Assistant General Counsel, Legal (GD GE GGO AG1)

The Foundation

We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. We believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve. We provide an exceptional benefits package to employees and their families which include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation-paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to engage in several employee communities. As a workplace, we’re committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally.

The Team

"Guidance, Solutions, Integrity" describes the Legal division’s approach to providing responsive legal guidance supporting pursuit of the foundation’s mission and implementation of the foundation's programmatic and operational strategies. The Legal team delivers comprehensive legal services by providing efficient and reliable legal guidance, managing legal risk, and supporting the development of solutions to achieve the mission of the foundation and its affiliated entities.

The Legal team partners with our colleagues across the foundation and its affiliated entities to enable mission-driven work by maintaining an efficient, well-run global organization where employees can thrive and make their best contributions. Doing this well requires effective collaboration, strong alignment, and thoughtful planning across both operational and programmatic teams – as well as shared accountability for mitigating risk and optimizing the foundation’s operational resources.

Applications will be accepted until 5:00pm PST on June 20, 2025.

Your Role

We seek an individual to provide legal advice in support of the foundation and its affiliates (collectively, the “Foundation”), including programmatic activities and global operational needs, requiring a demonstrated understanding of U.S. tax-exempt private foundation law. This role supports the negotiation, drafting, and execution of grants, contracts collaborations, complex transactions, procurement and other arrangements that align with the Foundation’s charitable objectives (collectively, “Transactions”). This is an exciting opportunity to apply your legal skills to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. You will be part of a dynamic legal team supporting high-impact work that improves lives across the globe.

What You’ll Do

• Identify and advise on legal issues across a wide range of subject areas related to the Foundation’s charitable and tax-exempt programmatic objectives and operational activities, which will include structuring, negotiating, and drafting grant agreements, a broad spectrum of contracts, collaboration agreements and other documents related to Transactions.

• Provide support for other legal matters or on Foundation policies and issues as needed, including with respect to tax-exempt organizations, global access (making access to technology and products available at an affordable price in low and lower middle-income countries), data/privacy matters and intellectual property. 

• Provide support to the foundation’s Gender Equity (GE), Global Development (GD) and Global Growth and Opportunity (GGO) divisions as well as Gates Agricultural Innovations (AG1), LLC, a foundation subsidiary, and understand the objectives and goals of internal client groups and support the development of creative solutions and resolution of issues within the Foundation’s risk tolerance framework.

• Serve as an active member of the legal team, collaborate with other members of the legal team and Foundation personnel as appropriate and support broader legal team projects and cross-functional initiatives as needed.

• Manage outside counsel as appropriate.

• Contribute to legal process improvements that enhance efficiency and risk management.

• Support training and education of Foundation staff on legal issues.

• Some travel will be required.

Your Experience

• A Juris Doctor degree and current bar membership in good standing are required.

• Minimum of 5-7 years’ experience in the practice of law; law firm experience is a plus.

• Extensive experience in structuring, drafting and negotiating a wide array of agreements and transactions.

• Excellent writing and negotiation abilities.

• Skilled in effectively serving a demanding client base in a complex