Careers March 6, 2025

Chief Legal & Compliance Officer

Remote | San Francisco | New York

About the Role

The Chief Legal and Compliance Officer (CLCO) is a key leader at Tides, overseeing legal affairs, compliance, and risk management to uphold operational, reputation, and mission integrity. As a strategic advisor to the CEO and executive leadership, the CLCO provides legal and compliance guidance, advises Tides’ Board of Directors, and ensures a strong culture of compliance. Leading organizational legal and compliance efforts – including business enterprise risk, crisis management, and insurance – the CLCO collaborates cross-functionally to drive operational excellence and advance Tides’ impact goals. The CLCO is a collaborative professional who leads, mentors, and develops high-performing individuals and teams, ensuring they have the skills, capacity, information, and systems to support Tides while fostering a culture of integrity, accountability and continuous learning. Additionally, the CLCO serves as Assistance Secretary of the Board, supporting governance in partnership with the CEO and Board Chair.

What you will Do

Oversight of Legal Affairs, Compliance, and Risk Management

Provide strategic legal and compliance business leadership as a key advisor to the executive team to align to the organization’s strategy, mission and operating goals.
Lead legal affairs, compliance and risk management with a justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) lens, ensuring that legal and regulatory strategies uphold Tides’ social justice mission.
Anticipate issues and assess risks strategically; recommend solutions considering multiple inputs and impacts of any decision or course of action, prioritizing legla counsel and compliance but incorporating issues related to Tides’ values, reputations, staff morale, ethical conduct, and commitment to the field.
Advise Board of Directors, executives and senior leadership on new laws, existing laws and legal or compliance rights or responsibilities that may impact Tides’ ongoing work, structure, and the development and implementation of strategy.
Provide oversight for Tides Government Affairs strategy in coordination with Tides’ advancement team.
Oversee organizational resilience, including crisis management, enterprise risk management, risk mitigation working group, and safety and security strategies in collaboration with the People team and Executive Team; also engage and coordinate with the Board of Directors and key stakeholders throughout the organization regarding the same.a
Oversee development and implementation of legal and compliance strategy and frameworks related to organizational priorities and initiatives.
Oversee organizational compliance strategies, including legal compliance training, policy management, internal audit, and effective development of a “compliance culture” aligned with Tides values.
Oversee organizational insurance, including management of insurance portfolio and strategic decision-making to support insurance sustainability and responsiveness.
Foster continuous improvement and integrity in risk and compliance practices, monitoring and awareness; support teams in “thinking outside the box” to support legal and compliance approach that shifts power consistent with Tides’ impact goal.
In collaboration with Chief People Officer, oversee issues relating to employment and labor law, including matters relating to union contract and union negotiation.
Oversee internal and external investigations, claims and/or inquiries relating to compliance with applicable law and regulation, including through oversight of whistleblower reporting.
Stay abreast of, investigate and evaluate implications of new and/or developing legal compliance issues.
Oversee and/or manage the work of outside counsel and consultants on risk, legal, and compliance matters.
Continue professional education to ensure continued compliance with changing laws and regulatory environment.

Team Leadership and Staff Development

Lead the legal and compliance functions, including two Senior Directors – Senior Director, Compliance and Senior Director, Legal – and a team of 12 professionals supporting Tides Network and its affiliates to ensure legal integrity, regulatory compliance and risk management.
Maintain opportunities for staff development and promote a leaning environment; actively promote justice, equity, diversity and inclusion as a core principle and uphold and role model Tides’ core values of future focus, accountability, respect, collaboration and transparency.
Serve as an exceptional role model as a leader and manager, investing deeply in
supporting and developing direct reports and team members
Attract, develop, direct and motivate high-functioning and effective legal and compliance teams.

Board and Governance Advice and Support

Serve as Assistant Secretary for Tides Network, and serve as Secretary for Tides Network’s affiliates which include: Tides, Inc, Tides Two Rivers Fund, Tides Foundation, and Tides Center.
Establish and maintain Board-level policies and practices to support effective and high-functioning governance structure, proper exercise of fiduciary duties, aligned compliance and strategic framework, and positive Director experience.
Attend Board and Board Committee meetings; act as an executive liaison to the Audit and Risk Committees
Provide routine and as-needed reports to Board of Directors regarding crisis management, risk management and issues or projects with potential material legal or compliance implications.
Oversee maintenance of corporate record, including minutes and resolutions.

