Remote Legal Counsel — Education & Nonprofit Compliance

Step Up For Students; Oregon; Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

401(k) with company match

Remote work options

Job summary

Step Up For Students seeks a driven Legal Counsel to support the SUFS family of organizations across transactional, regulatory, and governance matters. You will draft, review, and negotiate contracts, advise on compliance, and help implement policies with Senior and General Counsel.

This role emphasizes risk management, litigation support as needed, and collaboration with cross‑functional teams, remote work flexibility, and a strong focus on nonprofit regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Minimum four (4) years of progressively responsible legal experience, preferably experience in contract drafting, review, revision, negotiation, and managing transactional matters end‑to‑end (from intake through execution).
• Active membership in good standing with the Florida Bar or eligible for authorized in‑house counsel registration.
• Experience in financial services technology (fintech), payments, digital commerce, marketplace platforms, or other technology‑enabled regulated businesses is desirable.
• Prior in‑house experience or experience working collaboratively with procurement, vendor management, and other business functions desirable.
• Strong contract review, drafting, and revision skills, including the ability to identify legal risks and recommend practical solutions.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
• Attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to manage multiple matters, competing priorities, and deadlines.
• Ethical judgment and professional integrity.
• Collaboration and teamwork within the legal function as well as across the organization.
• Initiative and self‑direction.
• Ability to independently manage assigned matters with little to no oversight.
• Accountability and follow‑through.
• Adaptability and flexibility.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice and support on transactions, regulatory compliance, corporate governance, and other legal and operational matters across the organization, seeking guidance from the General Counsel and Senior Counsel on complex or high‑risk issues.
• Draft, review, revise, negotiate (as applicable), and provide counsel regarding contracts, legal memoranda, and other legal documents, including identifying risks and recommending appropriate risk mitigation strategies.
• Manage assigned commercial and transactional matters end‑to‑end, including issue spotting, drafting and redlining, negotiation, coordination with business stakeholders, approval and escalation of material risks, execution, and post‑execution legal support.
• Support the contract management process and workflows by coordinating contract reviews and required approvals, maintaining contract templates, playbooks, and standard forms and tracking contract status and renewals, and assisting with monitoring compliance with contractual obligations in collaboration with Procurement, Vendor Management, and other relevant departments.
• Assist in maintaining compliance with Federal tax‑exempt requirements under the Internal Revenue Service (e.g. 501(c)(3) compliance) and state nonprofit requirements (per applicable state law).
• Conduct legal research and analysis on assigned matters, including SFO/SGO statutory and regulatory requirements, scholarship program administration, organizational compliance, corporate governance, fraud and risk‑related matters, present findings, analysis, and recommendations to support legal guidance and decision‑making.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders to obtain information and supporting documentation related to contracts, legal requests, disputes, litigation, compliance, and other assigned legal matters.
• Monitor changes in laws and regulations relevant to assigned practice areas, summarize potential operational impacts, and support related compliance updates in consultation with the General Counsel and Senior Counsel.
• Track claims, disputes, regulatory, and compliance matters, and potential litigation matters; identify and elevate legal risks to the General Counsel and Senior Counsel, as appropriate; and support approved risk mitigation actions.
• Communicate and coordinate with external counsel on assigned legal matters, as directed.
• Provide additional legal support as needed to fulfill the responsibilities and priorities of the SUFS Legal team.
• You’ll Stand Out If You Have: Experience in financial services technology (fintech), payments, digital commerce, marketplace platforms, or other technology‑enabled regulated businesses is desirable.
• Prior in‑house experience or experience working collaboratively with procurement, vendor management, and other business functions desirable.
• Key Competencies: Strong contract review, drafting, and revision skills, including the ability to identify legal risks and recommend practical solutions.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
• Attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to manage multiple matters, competing priorities, and deadlines.
• Ethical judgment and professional integrity.
• Collaboration and teamwork within the legal function as well as functions across the organization.
• Initiative and self‑direction.
• Ability to independently manage assigned matters with little to no oversight.
• Accountability and follow‑through.
• Adaptability and flexibility.

Skills

Contract drafting

Contract review

Negotiation

Risk assessment

Legal research

Education

Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school

Job description

Step Up For Students seeks a driven Legal Counsel to support the SUFS family of organizations across transactional, regulatory, and governance matters. You will draft, review, and negotiate contracts, advise on compliance, and help implement policies with Senior and General Counsel.

This role emphasizes risk management, litigation support as needed, and collaboration with cross‑functional teams, remote work flexibility, and a strong focus on nonprofit regulatory compliance.