Associate General Counsel, Global Risk and Corporate Compliance

Accion International; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance (90% employer funded)

Life and disability insurance

Retirement plans with employer match

Paid holidays and vacation

Job summary

Accion, a global nonprofit, seeks an Associate General Counsel to lead legal, risk and compliance across our nonprofit and for-profit entities. This role will partner with the Deputy General Counsel to advance Accion’s mission, handling privacy, technology, employment, governance and contract matters globally.

The position involves work across multiple jurisdictions (U.S., Colombia, India, Singapore) with a hybrid setup in Washington, DC or remote within the Eastern Time Zone.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Active membership in at least one U.S. state bar.
• 5+ years of legal experience with large U.S. nonprofit, financial services company, or U.S. law firm.
• Experience in regulatory compliance, employment law/immigration, privacy, AI governance, or technology transactions.
• Excellent contract negotiation, risk management and policy drafting skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication and strategic problem-solving abilities.

Responsibilities

• Support legal, risk and compliance across Accion's nonprofit and for-profit entities.
• Develop and monitor risk and compliance programs, policies, and procedures.
• Advise on privacy, data protection, and cybersecurity matters.
• Review technology licenses, SaaS agreements and vendor contracts.
• Advise on immigration, international employment and compensation structures.
• Assist with governance, board materials and corporate filings.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of agreements.
• Develop training on legal, risk, compliance, ethics and governance topics.

Skills

Contract negotiation

Risk management

Policy drafting

Project management

Communication

Strategic thinking

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Juris Doctorate (ABA-accredited)

Job description

About Accion:

Accion is a global nonprofit on a mission to create a fair and inclusive economy for the 1.6 billion people who are failed by the global financial system. We develop and scale responsible digital financial solutions for small business owners, smallholder farmers, and women, so they can make informed decisions and improve their lives. Through targeted investment strategies, advisory solutions, and expert thought leadership, we work with local partners to develop and scale cheaper, more accessible, and customer-friendly financial solutions. Since 1961, Accion has helped build 299 financial service providers serving low-income clients in 77 countries, reaching over 500 million people. More at https://www.accion.org.

About the Legal Department:

Accion’s Legal Department manages all aspects of Accion’s Legal, Compliance and Risk Programs. Working closely with each department, the Legal Department plays a critical role in ensuring that Accion’s mission advances, its goals are met, and projects are successful by combining experienced counsel with strong business sensibilities.

Position Summary:

Accion seeks a strategic, solutions-oriented attorney with strong business acumen to join its high-performing and collaborative legal team as Associate General Counsel. This role will be a key member of the Legal, Risk and Compliance team and will provide advice on a broad range of legal, risk management, compliance, governance, employment, privacy and technology matters affecting Accion's global operations.

Working closely with the Deputy General Counsel, the Associate General Counsel will help support and strengthen legal, risk and compliance programs across Accion's nonprofit and for-profit entities while partnering with colleagues throughout the organization to advance its mission.

This position offers a unique opportunity to work across multiple legal disciplines, international jurisdictions (U.S., Colombia, India, Singapore), and organizational structures within a mission-driven global enterprise. Reports to the Deputy General Counsel.

Location: Washington, D.C. (hybrid) or remote within the Eastern Time Zone.

Position Responsibilities:

Risk Management and Compliance

• Support legal, risk and compliance across Accion's nonprofit and for-profit entities.
• Assist in the development, implementation, and monitoring of risk and compliance management programs, policies, and procedures.
• Conduct risk assessments and support enterprise risk management initiatives.
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments affecting Accion's operations globally.
• Support audits, regulatory reviews, investigations, and compliance reporting activities.

Privacy, Technology and Artificial Intelligence

• Advise on privacy, data protection, and cybersecurity matters.
• Review and negotiate technology, SaaS, software licensing, and vendor agreements.
• Support governance and risk assessments related to emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
• Assist with development and implementation of AI policies, standards, and governance frameworks.
• Partner with technology and information security teams to address legal and compliance risks.

Employment and Immigration

• Advise on employment matters internationally, including staffing approach, work permits and residency requirements, compensation structures, performance management, accommodations, and separations.
• Support drafting and review of Human Resources global and jurisdiction specific policies and procedures, reporting, offer letters, employment and separation agreements.
• Advise on immigration strategy for workforce transitions, entity restructuring and employer sponsorship, including visas (H-1B, L-1, TN, etc.), green card petitions (I-140, EB-1, PERM, etc.) and related programs.
• Manage immigration and international mobility matters with outside counsel.
• Assist with employment-related disputes.

Corporate Governance

• Assist in supporting the Board of Directors and Board Committees on governance matters.
• Prepare and review resolutions, committee materials, governance policies, and corporate records.
• Assist with governance and corporate maintenance activities for U.S. and international entities.
• Support annual filings and other corporate compliance requirements.

Contractual and Strategic Matters

• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of legal agreements and documents related to Accion’s global operations and programmatic initiatives.
• Advise business teams regarding contractual, operational, and legal risks.
• Coordinate with and manage outside counsel as needed.
• Support strategic initiatives and cross-functional projects throughout the organization.

Training and Policy Development

• Develop and deliver training programs on legal, risk, compliance, ethics, governance, employment, privacy, and technology topics.
• Draft, update, maintain, and support implementation of organizational policies and procedures.
• Promote a culture of integrity, accountability, and responsible risk management.

Position Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree plus a Juris Doctorate from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Active membership in at least one U.S. state bar.
• 5 or more years of relevant legal experience with large U.S. nonprofit, financial services company and/or a U.S. law firm.
• Experience in several of the following areas is strongly preferred:
• Legal Entity management / Corporate Law
• Regulatory Compliance
• Employment Law / Immigration
• Risk management and reporting
• Privacy and data protection
• Artificial intelligence governance
• Technology transactions
• Policy development
• Excellent contract negotiation, risk and compliance management, and policy drafting skills.
• Exceptional strategic, problem-solving and clear communication abilities.
• Strong project management and organizational skills,
• Ability to balance legal risk with practical business objectives.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• High level of integrity, discretion, and ability to handle confidential and sensitive matters.

Preferred

• Experience supporting nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations, financial institutions, SEC registered investment advisers, or other regulated financial services companies.
• Experience working across multiple jurisdictions (U.S., Colombia, India, Singapore) and with international operations.
• Familiarity with Board governance and corporate secretary matters.
• Interest in financial inclusion, impact investing, and international development.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary Range: $130K - $160K
• The above salary range serves as a general guideline. Accion considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, training, skills, location, current market conditions as well as internal pay alignment.
• Accion provides a total compensation package, including base salary, discretionary merit-based bonus, and a variety of benefits including health insurance (90% employer funded), life and disability insurance, retirement plans (up to 7.5% employer match), paid holidays and paid time-off for vacation plus personal days as well as sick days.

Applicants for this position must be currently authorized to work in the United States. Accion is not sponsoring applicants for work visas at this time, nor applicants requiring other forms of employment work authorization.

Accion is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace culture. Accion seeks qualified applicants without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, change of sex or transgender status, or any other basis protected by law. Accion is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities.