Legal Operations Manager

Bainum Family Foundation•Washington, DC

16h•$98,700 - $110,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Reporting directly to the General Counsel (GC), the Legal Operations Manager will design, implement, and manage the operational aspects of the Bainum Family Foundation’s legal function, enabling efficient and compliant delivery of legal services to the foundation, its single-member LLC the Bainum Foundation Farm, and its sister organization, the Children’s Equity Fund (CEF). This role oversees legal technology and records management, contract and agreement operations, corporate and regulatory compliance, outside counsel management including invoice management, cross-functional project execution, and other special or routine projects as assigned. The Legal Operations Manager also works with staff and the GC to ensure the effective operations of Member, Board, and Committee meetings. This includes Member, Board and Committee meeting coordination, document management, and other governance administrative processes.

Requirements

Three to five years of legal operations and project management experience, with experience in corporate governance and compliance strongly preferred; relevant certifications (PMP, legal ops certifications) a plus
Demonstrated experience working with or supporting nonprofit or philanthropic organizations, private foundations, or grantmaking programs, with an understanding of the operational implications of nonprofit compliance and governance
Ability to understand and interpret legal documents
Strong attention to detail and to data stewardship, and excellent organizational skills
Good project management skills, including a track record leading multi-stakeholder projects from inception to completion, with accountability for timelines, scope, budget, risk management, and change management.
Proficient in using various forms of technology, platforms, and software to complete required responsibilities (e.g., Office 365, SharePoint, virtual meeting platforms, board communications platforms)
High integrity handling confidential and sensitive information; alignment with the foundation’s mission and values
Excellent collaborative, interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills
Ability to convey necessary information accurately, listen effectively, and ask questions when clarification is needed
Open to building new technical skills, knowledge or capabilities that can benefit business and/or personal performance

Responsibilities

Legal Operations Strategy: Develop and maintain legal operations frameworks, playbooks, and procedures; establish methods to track workload, cycles, compliance, and governance needs.
Legal Technology Management: Administer and manage legal technology solutions (e.g., contract lifecycle management, legal entity management, board portals, e-signature platforms, SharePoint, Asana). Serve as the point of contact for legal software vendors and troubleshoot issues.
Legal Records and Knowledge Management: Maintain orderly, secure, and compliant files; manage classification, retention, and disposition schedules; partner with IT on access, privacy, and security controls. Design and oversee the department’s knowledge management system to ensure critical information is accessible and organized for appropriate stakeholders.
Policy, Process, and Controls Improvement: Map current processes, identify bottlenecks, and execute continuous improvement initiatives; implement internal controls for approvals, delegations of authority, and records retention.
Reporting: With the General Counsel, prepare OKR reports and executive reports for leadership and the Board or committees as applicable.
Serve as primary legal point of contact for contract administrators.
Manage processes for triage, legal review, and tracking of contracts.
Oversee, and develop with the GC where required, contract lifecycle workflows, templates, clause libraries, and approvals; manage and assist internal stakeholders in navigating contract review and approval process.
Maintain contract records in the contract and grants management system (Fluxx); ensure data quality for contracts.
Prepare regular reports and reminders for contract managers as needed.
Coordinate board and committee calendaring; manage and oversee the maintenance of governance-related calendar.
In close collaboration with the General Counsel and staff supporting the CEO, plan for and prepare Member, Board, and Committee meeting agendas and materials with a keen eye towards accuracy.
Maintain the Foundation’s legal entity management system and board web portal by making timely content updates, maintaining the board materials library, and innovating other beneficial uses of the platforms.
Partner with General Counsel to draft and maintain corporate records, bylaws, charters, and resolutions, consents, meeting minutes, and other governance documents in alignment with document retention schedules.
Manage Board and staff Conflict of Interest Disclosure process with an eye toward efficiency and process improvements.
Maintain and periodically review and update governance-related processes and policies.
Assist staff, board and committees with compliance with governance-related processes and policies.
Coordinate signatures for governance-related documents and materials.
Assist with other Board and committee meeting setup and logistics, as requested.
Coordinate in the creation and review of documents related to the development and implementation of corporate policies and templates; coordinate with Finance, Grants Management, OLE, and HR on integrated compliance processes.
Develop and enforce policies and procedures for the legal department to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and internal standards.
Support the GC in monitoring regulatory requirements relevant to the organizations’ activities such as state registrations, lobbying and campaign finance registrations and disclosure forms.
Maintain compliance calendars and manage timely corporate registration filings and renewals.
Assist with policy development and training initiatives.
Manage annual corporate insurance renewal process, maintain insurance records, coordinate with brokers and insurers on claims or other insurance needs.
Work on special projects and initiatives, as requested.
Coordinate with external counsel and service providers, managing relationships and negotiating terms to optimize service quality and cost-effectiveness.
Establish engagement protocols, billing guidelines, matter budgets and evaluation criteria; manage RFPs, conflicts, and performance metrics; ensure alignment with the organization’s mission, compliance requirements, and cost discipline.
Facilitate cross-functional collaboration between the legal department and other departments.
Training and Stakeholder Enablement: Develop and deliver training on legal processes, templates, and tools; provide guidance to staff on intake quality, contract routing, and compliance workflows.
Partner with finance, HR, OLE, and program teams to integrate legal processes into organizational workflows.
Monitor legal email inbox and triage requests for legal support.
Provide general administrative support for General Counsel (e.g., calendaring, credit card reconciliation, etc.).
Work on special projects and initiatives, as requested.