Senior Compliance Counsel

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) seeks a passionate and creative Senior Compliance Counsel to join our team to assist CREW’s General Counsel in all legal matters pertaining to the organization and the legal department. This position is a unique opportunity to be on the front lines of the fight for a more ethical, equitable and accountable government, while working alongside smart, creative and kind people.

As a leading nonpartisan nonprofit government watchdog, CREW is dedicated to defending our democratic institutions, rooting out government corruption and fighting the influence of money in politics through legal action, policy innovation, and communications grounded by in-depth research. CREW is looking for a results-driven team member who is committed to our mission and cares deeply about protecting our democracy. We welcome diverse skills and experiences.

Responsibilities:

The Senior Compliance Counsel will play a key role in assisting CREW’s General Counsel in all legal matters pertaining to the organization and the legal department. This person will report to CREW’s General Counsel.

• Provide guidance and legal expertise to help ensure compliance with a variety of legal regimes, including IRS rules governing section 501(c)(3) organizations, media law, federal and state lobbying laws, legal ethics and conflict of interest rules, contract law, corporate governance, intellectual property, data privacy, and employment and labor law.
• Conduct prepublication review of investigations, reports, social media posts, press releases, and other CREW products.
• Review and interpret contracts, insurance policies, grants, and other agreements
• Assist with tax and other filings such as IRS Form 990s, financial audits, lobbying disclosure reports, and state charitable registrations.
• Respond to threats of litigation or other adverse action.
• Support the General Counsel and the Operations department on labor and employment matters.
• Monitor internal tracking procedures, including staff legal guidance and time tracking when appropriate.
• Support the General Counsel and SVP on corporate governance matters, including board meetings.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• J.D. (required).
• A minimum of 5-10 years legal experience.
• Preferred candidates will have experience in section 501(c)(3) nonprofit law, as well as demonstrated knowledge of government lobbying, media, legal ethics, campaign finance, election, employment and labor, and/or intellectual property law.
• Significant personnel and project management experience.
• An interest in ethics, money in politics, and/or government transparency issues.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to handle multiple tasks.
• The ability to work collaboratively.
• Outstanding research and analytical skills.
• Great writing and communication skills.
• Initiative to identify needs, take charge of tasks, and get things done in an exciting, fast-paced environment.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and sound judgment, including the ability to work effectively with outside counsel.
• The position is based in Washington, D.C. but will be hybrid with employees splitting their time between working at home and working in the office.

The salary range for this position is $120,000-$150,000 based on experience and qualifications. CREW offers a compensation and benefits program that creates a supportive, respectful, sustainable environment that allows our employees to show up as their authentic selves and perform at their best. We’re in this work for the long-haul, and that means investing in our most important asset: our staff. We are always working to improve our benefits program, currently they include:

• Generous paid time off
• Platinum medical insurance (100% of premium covered for employees; 55% of premium covered for dependents)
• Dental and vision insurance (99.9% of premium covered for employees and 55% of premium covered for dependents)
• 10 weeks paid family leave for non-birthing parent and 16 weeks paid family leave for birthing parent
• Family planning and gender affirming care benefits that include a $10k annual employer contribution with up to $30k over the term of your employment for employees AND their partners
• Option to enroll in FSA and dependent care FSA accounts with a $2,500 employer contribution to dependent care FSAs
• Option to enroll in commuter benefits
• Flexible, hybrid work environment
• Fully vested 401k with 3% employer contribution starting on day one
• Paid holiday closures between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day, as well as major national holidays
• Employee assistance program
• Summer Fridays all year long
• Free in-office lunches weekly (and snacks daily!)
• Free virtual yoga classes