General Counsel

MATS Research • Berkeley, CA

42d • $300,000 - $365,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

MATS is hiring its first General Counsel to build and run the legal function for a growing, multinational nonprofit. Reporting to the COO, the General Counsel will serve as the organization’s primary legal advisor, handling contracts and grant agreements, nonprofit governance and compliance, US and UK employment law, intellectual property, data privacy, and risk management. The role works closely with the CEO and board on higher-stakes matters. It is a hands-on, generalist position at an organization without existing in-house counsel, requiring the successful candidate to build processes and templates as well as advise on individual matters.

The role is based primarily in person at MATS’ main office in Berkeley, California, with hybrid arrangements open to exceptional candidates; fully remote work is not offered. The position is 40 hours per week. Bay Area-based compensation is $300,000 to $365,000 per year, depending on qualifications and experience.

Requirements

• J.D. and active California Bar membership.
• 5–7 years of relevant legal experience as in-house corporate counsel or as General Counsel at a nonprofit.
• Experience with nonprofit or tax-exempt organizations, ideally including 501(c)(3) compliance and governance; strong in-house corporate legal experience is also considered.
• Comfort advising across contracts, employment, intellectual property, and compliance rather than specializing narrowly, and willingness to research areas outside one's core expertise.
• Experience with or willingness to quickly get up to speed on UK employment and entity considerations.
• Ability to translate legal risk into plain-language guidance for non-lawyers and make sound decisions independently without a large legal department.
• Genuine interest in AI safety or the nonprofit research and education space is a strong plus, but is not required.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience as first or founding counsel at a growing organization.
• Familiarity with academic or research institution contracting, including grants, fellowships, and publication agreements.
• Experience with immigration matters affecting international researchers, including US and UK visas.
• Exposure to philanthropic or donor-advised fund structures.
• Interest in AI safety or the nonprofit research and education space.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate grant agreements, donor agreements, vendor contracts, fellowship agreements, and partnership MOUs.
• Maintain 501(c)(3) compliance; advise on board governance, conflicts of interest, and lobbying and political activity limits; and support annual filings alongside Finance.
• Advise on hiring, contractor classification, and employment matters across US and UK entities, including offer letters, policies, and terminations.
• Manage intellectual property questions concerning research outputs and publications, and oversee GDPR and CCPA data privacy practices for participant and donor data.
• Identify and mitigate legal and reputational risk across programs, events, and international operations, and maintain appropriate insurance coverage in partnership with Finance.
• Serve as a resource to the CEO and COO on sensitive matters, and prepare materials for board review on legal and compliance topics.
• Build templates, playbooks, and lightweight processes so the organization can self-serve on routine legal questions as it scales.
• Engage and manage outside counsel for specialized matters such as immigration, international tax, and litigation.
• Help navigate immigration situations for fellows and employees.

Benefits

• In-office catered lunches and dinners on workdays.
• Paid work trips, including staff retreats, business trips, and relevant conferences.
• Funding and support for professional development.
• 17 days of annual paid time off for Berkeley-based employees.
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.
• Roth and Traditional 401(k) plans for US-based employees.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree