AVP, Legal Strategy & Operations

Please include a cover letter for consideration.

Duration

This is a two-year fixed-term position with full benefits and the possibility of extension.

Location

This position may be based hybrid out of EDF’s Boulder, NYC, or Washington, D.C. office.

Overall Function

The Associate Vice President (AVP), Legal Strategy & Operations provides critical strategic leadership and direction for essential legal functions, focusing specifically on enhancing the organization's risk management, providing leadership for global nonprofit governance frameworks, and optimizing the strategy and management of external legal counsel relationships – all through operational excellence.

The AVP will work closely with the SVP, General Counsel; VP, Enterprise Compliance, Legal, and Services (ECLS); and other organizational leaders to ensure that strategic legal priorities are clearly communicated, resources are aligned with priorities, and systems are designed to facilitate and monitor for successful achievement of EDF legal and risk management goals. Additionally, they will act as the strategic liaison between EDF’s ECLS team and our external legal firms. They are a key leader who will oversee day-to-day management of enterprise legal operations, establish the objectives and set the overall direction for complex activities, and will play a crucial role in mitigating risk, managing key external partnerships, supporting global governance, and driving results that significantly impact the organization's overall success and reputation, particularly within the unique context of a leading global NGO.

The AVP, Legal Strategy & Operations reports to the SVP, General Counsel with a dotted line to the VP, Enterprise Corporate, Legal, and Services.

Key Responsibilities

• Define, establish, drive, and execute the strategy for EDF’s enterprise legal operations, risk management integration, and the management of external litigation counsel, ensuring alignment with the Legal team and broader organization goals.
• Design, implement, and oversee robust operational workflows, processes, and potentially technology solutions to proactively identify, assess, mitigate, and report on legal and operational risks across the enterprise, particularly those surfaced through or impacting litigation and external partnerships.
• Establish clear objectives and key results for legal operations for enterprise risk management and external counsel functions and drive continuous improvement across these areas.
• Oversee and optimize global nonprofit governance and risk management initiatives, maintaining legal compliance and operational alignment with international regulatory frameworks.
• Participate in advancing EDF organizational effectiveness and culture goals in which people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included, and empowered to address the environmental and organizational challenges in alignment with EDF values.
• Represent the SVP, General Counsel in select internal and external engagements, and manage critical communications and briefings to ensure alignment, clarity, and timely execution of priorities.
• Proactively monitor and manage enterprise legal and operational risks to support continuity, compliance, and long-term organizational resilience.
• Manage financial aspects related to external counsel spend and risk management initiatives, ensuring responsible stewardship of resources and identifying opportunities for efficiency while managing associated risks.
• Support the strategy for selecting, engaging, managing, and evaluating external litigation counsel, ensuring optimal performance, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with organizational values and risk tolerance.
• Build, maintain, and ensure the success of critical relationships with external law firms and other relevant partners.
• Negotiate major engagements, fee structures, and partnership terms critical to achieving organizational objectives.
• Implement metrics and processes to monitor and manage the performance and effectiveness of external counsel, holding them accountable for results and ensuring successful outcomes for the organization.
• Prepare and deliver formal, effective, and transparent presentations on risk management insights, external counsel strategy and performance, and key legal operations initiatives to senior internal staff and potentially critical outside stakeholders.
• Lead resolution of complex or novellegal operations, risk exposure, and external counsel challenges, often requiring innovative solutions and navigating significant ambiguity.
• Act as a strategic liaison between the Legal team, external counsel, Finance, and other internal teams, as well as key external partners, fostering collaboration and alignment to achieve shared risk and legal goals.
• Mentor and train junior staff, as relevant.
• Additional relevant responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressive experience in legal operations, risk management, or litigation management within a complex organization, a Juris Doctor (JD) degree, and active bar membership in good standing required.
• A Master’s degree in Business Administration, Risk Management, or related field is a plus.
• Experience in global nonprofit governance and global risk management.
• Extensive knowledge of nonprofit governance frameworks, with extensive legal experience designing, advising on, and implementing nonprofit governance structures to support compliance, oversight, and strategic growth.
• Experience working within or closely with non-profit, NGO, or civil society organizations.
• Demonstrated experience establishing strategy and direction for legal and risk management processes, external counsel management, technology implementation, and budget oversight.
• Proven track record of successfully managing relationships and performance of external law firms.
• Significant experience with enterprise risk management issues, frameworks, and reporting, particularly within a legal context.
• Deep understanding of legal operations principles, process improvement methodologies, and workflow implementation.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze and resolve difficult, unusual, and highly unstructured problems.
• Demonstrated self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across all cultures and backgrounds.
• Proactive, attentive to detail, and highly organized.
• Exceptional communication (written, verbal, presentation, and negotiation) skills, with the ability to clearly convey complex decisions and influence senior internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong strategic leadership and project management capabilities, and with ability to provide direction, drive improvement, and manage operational risks.
• Ability to manage priorities, adapt to shifting strategies and approaches, and meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Familiarity with the litigation lifecycle and law firm business models.