Executive, Organizational, Policy and External Leadership

Participate as a member of Tides Executive Team and other senior leadership teams to lead the organization strategically and operationally.
Advise regarding Tides’ policy positions and legislative and regulatory advocacy, considering legal, reputational, financial and related considerations.
Provide internal and external thought leadership consistent with Tides’ impact goal.
Serve as an ambassador and spokesperson for Tides in various settings to increase visibility for Tides’ efforts as a sector leader and trusted partner in social change and advocacy in the field.
Provide input regarding internal and external communications goals and strategies, taking into account legal responsibilities, risk profile/management and impact goal.
Provide internal leadership that reflects, models and lifts up Tides’ values.

What you will Bring

Champions justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) by embedding these principles into legal and compliance strategies, ensuring equitable outcomes, and holding self and others accountable for high-quality, timely, and effective results that align with Tides’ mission and values.
Demonstrated commitment to meeting the needs of internal and external clients; ability to strive for a high level of satisfaction.
Strong ability to cooperate and work collaboratively toward solutions that generally benefit all involved parties.
Demonstrated in depth knowledge of U.S. 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) regulations, ensuring full compliance.
Demonstrated a comprehensive knowledge of nonprofit governance and nonprofit tax laws.
Demonstrated ability to engage in a direct and truthful manner; ability to present accurate and appropriate information.
Demonstrated ability to hold information confidential with excellent judgment
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds, educational levels and work experience.
Demonstrated ability to maintain high-level and consistent work ethic in working relationships and all work-related duties.
Proficiency with MS Office suite of products.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to assess, plan, and develop new record-keeping systems and update existing systems.

Ideal Experience

Juris Doctor and CA Law license required
Specialized training in corporate, taxation, nonprofit law, litigation, and/or employment law
14+ years experience in nonprofit law, corporate law, employment law, civil litigation, or equivalent years of relevant work experience, with at least 7 years of executive leadership experience at a multi-entity nonprofit.

Compensation

Tides is committed to providing a competitive compensation package. We value pay equity and account for factors such as your location within the U.S., your skills and your relevant experience, and we will not ask for your salary history.

Your starting salary will fall into one of three ranges:

$251,400 – $314,200 (Most of the United States)
$274,200 – $342,700 (Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. metro areas)
$301,600 – $377,000 (New York City & San Francisco metro areas)

Starting salary will be based on geographic location, depth and breadth of relevant experience, and ensuring pay equity within the organization.

Tides offers a generous benefits package including: comprehensive medical, dental and vision insurance, paid time off, life and disability insurances, retirement plan, educational assistance, confidential counseling and life balance resources designed to support the passion, commitment and energy that is vital to Tides team members.

Application Instructions

Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. Inquiries, nominations, referrals, and applications (resume with cover letter) should be sent to Kathy Richardson at [email protected]. For best consideration, please apply by March 31, 2025. Electronic submission of materials is required.

Life at Tides

Tides is headquartered in San Francisco, California with a hybrid work model that supports remote work from anywhere in the United States. The CLCO must have the ability to travel to San Francisco, CA and New York, NY as required.

Daily activities consist of being frequently seated and/or standing, with minor movement, exposure to a computer screen, use of office equipment.

Supervision

Works under minimal supervision. Receives broad guidance around priorities, standards, and alignment and operations with a high degree of independence.

Decision Making

Decisions are made on complex, variable, and longer range tasks and projects within the area of responsibility requiring the interpretation of guidelines and application of technical knowledge. Recommendations influence strategy at the functional level.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Tides is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage applications from women, people of color, and bilingual and bicultural individuals, as well as members of the LGBTQIA+ communities. Applicants shall not be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, color, marital status, or medical condition including acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related conditions. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we encourage and will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Where required by state law, we utilize E-Verify as a part of our employment authorization process.

Applicants with Disabilities

Reasonable accommodations will be made so that all who are interested may participate in our interview process. If you are in need of an accommodation, please advise the search team in writing at the time you apply.