Assistant/Associate General Counsel

About the Role

The Assistant/Associate General Counsel will report to the Senior Vice President, Legal and Government Affairs & General Counsel and provide day-to-day legal support and counsel across a wide spectrum of matters affecting the Barnes Foundation. This is a generalist in-house counsel role, offering broad, hands-on exposure to nearly every area of nonprofit and cultural-institution law, with substantial opportunity to learn new practice areas, take on increasing responsibility, and grow professionally.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, negotiate, and interpret contracts, including those related to exhibitions, loans, acquisitions, sponsorships, services, and vendor agreements.
• Assist in ensuring compliance with nonprofit regulations, including IRS requirements, charitable solicitation laws, and local ordinances.
• Support institutional leadership, board, and committee governance by maintaining bylaws and policies, drafting resolutions, coordinating trustee communications, and assisting with regulatory filings.
• Provide legal counsel on employment/HR matters, including policy development, wage/hour compliance, and benefit plan compliance, in coordination with HR.
• Provide guidance on intellectual property matters, including copyright, trademark, licensing, rights clearances, and cultural property basics.
• Provide legal support for fundraising initiatives, including gift agreements, donor restrictions, naming rights, and endowment compliance.
• Manage legal aspects of major institutional partnerships — including cultural collaborations, service/vendor relationships, and other strategic arrangements — with responsibility for day-to-day contractual, governance, and compliance matters.
• Contribute to institutional risk management by assisting in the development of policies and procedures to mitigate legal and operational risks.
• Draft and maintain a form contract library, using advanced software tools.
• Liaise with outside counsel on specialized matters as needed.
• Perform additional duties as required.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
• Admission to the Pennsylvania Bar (or ability to obtain admission).
• Minimum of 4 years of post-JD legal experience for Assistant General Counsel; or minimum 8 years for Associate General Counsel.
• Demonstrated contract drafting and negotiation experience (vendor/services, licensing, exhibitions/loans, consultants, sponsorships).
• Excellent writing and judgment, with the ability to explain complex legal issues clearly to non-lawyers and collaborate across curatorial, operations, development, finance, and human resources departments.
• Strong legal research, negotiation, analysis, communication, and organizational skills.
• Curiosity and enthusiasm for generalist in-house practice, including a demonstrated willingness to learn new practice areas.
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a small legal team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Top-tier academic credentials, with demonstrated achievement at each institution.
• Legal training received working at one or more law firms.
• Intellectual property competence: copyright, trademark, licensing, image/rights clearances.
• Experience working in or advising nonprofit organizations, including cultural institutions, and an interest in visual and performing arts.
• Familiarity with privacy/data protection issues and legal compliance.
• Familiarity with accessibility, anti-discrimination, and fair procurement compliance and operations.
• Experience with contract management software implementation, contract drafting and research tools, clause libraries, and document automation; ability to learn and adopt emerging technologies.
• Experience with insurance and risk management.

Essential Functions

• Approximately 80%+ of time is spent seated while working at a desk.
• Ability to occasionally transport up to 25 lbs. of files, equipment, or supplies.
• Ability to move to access files, equipment, or supplies.
• Extended time on the computer.
• Clear communication in person, by phone, and by video conference.
• Communicate with others in conversational and written English.

Working Conditions

• Hybrid work setting comprised of the Barnes’ Philadelphia campus and remote work setting indicated by the employee at their documented home address.
• Extended time on the computer.

Organization-Wide Competencies

• Accountability: Prepares for work assignments and meetings, conducts thorough fact-finding, decision-making and/or follow-through, admits mistakes and errors, and informs others when unable to meet a commitment.
• Job Quality: Dependably demonstrates job knowledge necessary for the position, produces timely, accurate, high-quality work output, prioritizes work responsibilities effectively, and produces work quantity expected for the role.
• Service: Identifies problems and collaborates with others to devise and create effective solutions. Interacts and communicates with fellow employees in a manner that promotes a harmonious and cooperative working environment in accordance with core values. Facilitates open communication and keeps an open mind about new ideas.
• Leadership: Sets a good example for others, demonstrates ethical decision-making and communication, makes decisions, and uses a solution-oriented, collaborative approach.
• Collaboration: Seeks win-win outcomes in decision-making, shows a proactive, inclusive, helpful, and respectful attitude to colleagues, guests, and others, and takes initiative to contribute to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives.
• Empowerment (Supervisors): Directs others’ work effectively with adequate goal-setting, accountability, delegation, supervision, conflict resolution, accessibility to support and resources, motivates team to meet short- and long-term goals (individual, department, and strategic plan), and creates an environment for staff development.
• Administration (Supervisors): Meets goals related to revenue targets, expense control, program fees, etc., develops/manages budget in keeping with organizational priorities, follows protocols and reporting requirements set by other departments (HR, IT, Facilities, etc.), collects and analyzes data effectively, documents work accurately and consistently, and shares information appropriately.

Pay

The expected salary range for this position is $140,000 - $160,000 per year for an Assistant General Counsel or $175,000 - $200,000 per year for an Associate General Counsel. The successful candidate will be offered a salary within this range based on specific factors such as individual qualifications, experience, and internal equity considerations.