General Counsel

Bristol Bay Native Association (BBNA); Dillingham (AK); On-site; USD 68,000 - 97,000; Full time

Job summary

Bristol Bay Native Association (BBNA) seeks a chief in-house legal advisor to provide timely, independent counsel to the President and CEO, and BBNA Board, guiding governance and risk management across BBNA programs and tribal governments.

You will review bylaws, contracts, grants, and policies; lead negotiations; supervise outside counsel; monitor legislation; and ensure compliance with federal and state requirements affecting BBNA and the Bristol Bay region. Travel is expected.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school and active Alaska Bar membership.
• Seven+ years of progressively responsible legal experience, preferably in Federal Indian/Tribal law.
• Ability to explain complex legal matters clearly to non-lawyers; identify conflicts of interest.

Responsibilities

• Provide timely, independent legal counsel to BBNA leadership and the Board.
• Review bylaws, policies, charters, and governance documents; draft corrective language as needed.
• Advise on authority, governance, and decision-making; distinguish legal advice from management decisions.
• Provide enterprise-wide legal support to BBNA departments and programs.
• Research and analyze legal, regulatory, and programmatic issues; support proposals and grants.
• Draft, review, and negotiate contracts, grants, leases, and other instruments.
• Advise on employment law, personnel policy, and wage-and-hour matters.
• Provide legal assistance to member Tribal governments when authorized.
• Advise on natural resources, land, real estate, and regulatory compliance matters.
• Support funding and compliance matters related to federal grants and awards.
• Represent BBNA before courts and agencies; manage outside counsel when needed.
• Serve as Compliance Officer when designated; oversee investigations and reporting.
• Monitor legislation and policy developments affecting BBNA and the Bristol Bay region.

Skills

Legal advice

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Oral communication

Judgment skills

Education

Juris Doctor degree

Alaska Bar Association

Job description

OBJECTIVE:

Serves as the chief in-house legal advisor to Bristol Bay Native Association (BBNA), providing timely, practical, independent legal counsel to the President and Chief Executive Officer, the Board of Directors acting in its governing capacity, BBNA departments and programs, and, when authorized and ethically permissible, member Tribal governments. Protects BBNA’s legal interests, strengthens governance, supports lawful and effective executive decision-making, and helps identify, evaluate, and manage legal risk while advancing BBNA’s mission and service to the Tribes and communities of the Bristol Bay region.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing with the Alaska Bar Association. Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible legal experience, preferably including experience in Federal Indian law, Tribal law, Alaska Native law, or representation of Tribal or Native organizations. The President and Chief Executive Officer, may waive the minimum experience requirement when a candidate’s education, relevant legal experience, demonstrated competencies, judgment, and overall qualifications establish the ability and potential to successfully perform the essential duties of the position. Must have, or be able to develop, working knowledge of Tribal sovereignty and jurisdiction; self-determination contracting and compacting under Public Law 93-638; the Indian Child Welfare Act; nonprofit corporate governance; employment and personnel law; contracts and procurement; federal grants and awards; litigation, records and discovery; insurance and risk management; real property; and regulatory compliance. Must possess strong legal research, writing, contract drafting, negotiation, oral communication, and judgment skills and be able to explain complex legal matters clearly to non-lawyers. Must be able to identify conflicts of interest, privilege issues, and the proper distinction between legal counsel, compliance, investigative, management, and Board-governance roles. Commitment to strengthening Tribal governments and respect for the cultures, communities, and priorities of Bristol Bay are required. Familiarity with Bristol Bay is preferred. Must be willing to travel within and outside the region.

JOB RESULTS:

