General Counsel

USA Football; Indianapolis (IN); Remote; USD 107,000 - 184,000; Full time

Job summary

USA Football seeks a General Counsel to oversee legal matters, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations. The role includes advising leadership, managing contracts, and ensuring athlete safety. Ideal candidates have extensive legal experience, preferably in nonprofit or sports law, and strong communication skills.

Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years of legal experience, preferably in nonprofit or sports.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate complex legal matters.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary legal advisor to the Board of Directors and senior leadership.
• Lead contract management process and ensure compliance with laws.
• Educate staff on legal and regulatory matters.

Skills

Legal Compliance

Contract Law

Risk Management

Nonprofit Governance

Communication

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Job description

USA Football - General Counsel

Position Title: General Counsel

Location: Remote

Reports To: Chief Operating Officer

Supervisory Role: Yes

Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Position Summary:

The General Counsel serves as the chief legal advisor for USA Football, a United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC)-certified National Governing Body. This role is responsible for overseeing all legal matters affecting the organization, including governance, regulatory compliance, contracts, risk management, and athlete safety matters. The General Counsel ensures the organization's operations align with applicable laws and regulations, USOPC requirements, and U.S. Center for SafeSport standards.

Key Responsibilities:

Legal Administration & Governance

• Serve as the primary legal advisor to the Board of Directors, CEO/COO, and senior leadership team.
• Provide legal guidance on matters of nonprofit governance, organizational policies, and bylaws.
• Draft, review, and interpret internal policies and procedures to ensure legal compliance.
• Monitor legal trends and changes in laws affecting amateur sports, non-profits, and NGBs.
• Serve as staff liaison for applicable USA Football committees
  
  
  

Contract Process & Review

• Lead the development and administration of the organization's contract management process.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a wide range of contracts including sponsorships, vendor agreements, licensing, MOUs, and employment, contractor agreements.
• Collaborate with departments to ensure contracts align with organizational goals and risk tolerance.
  
  
  

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure organizational compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
• Oversee insurance policies and liability coverage in collaboration with finance and operations teams.
• Lead incident and crisis response related to legal issues, including investigations, claims, or disputes.
• Coordinate with appropriate team members related to all legal matter requirements
• Coordinate external legal counsel when necessary.
  
  
  

USOPC and SafeSport Compliance

• Serve as the primary compliance officer for USOPC and U.S. Center for SafeSport standards.
• Oversee and support compliance with the NGB audit and certification process.
• Oversee SafeSport policy implementation, reporting, education, and enforcement in collaboration with the SafeSport team or designee.
• Ensure proper handling of athlete safety matters, complaints, and investigations, including coordination with the Center for SafeSport and law enforcement when appropriate.
• Provide legal guidance on disciplinary actions, eligibility matters, and dispute resolution processes.
  
  
  

Education & Training

• Educate staff and stakeholders on legal, ethical, and regulatory matters, including contract best practices, IP rights, and mandatory training areas (e.g., SafeSport, Code of Conduct).
• Provide regular training sessions for staff and leadership (and others as needed) on key legal and compliance topics.
  
  
  

Required Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Licensed to practice law and in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar.
• Minimum 15 years of legal experience, with a strong preference for experience in nonprofit, sports, or corporate counsel settings.
• Demonstrated expertise in contract law, nonprofit governance, regulatory compliance, and risk management.
• Familiarity with USOPC certification requirements, SafeSport standards, and amateur sports law preferred.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate complex legal matters in plain language.
• High degree of discretion, integrity, and professional judgment.
  
  
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in the Olympic and Paralympic Movement or working with a National Governing Body.
• Working knowledge of dispute resolution, grievance procedures, and arbitration in sport.
• Commitment to athlete safety, equity, and organizational ethics.
  
  
  

As required by the Equal Pay Transparency Act, USA Football provides a reasonable range of minimum compensation for roles. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, education, etc. The pay range for this position is as follows: $107,744 – $183,456.

This position is eligible to participate in an annual incentive program. Must meet requirements.

USA Football is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business need. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other group protected by law.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Supervisory Responsibility

This role may supervise employees, interns and contractors.

Work Environment

This job primarily operates in a remote office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers and phones.

Physical Demands

Requires the ability to sit for more than four hours per day, reading, listening, stooping, bending and manual dexterity.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

This is a Full-Time remote position.

Travel

Up to 15%

EEO Statement

USA Football provides equal opportunities for employment and advancement for all individuals, regardless of age, gender, race, religion, color, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, national origin, or any other legally protected category.