Vice President and Deputy General Counsel

Overview 

As Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, you will serve as a senior leader within Compassion’s Office of the General Counsel, providing both strategic and operational legal counsel to the General Counsel, Executive Leadership, the Board of Directors, and other senior ministry leaders. Your scope will span legal, governance, policy, and organizational strategy, positioning you as a trusted advisor and advocate for the ministry’s mission and interests. 

In this role, you will lead a diverse global legal team—including attorneys, paralegals, contract counsel, and external law firms—supporting the ministry across key areas such as contracts, compliance, employment and labor law, intellectual property, litigation, political affairs, and nonprofit regulations. You will oversee legal operations in collaboration with Risk Management, ensuring alignment with Compassion’s strategic priorities. 

What will you do?  

• Maintain a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Be a consistent witness for Jesus Christ, maintaining a courteous, Christ-like attitude in dealing with people within and outside of Compassion, and faithfully uphold Compassion’s ministry in prayer. 

• Act as an advocate to raise the awareness of the needs of children. Understand Christ’s mandate to protect children. Commit to and prioritizes child protection considerations in all decision-making, tasks and activities across the ministry. Abide by all behavioral expectations in Compassion’s Statement of Commitment to Child Protection and Code of Conduct. Report any concerns of abuse, neglect or exploitation of children through Compassion’s internal reporting process and appropriately support responses to incidents if they occur. 

• Uphold and engage in Compassion’s core Cultural Behaviors. 

• Provide meaningful input and perspective to the strategic and operational planning and decision-making for the international ministry. 

•  Provide overall leadership and coordination for Compassion's international legal department and activities and is directly involved with the General Counsel at the outset and throughout the process of any threat of litigation or risk to reputation. 

• Render legal analysis and guidance on Compassion’s strategic, policy, and organizational activities, including but not limited to, all vendor/consultant agreements, leases, litigation, compliance, employment and labor law issues, international issues, copyright and trademark issues, and regulations and restrictions pertaining to tax-exempt status. 

• Serve as an active member of the General Counsel Office Leadership Team to provide meaningful input and perspective into the strategic and operational decisions under consideration or in need of implementation.  

• Play a critical role in the effective communication, culture building and change management for the worldwide ministry of Compassion. 

• Establish relationships and works with in-house and outside attorneys to provide counsel to all senior management and to obtain technical assistance and pro-bono legal services in all areas affecting the organization, including intellectual property, publishing, real estate, labor, privacy, litigation, tax, and not-for-profit law. Advise on other legal matters, such as employment law and audit components, supports offices on compliance and regulatory issues, and serves on regular or ad hoc committees as required. 

• Provide legal perspective and updates to the Compassion International Board. Monitors corporate governance including reviewing and monitoring Compassion Bylaws, ensuring compliance with Bylaw provisions, and recommending adjustments, where needed, to comply with IL, CO, and federal non-profit corporation laws. 

• Develop in-house legal team and related processes. Oversee legal staff who draft and review legal documents, including commercial leases and contracts, charitable registrations and compliance, and technology-related work, including Internet service provider contracts, and negotiates the terms of such agreements. Further, exercise a high level of decision-making and signing authority for all contracts of significant dollar value.   

• Develop and oversees a global network of outside counsel to provide advice and solutions to ministry operations as needed. 

• Advocate for the needs and interests of the ministry, in particular highlighting the unique aspects of assigned constituencies and stakeholders. Advise leadership on legal, compliance, governance, and other matters as needed. Also oversees governance, compliance, best practices, board relations, and in collaboration with other stakeholder functions. 

• Advise senior leaders to develop strategies and implement plans for new country expansion in conjunction with other stakeholder functions to advance Compassion toward “the third line” of ministry growth. 

• Represent the interests and priorities of the General Counsel, and, when needed, stands in the stead of the General Counsel. 

• Provide leadership, coaching, and development to a team of attorneys and paralegals to achieve ministry priorities. Works with staff to foster an environment of professional growth, in alignment with compassion’s strategies and objectives. Consult with peer management and senior leaders to successfully align departmental resources and priorities across Compassion. 

• Compile or prepare and administer the annual budget and departmental expenses, ensuring accountability for on-time completion of deliverables based on department objectives, SLAs, and other Compassion standards, ensuring compliance with regulatory and board policies. 

• Select, manage and develop assigned staff, establishing goals and objectives, coaching and managing performance, including discipline, motivation, and annual reviews; supports continuous learning and development that enhances individual performance and organizational capability. 

What do you bring? 

• Juris Doctor (JD) and active license to practice law in the U.S.; minimum 15 years of legal experience, including leadership roles. 

• Demonstrated experience of directly managing and developing a team of attorneys and legal professionals. 

• Proven expertise in nonprofit law, contracts, compliance, employment, and governance. 

• Ability to advise executive leadership and boards on complex legal and strategic matters. 

• Strong alignment with Compassion’s mission and values; committed to Christ-centered leadership and child protection. 

• Global and nonprofit experience strongly preferred, especially in cross-cultural or international legal contexts. 

Why work here? 

• The mission: Join a team that is motivated to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name. 

• Our benefits: Receive generous paid time off, 10% contribution to a 403(b) retirement fund on top of your salary, excellent healthcare coverage, free short-term professional counseling, and more. 

• Spiritual growth: Participate in regular chapel services, prayer groups, and department devotionals.