Contracts Attorney

Founded in 1936, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has grown into America’s largest and most trusted grassroots conservation organization with 53 state/territorial affiliates and seven million members and supporters, including hunters, anglers, gardeners, birders, hikers, campers, paddlers, and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and stripes. The mission of NWF is to unite all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in our rapidly changing world. We advance this mission through programming focused on conserving wildlife, restoring habitats and waterways, expanding outdoor opportunities, connecting children with nature, advancing environmental justice, and addressing the causes and consequences of climate change.

NWF believes that to save wildlife and ourselves, we need to ensure that everyone in America has clean air and water, safe communities, easy and equitable access to the daily benefits of nature, and protection from the ravages of climate change. These basic needs, equally necessary and urgent for all people, are foundational to bringing the conservation movement and ethos into the 21st century.

To further our mission, NWF is seeking a motivated Contracts Attorney to join the Legal Team. As Contracts Attorney, you will work closely with NWF’s in-house Legal Team and other key staff to provide legal support and assistance on a variety of contracts and transactional matters in furtherance of our mission, including NWF’s federal grants portfolio, and with respect to contracts management and compliance. This is an excellent opportunity for an attorney interested in nonprofit and contracts law and with a commitment to public interest.

Principle Duties (major areas of responsibility):

• Effectively review, draft, and negotiate a wide variety of legal agreements, grants, licenses, and other similar legal documents, including federal contracts and subawards.
• Engage with programs to understand their business needs and help collect and coordinate other necessary information for preparing and reviewing such agreements.
• Provide legal advice and input on proposals, RFPs, and procurement matters.
• Field requests and agreement drafting for new program collaborations (e.g., tailored MOUs).
• Ensure contracts and related forms meet compliance requirements and follow organizational policies and related best practices, closely partnering with colleagues on the Legal and Finance teams around internal controls and compliance.
• Help advise colleagues through transactions on issues related to nonprofit law and tax, including compliance around lobbying and advocacy.
• Collaborate closely with the Contracts Manager to develop and maintain contract templates, checklists, and related training and guidance to further streamline the contracting process and user experience with our contracts management platform (currently Agiloft).
• Advise staff on contract interpretations and identify practical solutions for resolving potential contract disputes, elevating issues as needed for other members of the Team.
• Help field contract-related correspondence with third parties.
• Track relevant legal developments propose updates where needed to contracting policies to account for the same.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor from a nationally recognized, accredited law school.
• Member in good standing with a bar of any U.S. state, and depending on location, able to obtain any required corporate counsel certificate
• 4 years of relevant legal experience, with a focus on contracts law, nonprofit compliance, and grants management.
• Experience reviewing and negotiating contracts, including memoranda of understanding, grants and funding agreements, and vendor contracts. Must have some experience with Federal grants and contracts. Also prefer candidates who understand data privacy and security terms in agreements.
• Excellent attention to detail, demonstrated initiative, sound judgment, and the ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to effectively work and collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders, including the ability to appreciate, bridge, and leverage differing viewpoints.
• Working knowledge of finance and accounting, and supporting internal controls
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters with discretion.
• Strong legal research, analytical, and writing skills, including packaging legal concepts for non-legal audiences.
• Knowledge of compliance considerations for independent contractors.
• Knowledge of advocacy rules for related 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organizations.
• Work expected to reflect the staff values of the National Wildlif