(Senior) Counsel or Principal and Vice President

Title: (Senior) Counsel or Principal and Vice President

Classification: Full Time; Exempt

Location: Remote

ABOUT THE BUILD UP COMPANIES

The Build Up Companies (“BUC”) are a federated group of companies comprised of Build Up Advisory Group, The Campbell Law Firm, and Build Up, Inc. and focused on transforming life outcomes for vulnerable and marginalized communities.

• Build Up Advisory Group is an advisory firm that specializes in strengthening governance, grant making, and organizational design for brave philanthropists, philanthropies, movements, and nonprofit organizations to provide them with the structural capacity to deliver on their missions to help affect socio-economic change.
• The Campbell Law Firm is a social-impact law firm that provides advice and high-touch counsel to brave nonprofits, philanthropies, philanthropists, social-impact entrepreneurs, and movements.
• Build Up, Inc. is a public charity that acts as a fiscal sponsor and capacity builder for women and Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC)-led organizations that are committed to the well-being of historically marginalized communities.

We work with start-ups that want to quickly and equitably build their infrastructure capacity and older organizations that are seeking innovative ways to equitably serve communities. We call what we do Brave Infrastructure Design®.

We are not theorists or academics. We understand the theory, of course, but have done the work we advise on, and are practical and creative in our approach. Our Founder and CEO has advised two of the world’s most prominent philanthropists and has built the capacity of nonprofit organizations all over the world. All of our advisors are practicing attorneys with years of practical in-house nonprofit and operational experience. So, we do not just talk about infrastructure design; we live and breathe it.

Learn more about BUC by visiting each of the companies: Build Up Advisory Group, The Campbell Law Firm, and Build Up, Inc.

OUR CORE VALUES

Our core values are to be:

• brave – we authentically show up according to our values, even if it means that doing so may be more challenging;
• ever learning – we are focused on constant improvement and are always seeking new ways to do our work even better;
• excellent – we are in relentless pursuit of excellence through meaningful work and cultivating an environment of “owners” who refuse to tolerate mediocrity; and
• relational – we believe that true problem solving happens when there is real communication among the problem solvers; we endeavor to be thought partners with each other, our clients, and our partners.

Our values guide and inspire everything we do and how we engage with our clients, partners, and each other. If any value does not resonate with you, The Build Up Companies is not the place for you.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PERSON IN THIS ROLE

You will work with and across the various entities within BUC as a senior advisor and will be part of BUC’s Senior Leadership Team. The title of this role will be either Senior Counsel and Vice President, Counsel and Vice President, or Principal and Vice President, depending on your years of experience, as further described below.

You should have a deep understanding of how nonprofit organizations (especially grant makers) function and be willing to act as a thought partner to our clients. As a result, you will have both substantial client contact and responsibility and will develop and cultivate meaningful relationships with our clients. You will report to and work closely with BUC’s CEO, collaborate with BUC’s Vice Presidents, and serve as a resource to the wider BUC team.

For clients within Build Up Advisory Group, you will act as Chief Infrastructure Officer or in a critical support role to this office. Accordingly, you will design and implement infrastructure assessments and roadmaps, design infrastructure plans, and create processes and procedures to strengthen the organizational infrastructure of brave nonprofits and philanthropies. Additionally, you will set goals for performance and growth and establish policies that promote organizational culture and vision. You will also manage infrastructure development and provide critical leadership to support the work of board members, CEOs/Executive Directors, and executive teams at our client organizations.

Within The Campbell Law Firm, you will form nonprofit organizations, help them obtain federal tax-exempt status, and file state charitable registrations; draft corporate documents and agreements; and research and advise clients about requirements for tax-exempt status. You will also problem-solve alongside clients regarding their operations and activities as their General Counsel or Counsel, including on compliance matters, organizational risk assessment and leadership, lobbying and political activity, governance structure, fiduciary responsibilities, and joint ventures. Additionally, you will advise on critical organizational issues related to intellectual property, including ownership, complex use, and licensing; and provide advice and counsel on employment matters. You will also assist and lead on grant-making assessments and questions, including reviewing grant-making applications, reports, diligence, and agreements.

As a leader within BUC, you will provide meaningful coaching and mentoring support to the team, as needed, contribute to the brave culture within the BUC, and promote the BUC’s approach by providing thought leadership (e.g., writing, speaking) throughout the nonprofit sector.

ABOUT THE PERSON IN THIS ROLE

To thrive in this role and at BUC, you must be culturally competent with the ability to have diverse stakeholders feel heard; love generating, refining, and building out ideas into sustainable solutions; and be able to thrive and lead in a start-up environment.

