Legal Operations Manager Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

At the Bainum Family Foundation, our vision is a society where all children thrive.  
For more than five decades, we've invested in the well-being of children and families, evolving our strategy over the years to reflect new thinking, learning, and changing community needs.  
Our work focuses on disrupting the current obstacles that impede too many children's development and well-being throughout the United States. Far too often, these children and their families have not had access to resources and a say in the decisions that impact their lives.  
We know there is tremendous power, expertise, and lived experience within every community. The adults who nurture young children, family members, teachers and other trusted caregivers, want the best for their children and actively seek the solutions and conditions they need to thrive. We come alongside our partner communities, building on those strengths to create lasting systems change. 

The Bainum Family Foundation and Children's Equity Fund is comprised of staff that reflect a cross-section of rich and diverse voices formed from their deep and varied backgrounds. Though we come from different places, we stand together on the corevalues of Commitment, Integrity, Continuous Learning, and Collaboration, and the behaviors that bring these values to life. We embody these principles in all our work, and in our partnerships with communities, to co-create a society in which all young children thrive. This way of working, and being, allows us to actively strive for a culture that is welcoming, creates equal access to opportunities, fosters trust, embraces change, values feedback, and promotes well-being.  

The work of both the foundation and our 501(c)(4) sister organization, the Children's Equity Fund (CEF), is structured through a portfolio of interconnected initiatives, this person may be assigned to any of the foundation or CEF's initiatives based on initiative cycles and evolving organizational needs. All staff play a role in learning and purposefully managing knowledge to further both organizations' Missions and Visions. Therefore, we expect all staff to gather, care for, use and openly share knowledge in ways that support shared learning and amplify community expertise. 

Internal Job Level: Manager

FLSA Status: Full-time Exempt

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Reports to: General Counsel

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting directly to the General Counsel (GC), the Legal Operations Manager will design, implement, and manage the operational aspects of the Bainum Family Foundation's legal function, enabling efficient and compliant delivery of legal services to the foundation, its single-member LLC the Bainum Foundation Farm, and its sister organization, the Children's Equity Fund (CEF). This role oversees legal technology and records management, contract and agreement operations, corporate and regulatory compliance, outside counsel management including invoice management, cross-functional project execution, and other special or routine projects as assigned. The Legal Operations Manager also works with staff and the GC to ensure the effective operations of Member, Board, and Committee meetings. This includes Member, Board and Committee meeting coordination, document management, and other governance administrative processes.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Legal Operations

• Legal Operations Strategy: Develop and maintain legal operations frameworks, playbooks, and procedures; establish methods to track workload, cycles, compliance, and governance needs.
• Legal Technology Management: Administer and manage legal technology solutions (e.g., contract lifecycle management, legal entity management, board portals, e-signature platforms, SharePoint, Asana). Serve as the point of contact for legal software vendors and troubleshoot issues.
• Legal Records and Knowledge Management: Maintain orderly, secure, and compliant files; manage classification, retention, and disposition schedules; partner with IT on access, privacy, and security controls. Design and oversee the department's knowledge management system to ensure critical information is accessible and organized for appropriate stakeholders.
• Policy, Process, and Controls Improvement: Map current processes, identify bottlenecks, and execute continuous improvement initiatives; implement internal controls for approvals, delegations of authority, and records retention.
• Reporting: With the General Counsel, prepare OKR reports and executive reports for leadership and the Board or committees as applicable.

Contract Management

• Serve as primary legal point of contact for contract administrators.
• Manage processes for triage, legal review, and tracking of contracts.
• Oversee, and develop with the GC where required, contract lifecycle workflows, templates, clause libraries, and approvals; manage and assist internal stakeholders in navigating contract review and approval process.
• Maintain contract records in the contract and grants management system (Fluxx); ensure data quality for contracts.
• Prepare regular reports and reminders for contract managers as needed.

