Legal Director (Compliance and Operations)

Avaaz is one of the world’s largest online global campaigning movements, with nearly 70 million people from every country in the world. 

Our movement launched in 2007 with an ambitious but simple mission: using the connectivity of the internet to empower people of all nations to act together to close the gap between the world we have and the world most people everywhere want.

Our model enables people to channel their individual voices and resources into a powerful collective force at tipping point moments to impact the pressing global challenges of our time, from climate and ecological crises to human rights abuses and the dismantling of democracy. The organisation is deeply mission focused, and has achieved a broad range of victories over the last 15 years that you can read about here. 

At this pivotal point in human history, Avaaz is delivering an ambitious 2030 strategic plan to seize key victories in the crucial next decade -  to secure ecological survival, defend democracy, protect human rights and build healthy and resilient cultures.

The Avaaz team of 100 staff are spread across 6 continents, campaign in 21 languages, and is funded through small donations from individual Avaaz members, with an annual revenue of $25-30m. 

We are currently seeking an exceptional leader to join us as Legal Director.

As a Legal Director at Avaaz, you will be at the forefront of our mission to drive positive change across the globe. Your expertise will guide our legal strategies, ensuring Avaaz's reputation, compliance, and effectiveness remain unwavering. This pivotal role, focusing on supporting the organisation’s internal operations and structures, involves proactive risk management, innovative legal solutions, and collaborative leadership to advance our ambitious goals. This role reports directly to the Head of Legal. 

• Strategic Legal Counsel: Provide expert legal insights and strategic direction to fortify Avaaz's mission achievement and reputation. Analyze emerging global legal trends and risks, advising leadership on mitigative actions.
• Innovative Legal Strategies: Lead dynamic legal strategies in collaboration with external counsel, navigating intricate challenges across multiple jurisdictions. Proactively address complex issues in diverse areas of law, including contract, employment, data, privacy, internet, intellectual property, defamation and elections.
• Global Compliance Leadership: Ensure adherence to international, national, and local laws across various jurisdictions. Stay updated on evolving global legal landscapes, supporting teams to operate with confidence.
• Team Empowerment: Strengthen teams by offering legal guidance on potential exposures, fostering a robust operational foundation. Transform intricate legal requirements into actionable policies and processes.
• Regulatory Compliance: Oversee US regulatory compliance as a 501(c)(4) organization. Manage compliance with lobbying requirements, sanctions, FCPA, and data protection regulations.
• Organizational Impact: Collaborate with the senior staff to shape organizational priorities, and play a key role in recruitment, team building, and strategic projects.
• Policy Development and Training: Contribute to the development of Avaaz's policies and deliver training sessions, equipping the team to navigate legal complexities.

The following list of qualifications is what we believe gives you the experience required to work in our environment and deliver on the responsibilities listed above. You should apply for this role if you believe you have the necessary experience, even if you don't meet all the requirements below:

• Law degree and/or equivalent professional qualification to practice law.
• 7+ years of legal advice, compliance and risk management experience, preferably in the non-profit sector and international contexts.
• Experience in legal aspects of campaigning (preferred).
• Creative problem-solving skills for rapid, solution-oriented legal guidance.
• Collaborative spirit and adaptability in a dynamic team environment.
• Passion for global justice, citizen empowerment, and social change.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; additional languages a plus.
• Proficiency in Google Suite and online communication platforms (Slack, Zoom, etc.).

Avaaz operates virtually, with a global presence. This role is ideally suited for candidates in the Americas, EU, Africa or Middle East time zones.

• The full-package salary for this position ranges from 59,741 - 109,017 EURO. An accurate range in local currency will be provided to candidates.
• Comprehensive benefits package, including:
• 5 weeks of annual paid vacation.
• 10 paid holidays per year.
• 3,000 USD annual allocation for training and development.
• 1,500 USD annual allocation for language development.
• Support for out-of-home workspace rental.

As a global organization with millions of members around the world, it’s important to us that our team reflects the diversity needed to lead a movement of people from across the planet, rising to meet some of the most complex challenges humanity has ever faced. We believe we can only succeed by building a diverse team full of fresh perspectives and original ideas, and we are committed to creating a working environment in which everyone has an equitable opportunity to fulfill their potential.

Our team includes native and non-native English speakers, the self-taught and university educated, people with all sorts of professional backgrounds. If doing the job you just read about would make you excited to come to work every day, if you’re talented, hard-working and committed to making a difference - we want you to apply.

Avaaz does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, colour, ancestry, language and accent, national origin, citizenship, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, family/parental or marital status, religion, socioeconomic class, caste, disability or any other characteristic protected by law

We are committed to ongoing learning, so if you have suggestions for us on how to better put these values into practice in our hiring process, we’d value your input. Please write to us at recruitment@avaaz.org with the subject line ‘Hiring Feedback’.

We’ll provide reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants with disabilities or special needs to participate in the application process, so please let us know if you have such a request when you apply.

Please do not send your application via email. Only applications received via the form online will be considered. Thank you!

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