Senior Counsel, Legal & Business Affairs

GLOBAL POVERTY PROJECT UK

145,000 - 160,000 per year

New York, New York

Full-time

Senior Counsel, Legal & Business Affairs

Department

Shared Services & Finance

Employment Type

Full-Time

Minimum Experience

Senior Manager/Supervisor

Compensation

$145,000-$160,000 annual salary

About Global Citizen

Global Citizen is a movement of engaged citizens using their collective voice to end extreme poverty. On our platform, Global Citizens learn about the systemic causes of poverty, take action, and earn rewards as part of a global community committed to lasting change. Since 2009, Global Citizens have taken over 42.9 million actions. These actions, in combination with our high-level advocacy efforts, have led to over $49 billion being distributed to partners worldwide, impacting 1.3 billion lives in the fight to end extreme poverty.

Role Overview

Global Citizen is seeking a Senior Counsel, Legal & Business Affairs, to play a leading role within its Legal & Business Affairs team.

This position will oversee and manage key legal and business affairs matters across multiple areas of the organization, including entertainment, partnerships, compliance, and governance. The Senior Counsel will serve as a trusted advisor to leadership, manage legal staff and external counsel, and drive complex projects from concept through execution.

The ideal candidate will bring seasoned legal judgment, strong business acumen, and proven leadership in managing both people and projects in a fast-paced, mission-driven organization.

Key Responsibilities

Legal Strategy & Counsel – 35%

Serve as a strategic legal advisor to senior management on complex business initiatives, contracts, and risk management matters.
Lead negotiations and oversee drafting of key contracts across business units, including major talent, sponsorship, event production, and media deals.
Advise on intellectual property, nonprofit compliance, lobbying regulations, and global partnership structures.
Provide strategic recommendations to mitigate organizational risk while advancing business and mission objectives.
Manage relationships with external counsel, ensuring efficiency and alignment with Global Citizen’s legal priorities.

Leadership & Staff Management – 25%

Supervise and mentor members of the Legal & Business Affairs team, fostering professional growth, collaboration, and operational excellence.
Establish and implement team priorities, workflows, and performance metrics.
Oversee the development of internal training programs for staff on legal and compliance topics.
Support cross-functional collaboration, ensuring legal alignment across departments including Partnerships, Marketing, Events, and Creative.

Governance, Compliance & Policy Oversight – 20%

Oversee the organization’s global corporate governance structure and ensure compliance with U.S. and international nonprofit laws.
Lead compliance reviews and implement risk management frameworks across all business activities.
Provide strategic input on organizational policies, ensuring alignment with legal, ethical, and regulatory standards.
Serve as a key liaison to the Board of Directors on governance and compliance matters.

Independent Project & Business Affairs Management – 20%

Independently manage high-impact, cross-departmental projects from inception to completion, ensuring timely and effective delivery (e.g. Global Citizen Festival).
Lead legal workstreams for major events, campaigns, and corporate initiatives.
Partner with leadership on long-term strategic planning for Global Citizen’s business and legal operations.
Develop and enhance internal systems (e.g., contract lifecycle management, compliance tracking) to improve efficiency and accountability.

Requirements for Success

Education & Experience

Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing with the New York Bar.
5–8 years of legal experience, including significant in-house counsel or law firm experience with emphasis on entertainment, nonprofit, or corporate law.
Demonstrated experience managing legal teams, outside counsel, and major organizational initiatives with international experience / cross-cultural coordination.
Expertise in nonprofit law, corporate governance, sponsorship structuring, lobbying compliance, and intellectual property.
Familiarity with entertainment and talent contracting, particularly in music, media, and events, is highly preferred.
Proficiency with contract lifecycle management (CLM) tools and project management platforms (e.g., IronClad, SpotDraft, Asana, Airtable, GSuite).

Attributes

Proven leadership and management skills with the ability to inspire and develop teams.
Strong business judgment with an ability to balance legal risk with organizational priorities.
Highly organized, proactive, and capable of managing multiple complex projects independently.
Collaborative and solutions-oriented, with excellent communication and negotiation skills.
Deep passion for Global Citizen’s mission and commitment to ending extreme poverty.
Using AI tools to work smarter and drive impact is an essential part of every role at Global Citizen. All staff must integrate AI into their daily work, whether improving workflows, analyzing information, or enhancing communication in service of our mission.

Benefits

Why Global Citizen?

In this coming decade of action and accountability, Global Citizen will be the leading international voice, educator, and influencer that rallies humanity to take full responsibility and accountability for eradicating extreme poverty. You have a chance to contribute and make this world a better place for all.

More Details

Must be authorized for employment in the United States
Global Citizen operates on a hybrid work model - 3 days (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday) in our NYC office and 2 days (Monday & Friday) telecommuting.
Full-time, ongoing employees are eligible for a competitive benefits package: Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance; commuter benefits; 403(b) retirement savings & employer match; generous paid time off (vacation, sick, and holidays); paid parental leave; employee discounts; FSA; Professional Development Assistance (EAP).
Salary Range: $145k-160k (commensurate with experience).

Global Citizen is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. Global Citizen strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants, or any other covered persons because of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, citizenship or any other protected classification under applicable federal, state, or local laws. In addition, Global Citizen complies with the relevant country laws governing employment nondiscrimination in all our international offices. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Location

New York, New York (Hybrid)