiarity with election law, campaign finance law, voter engagement programs, political communications, or campaign operations.
Experience supporting mergers, acquisitions, asset purchases, or corporate integrations.
Experience developing scalable legal processes for growing organizations.

Responsibilities

Review customer, vendor, partner, and procurement agreements to identify legal, financial, operational, and compliance risks.
Advise internal stakeholders on contract structure, liability, indemnification, intellectual property, privacy, and other legal considerations.
Develop and maintain contract templates, legal standards, and approval processes.
Ensure agreements align with company policies, risk tolerance, and strategic objectives.
Review proposed contract modifications and provide guidance on legal implications.
Maintain and improve the company's overall contracting framework.
Serve as the primary legal advisor to the executive leadership team.
Support mergers, acquisitions, asset purchases, and other corporate transactions.
Assist with corporate filings, entity management, and governance requirements.
Develop internal policies and procedures to support organizational growth and compliance.
Advise operations and leadership on employment-related matters, including hiring, performance management, investigations, disciplinary actions, terminations, and workforce planning.
Provide guidance regarding employee and independent contractor classification, wage and hour compliance, leave requirements, and multi-state employment laws.
Review and support employment agreements, separation agreements, contractor agreements, and workplace policies.
Partner with People Operations to identify and mitigate employment-related risks.
Monitor legal developments affecting remote workforces and ensure organizational compliance across jurisdictions.
Support responses to unemployment claims, worker classification inquiries, labor agency investigations, and related regulatory matters.
Monitor legal and regulatory developments that may impact the organization.
Advise on privacy, data protection, consumer protection, and other compliance matters.
Develop practical compliance processes and internal controls.
Support responses to government inquiries, regulatory matters, and legal disputes.
Advise leadership on legal implications of operational, financial, and strategic decisions.
Support acquisitions, integrations, and corporate restructuring activities.
Provide guidance on insurance claims, disputes, demand letters, and potential litigation.
Assist in responding to government inquiries, audits, and regulatory matters.
Evaluate legal risks associated with new products, partnerships, vendors, and business initiatives.
Develop practical policies and procedures that support organizational growth while maintaining compliance.
Manage relationships with outside counsel and specialized legal advisors.
Determine when specialized expertise is required and coordinate legal work accordingly.
Oversee legal spend and ensure efficient use of external resources.
Advise on legal and compliance issues related to voter engagement, voter registration, political communications, election administration, and campaign activities.
Monitor legal and regulatory developments affecting election-related programs and civic technology.
Assess legal risks associated with election, campaign, and voter outreach initiatives.
Coordinate with specialized election counsel when necessary.