Governance and Board Support

• Coordinate board and committee calendaring; manage and oversee the maintenance of governance-related calendar.
• In close collaboration with the General Counsel and staff supporting the CEO, plan for and prepare Member, Board, and Committee meeting agendas and materials with a keen eye towards accuracy.
• Maintain the Foundation's legal entity management system and board web portal by making timely content updates, maintaining the board materials library, and innovating other beneficial uses of the platforms.
• Partner with General Counsel to draft and maintain corporate records, bylaws, charters, and resolutions, consents, meeting minutes, and other governance documents in alignment with document retention schedules.
• Manage Board and staff Conflict of Interest Disclosure process with an eye toward efficiency and process improvements.
• Maintain and periodically review and update governance-related processes and policies.
• Assist staff, board and committees with compliance with governance-related processes and policies.
• Coordinate signatures for governance-related documents and materials.
• Assist with other Board and committee meeting setup and logistics, as requested.

Compliance

• Coordinate in the creation and review of documents related to the development and implementation of corporate policies and templates; coordinate with Finance, Grants Management, OLE, and HR on integrated compliance processes.
• Develop and enforce policies and procedures for the legal department to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and internal standards.
  • Support the GC in monitoring regulatory requirements relevant to the organizations' activities such as state registrations, lobbying and campaign finance registrations and disclosure forms.
• Maintain compliance calendars and manage timely corporate registration filings and renewals.
• Assist with policy development and training initiatives.
• Manage annual corporate insurance renewal process, maintain insurance records, coordinate with brokers and insurers on claims or other insurance needs.
• Work on special projects and initiatives, as requested.

Outside Counsel and Legal Consultant Management

• Coordinate with external counsel and service providers, managing relationships and negotiating terms to optimize service quality and cost-effectiveness.
• Establish engagement protocols, billing guidelines, matter budgets and evaluation criteria; manage RFPs, conflicts, and performance metrics; ensure alignment with the organization's mission, compliance requirements, and cost discipline.

Cross-Functional Projects

• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration between the legal department and other departments.
• Training and Stakeholder Enablement: Develop and deliver training on legal processes, templates, and tools; provide guidance to staff on intake quality, contract routing, and compliance workflows.
• Partner with finance, HR, OLE, and program teams to integrate legal processes into organizational workflows.

Other

• Monitor legal email inbox and triage requests for legal support.
• Provide general administrative support for General Counsel (e.g., calendaring, credit card reconciliation, etc.).
• Work on special projects and initiatives, as requested.

FUNCTIONAL/TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

The functional requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. Equivalent combinations of work experience and training that provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities will also be considered.

• Three to five years of legal operations and project management experience, with experience in corporate governance and compliance strongly preferred; relevant certifications (PMP, legal ops certifications) a plus
• Demonstrated experience working with or supporting nonprofit or philanthropic organizations, private foundations, or grantmaking programs, with an understanding of the operational implications of nonprofit compliance and governance
• Ability to understand and interpret legal documents
• Strong attention to detail and to data stewardship, and excellent organizational skills
• Good project management skills, including a track record leading multi-stakeholder projects from inception to completion, with accountability for timelines, scope, budget, risk management, and change management.
• Proficient in using various forms of technology, platforms, and software to complete required responsibilities (e.g., Office 365, SharePoint, virtual meeting platforms, board communications platforms)
• High integrity handling confidential and sensitive information; alignment with the foundation's mission and values
• Excellent collaborative, interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to convey necessary information accurately, listen effectively, and ask questions when clarification is needed
• Open to building new technical skills, knowledge or capabilities that can benefit business and/or personal performance

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described below are representative of the requirements of an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may occur to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee may regularly be required to talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to sit and use hands. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee may be required to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This position is designated as "Local" and the employee will be expected to regularly commute to the Washington, D.C. Central Workplace location - or alternative meeting locations in the DMV - to attend in-person Bainum Family Foundation and Children's Equity Fund monthly staff meetings and quarterly learning sessions, as well as other scheduled ad-hoc in-person meetings. The foundation reserves the right to adopt different hybrid operating practices in the future that make sense for the evolution of our work and could require more in-person work. Telework requires logging onto your computer at home during work hours, responding to emails, and participating in video calls and meetings throughout the day; therefore, access to high-speed, reliable internet is crucial. The foundation provides all required equipment and supplies to undertake the tasks of the job at home, including laptop, monitors, and other accessories, which are shipped to the employee's home.