Chief Legal Officer

Overview

At The New York Foundling, we trust in the power and potential of people, and we deliberately invest in proven practices. From bold beginnings in 1869, our New York-based nonprofit has supported hundreds of thousands of our neighbors on their own paths to stability, strength, and independence.  We help children and families navigate through and beyond foster care. We help families struggling with conflict and poverty grow strong. We help individuals with developmental disabilities live their best lives, and we help our neighbors access quality health and mental health services—core to building lifelong resilience and wellbeing. Together, our interrelated programs provide a whole-person, whole-family, and whole-life approach that unlocks solutions for a lifetime.

 

The Chief Legal Officer oversees all legal operations for The New York Foundling. This role is a strategic member of the executive leadership team and reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer/President, offering proactive legal advice and counsel aligned with the organization’s mission and strategic priorities. This position is responsible for creating and executing The Foundling’s legal strategies that supports the organization’s business objectives, addressing legal risks, day-to-day analysis and advice and counsel on legal, policy, and contractual issues facing the organization. This position will work across teams within The New York Foundling, as well as with key external organizations and clients. This role will provide in house legal advice and counsel to executives, the Board of Trustees, and employees to ensure compliance on a wide range of matters including regulatory requirements, policy, contractual integrity, risk mitigation, data privacy and security, governance, intellectual property, and labor and employment law. The Chief Legal Officer oversees and manages outside counsel as well as a small but dedicated in-house legal team. 

 

Responsibilities

The Chief Legal Officer oversees all legal operations for The New York Foundling. This role is a strategic member of the executive leadership team and reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer/President, offering proactive legal advice and counsel aligned with the organization’s mission and strategic priorities. This position is responsible for creating and executing The Foundling’s legal strategies that supports the organization’s business objectives, addressing legal risks, day-to-day analysis and advice and counsel on legal, policy, and contractual issues facing the organization. This position will work across teams within The New York Foundling, as well as with key external organizations and clients. This role will provide in house legal advice and counsel to executives, the Board of Trustees, and employees to ensure compliance on a wide range of matters including regulatory requirements, policy, contractual integrity, risk mitigation, data privacy and security, governance, intellectual property, and labor and employment law. The Chief Legal Officer oversees and manages outside counsel as well as a small but dedicated in-house legal team. 

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following: 

Governance and Risk Management 

• Provides legal advice and counsel to the President/CEO, executive leadership team, Board of Trustees, and other employees on legal matters relevant to The New York Foundling including on matters related to non-profit corporate governance, regulatory compliance, labor and employment, data privacy and security, and intellectual property 

• Oversees legal components of mergers and affiliations, including coordination of due diligence and preparation of related business agreements 

• Evaluates risk factors regarding business decisions and operations 

• Acts as a close advisor to leadership and management; provides advice and counsel for policies for the business and advises management and the board of directors regarding legal risk and compliance matters 

• Implements and oversees implementation of sound internal controls to minimize exposure to legal risks and ensure that The Foundling operates legally and with integrity 

• Provides expertise and oversight on litigation and regulatory matters, including subpoenas, litigation discovery, litigation strategy and other similar matters 
• Advises on labor and employment law matters, including union negotiations, workplace investigations, and employee relations. 
• Ensures overall compliance with city, state, and federal employment laws, including ADA, FMLA, Title VII, NYS Labor Law, and wage/hour rules. 
• Represents or manages representation in employment disputes, arbitrations, and administrative proceedings.
• Advises on insurance coverage, liability exposure, and in