You are a tremendous listener, which in turn makes you a tremendous storyteller and counsel. And you love puzzles – assembling the various pieces and identifying patterns and missing pieces.

You have a sense of humor, are intellectually curious, love music, and have the ability to discuss two fundamental music principles: The Bridge is over, and Soca is a language everyone should know.

You Must

• have a J.D. degree;
• be a member of the State Bar of New York, California, or Connecticut in good standing (or have the abilityto qualify in one of these states);
• have at least 5 years of working experience as an attorney (Counsel will have at least 5 years of experience; Senior Counsel will have at least 7 years of experience; Principal will have at least 8 years of experience);
• have at least 8 years of business/operations experience;
• have a solid understanding of nonprofits, philanthropies, and the U.S. tax-exempt sector;
• have experience working with grassroots and nonprofit start-up organizations;
• maintain a very high level of confidentiality;
• meet tight deadlines and follow up quickly;
• manage competing priorities like a boss (well, a boss that manages competing priorities well);
• be comfortable working in a fully remote work environment;
• have excellent written and verbal communication skills;
• be able to manage a complex portfolio of work with minimal supervision and a high degree of professionalism;
• be able to perform other responsibilities as assigned;
• have excellent analytical skills;
• be able to thrive in high-pressure, fast-paced environments;
• have a client and solution-oriented mindset;
• be able to occasionally travel within the United States and internationally;
• have a genuine interest in what is happening socially, politically, and philanthropically in the United States, the Caribbean, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Though not required, it would be very nice if you also had:

• Experience as in-house counsel to nonprofits or philanthropies
• Experience as an associate attorney in a nonprofit/exempt organizations law firm practice

COMPENSATION

The (Senior) Counsel and Vice President will receive a base salary of $126,000 (for Counsel), $132,000 (for Senior Counsel); or $143,000 (for Principal) with the potential for incentive compensation based on the individual’s and the BUC’s performance.

We also offer the following benefits:

• Dental and vision coverage
• Health insurance package (BUC pays the employee’s premium)
• Life insurance (BUC pays the employee’s premium)
• Long-Term Disability (BUC pays the employee’s premium)
• 401(k) participation with a BUC match
• Cellphone/WiFi allowance
• Office allowance
• Professional development allowance
• Payment of attorney registration fees
• Paid time off policy (sick, personal, and mental health days and all Federal Holidays)
• 20 vacation days per year
• 4-day work week (BUC’s working hours are from 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. ET, Monday through Thursday)
• Fully remote work

HOW TO APPLY

If you are interested in applying for this role, please click here.

OUR HIRING PROCESS

If you are interested in applying for this role, here is our application procedure:

• Please upload your resume and a cover letter about your interest in the role in the application.
• If we are interested in learning more, you will receive an email from us where you will be asked to provide a video response to some preliminary questions about your experience and interest in the role.
• After reviewing the video responses, we will further narrow the applicant pool and invite a few applicants to talk with us via video. You will meet with the Vice Presidents so you can ask questions about working at BUC and we can learn more about your experience and work style.
• After the conversation with the Vice Presidents, applicants will be asked to provide a writing sample that is representative of their analytical skills and writing style. We will ask some applicants to meet with the CEO via video, pending the review of the writing sample.
• After meeting with the CEO, the finalist(s) will have the opportunity to meet with the BUC team members with whom they have not met during the process.
• Afterward, the CEO will make an offer for the (Senior) Counsel or Principal and Vice President role.

We will acknowledge receipt of all applications and will let you know of our decision regarding your application.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The work environment characteristics and physical demands described here are representative of those a team member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions

• Ability to sit at a computer terminal for an extended period.
• Moderate noise (i.e., phone calls, online meetings, computer audio)
• While performing the duties of this job, the team member may be regularly required to stand, sit, talk, hear, reach, stoop, kneel, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer, telephone, and keyboard.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements due to computer work.
• Regular, predictable attendance is required.

OUR COMMITMENT

Our work centers historically marginalized and vulnerable communities, including people of color, those impacted by the criminal justice system, and women, especially Black women, so we strongly encourage applications from individuals who are committed to transforming life outcomes for those most invisibilized in society.

BUC is an equal opportunity place of business, which means that we do not discriminate because of race, color, gender, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, religion, age, where you are from, or disability. We believe in and live diversity, inclusion, and equity, and strive to ensure that every person we work with, including contractors, vendors, staff, and clients, feels considered and listened to. We do not allow any of the “isms” into where or how we work, and we believe Black lives matter and love is love. We have been treated as if we did not belong at various times throughout our careers and lives and understand how to be deliberate about never making others feel that way.