Achieves Program functions by

• Providing the President and Chief Executive Officer with accurate, timely, candid legal advice on day-to-day and strategic matters, including what the law requires, what is legally permissible, material risk, available options, recommended action, decision authority, and required follow-through; promptly identifying material legal exposure, deadlines, litigation, regulatory concerns, governance issues, and other matters that could materially affect BBNA.
• Serving as the primary legal reviewer of BBNA bylaws, Board policies, personnel policies, administrative and program policies, resolutions, delegations, charters, procedures, and other governance documents; identifying conflicts, gaps, outdated provisions, ambiguous authority, or inconsistency with law, funding requirements, or other controlling documents and recommending corrective language through the proper approval process.
• Advising on the respective authority of the Full Board, Executive Committee, Board committees and officers, the President and Chief Executive Officer, senior management, supervisors, staff, contractors, and other authorized decision-makers, while preserving the distinction between legal advice and decisions lawfully committed to management or the Board.
• Providing enterprise-wide legal support to BBNA departments and programs as assigned by the President and Chief Executive Officer. This includes identifying the legal framework, material risk, authority, compliance requirements, funding or contract implications, and need for specialized expertise without assuming operational management unless specifically delegated.
• Researching and analyzing emerging legal, regulatory, economic, programmatic, and organizational issues and, at the direction of the President and Chief Executive Officer, supporting proposals, grants, new programs, partnerships, business and economic-development concepts, infrastructure and facility projects, energy initiatives, intergovernmental arrangements, and other areas of development.
• Drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and interpreting contracts, grants, leases, purchase and sale agreements, construction and professional-service agreements, memoranda of agreement or understanding, data-sharing agreements, settlements, releases, and other legal instruments; advising on procurement, competition, sole-source and emergency procurement, conflicts, insurance, indemnity, funding conditions, required approvals, and contract administration.
• Advising the President and Chief Executive Officer, Human Resources, and authorized managers on employment law, personnel policy, hiring, discipline, separation, accommodation, leave, wage and hour matters, grievances, investigations, workplace conduct, confidentiality, conflicts, and other personnel matters while respecting management authority for personnel decisions.
• Providing legal assistance to member Tribal governments when authorized, funded, ethically permissible, and free from disqualifying conflicts, including matters involving Tribal governance, codes, courts, enrollment, jurisdiction, sovereignty, self-determination, federal programs, intergovernmental relations, and the Indian Child Welfare Act; clearly defining the client and scope of representation when providing such services.
• Providing legal advice on natural resources, subsistence, fisheries, land and resource management, Native allotments, trust and restricted lands, real estate, facilities, construction, transportation and infrastructure, rights-of-way, environmental and permitting matters, public safety, and related federal, state, Tribal, and local requirements affecting BBNA and the Bristol Bay region.
• Advising on federal and state grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, self-determination awards, funding restrictions, allowable costs, procurement, match requirements, program income, audit findings, corrective action, repayment demands, and closeout; coordinating with Finance, Program Planning and Development, department leadership, auditors, and specialized counsel on significant funding or compliance matters.
• Representing BBNA, when authorized and within professional competence, before courts, administrative agencies, and other tribunals, or managing outside counsel where specialized or independent representation is appropriate; managing claims, subpoenas, discovery, legal holds, investigations, insurance matters, administrative appeals, settlements, and dispute resolution and obtaining required authority before committing BBNA.
• Serving as Compliance Officer when required by current Board policy or formal designation, performing only the duties assigned by the controlling policy. Ensure qualifying written complaints are acknowledged, routed, investigated or referred, documented, and presented through the proper process; distinguish allegations from evidence, established and disputed facts, findings, legal conclusions, recommendations, and final decision authority; and follow required recusal, alternate-appointment, committee, and reporting procedures.
• Recommending, coordinating, and managing outside counsel when specialized expertise, independence, workload, litigation needs, or conflicts require it; establishing appropriate scope, cost controls, assignments, reporting expectations, invoice review, and accountability. Supervise attorneys, paralegals, legal assistants, or other legal personnel assigned to the legal function.
• Monitoring and analyzing legislation, regulations, court decisions, agency actions, and policy developments material to BBNA, member Tribes, or the Bristol Bay region as assigned by the President and Chief Executive Officer; reviewing advocacy, lobbying, public-comment, testimony, resolutions, and government-relations activities for legal authority, funding restrictions, and compliance without independently establishing BBNA policy positions.
• Maintaining disciplined legal files, calendaring, privilege controls, litigation holds, matter tracking, institutional records, and written legal analyses sufficient

Fulfills responsibility to the Board of Directors by

• Providing objective legal advice to the Board collectively on corporate governance, fiduciary duties, bylaws, Board policy, authority, resolutions, conflicts of interest, executive or closed-session matters, and other legal issues within the Board’s governing role; responding to Board legal inquiries through

REPORTS TO

President & Chief Executive Officer

STARTING WAGE

$62.00/hr ($120,900/yr) DOE