{"id":2057186,"url":"https://alion.io/job/usequestrian-general-counsel","title":"General Counsel","company":{"id":1047681,"name":"USEquestrian","domain":"usef.org","url":"https://alion.io/company/usequestrian","size_band":null,"is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"ADP","truth_index":null},"role":"Legal","role_family":"Legal","seniority":"staff","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Lexington, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":106000,"max_usd":261000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":235},"experience_years_min":10,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Incident Management","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-07T16:29:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-07","last_verified_at":"2026-10-10T21:09:37Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":3,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":3},"description":"JOB SUMMARY:\nThe General Counsel serves as the Federation’s chief legal officer, leads the legal function, and acts as a strategic advisor to the Chief Executive Officer, Board of Directors, and senior leadership team. The role provides independent, practical, and mission-aligned legal counsel across governance, regulatory compliance, athlete safety, disputes, contracts, risk management, employment matters, commercial transactions, intellectual property, insurance, and organizational policy. The General Counsel balances legal rigor with sound business judgment, stakeholder sensitivity, and a deep commitment to fairness, transparency, athlete and horse welfare, and the integrity of sport.\nKey Responsibilities:\nThe General Counsel’s principal responsibilities include the following, together with other duties consistent with the position’s role and responsibilities as assigned by the Chief Executive Officer:\nLegal Strategy and Advice\nServe as the organization’s primary legal advisor and provide timely, practical guidance on legal, regulatory, governance, and operational matters.\nAdvise the CEO, Board of Directors, committees, councils, and senior staff on fiduciary duties, conflicts of interest, decision-making processes, risk mitigation, and organizational policy.\nAnticipate legal and reputational risks and recommend proactive strategies that protect the organization, its members, athletes, officials, licensed professionals, competitions, sponsors, and other stakeholders.\nTranslate complex legal issues into clear, actionable guidance for non-lawyer audiences.\nGovernance, Bylaws, and Regulatory Compliance\nOversee compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, nonprofit requirements, corporate governance standards, and sport-governance obligations.\nAdvise on bylaws, rules, policies, committee charters, election procedures, grievance processes, conflict-of-interest matters, and governance reforms.\nOversee compliance with requirements applicable to national governing bodies, including obligations arising within the Olympic and Paralympic movement and requirements concerning athlete representation and rights, governance, transparency, reporting, audits, due process, and organizational accountability.\nMaintain and update governing documents, policies, and procedures to reflect legal developments, recognized governance practices, applicable regulatory requirements, and the organization’s strategic priorities; support constructive relationships with governmental, sport-governance, and regulatory bodies as appropriate.\nServe as liaison to Audit Committee, Ethics Committee, Governance Committee, Nominating Committee\nAthlete Safety, Welfare, and Sport Integrity\nAdvise on athlete safety, safeguarding, SafeSport-related compliance, misconduct reporting, anti-retaliation obligations, eligibility, disciplinary matters, hearing procedures, and the allocation and coordination of responsibilities among the Federation and other bodies with applicable jurisdiction.\nSupport policies and practices that promote safe, fair, and respectful sport environments for athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, staff, and participants.\nAdvise on issues affecting equine welfare, competition safety, medication control, testing and enforcement, biosecurity, veterinary-related regulation, and the ethical treatment of horses in sport.\nPartner with operations, sport, compliance, and competition teams to ensure rules and enforcement processes are clear, consistent, legally sound, and aligned with the organization’s mission.\nContracts, Commercial Matters, and Transactions\nDraft, review, and negotiate contracts, including sponsorship agreements, vendor agreements, licensing arrangements, media and broadcast agreements, venue agreements, event contracts, technology agreements, insurance-related documents, and consultant agreements.\nAdvise on intellectual property, brand protection, data privacy, confidentiality, records retention, and commercial rights.\nDevelop contract templates, approval workflows, and risk-management standards to improve consistency and efficiency across the organization.\nDispute Resolution, Litigation, and Investigations\nManage litigation, arbitrations, administrative proceedings, protests, grievances, disciplinary matters, eligibility disputes, rule challenges, and other contested matters.\nOversee internal and external investigations, ensuring fairness, confidentiality, due process, and appropriate documentation.\nManage relationships with outside counsel and control legal spend while ensuring high-quality representation.\nPromote early resolution of disputes when appropriate while preserving the organization’s legal position and stakeholder relationships.\nEmployment, Operations, and Organizational Risk\nAdvise on employment law, workplace policies, staff training, disciplinary actions, investigations, executive employment matters, and organizational change.\nSupport enterprise risk management, insurance, crisis response, incident management, and business continuity planning.\nCollaborate with finance, human resources, sport operations, compliance, communications, and membership teams to identify and manage legal and operational risks, strengthen compliance systems, and promote consistent implementation of organizational policies.\nLegal Function Leadership and Administration\nLead, develop, and evaluate legal and regulatory staff; establish priorities and service standards; allocate internal and external legal resources; oversee departmental planning and budgets; and foster a collaborative, responsive, and high-performing team.\nCore Competencies\nStrategic judgment: Applies legal expertise in a practical, mission-focused manner that advances organizational goals.\nIntegrity and independence: Maintains the highest ethical standards and provides candid advice, including in difficult or high-stakes situations.\nGovernance fluency: Understands board dynamics, fiduciary duties, committee structures, member organizations, and stakeholder decision-making.\nCommunication: Writes and speaks with clarity, precision, diplomacy, and credibility for legal and non-legal audiences.\nCollaboration: Builds trust across departments, volunteer leadership, members, athletes, officials, partners, and external counsel.\nProblem solving: Identifies workable solutions to complex legal, operational, and stakeholder challenges.\n Commitment to sport integrity: Demonstrates dedication to athlete safety, horse welfare, fair competition, transparency, and ethical leadership.\nQualifications\nJuris Doctor degree from an accredited law school and active license to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction; eligibility for admission in Kentucky or willingness to obtain such admission is preferred.\nAt least 10 years of progressively responsible legal experience, including substantial experience as in-house counsel or advising nonprofit, sports, regulatory, governance, or membership organizations; experience in equestrian sport or association management is preferred.\nDemonstrated experience advising senior executives and boards on complex legal, governance, compliance, and risk-management matters.\nStrong contract drafting, negotiation, policy development, and dispute-resolution skills.\nDemonstrated experience leading legal or compliance professionals, managing outside counsel and legal budgets, establishing departmental priorities, and developing effective teams.\nAbility to manage multiple priorities, exercise excellent judgment under pressure, and provide clear recommendations in complex and sensitive situations.\nExperience in a mission-driven membership, nonprofit, sports, regulatory, or service-oriented organization is preferred, particularly experience involving amateur sport, Olympic and Paralympic governance, equestrian sport, athlete safety, investigations, or disciplinary proceedings.\nAbility and willingness to travel periodically and provide legal support outside regular business hours when required by competitions, hearings, investigations, incidents, or other time-sensitive matters.\nPhysical Requirements\nProlonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.\nMust be able to lift up to 10 pounds and occasional lifting and/or moving up to 25 pounds. (Anything over 25 pounds requires a two person lift)\nUS Equestrian is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, marital status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. 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