Counsel & Director of Legal Affairs

SUMMARY

The Counsel & Director of Legal Affairs serves as AMPPs primary in-house attorney and legal strategist, delivering clear, practical, business-oriented legal guidance that protects the organization, reduces risk, and accelerates enterprise-wide goals. This role oversees the full spectrum of AMPPs legal functions, including governance, compliance, employment law, contract management, intellectual property protection, data privacy, and regulatory oversight, ensuring AMPP operates with integrity, transparency, and legal soundness across a global footprint.

This position is the organizational owner of all agreements-contracts, MOUs, partnership agreements, licensing and IP agreements, data-use agreements, vendor and service agreements, and event and venue contracts. The Counsel & Director of Legal Affairs safeguards AMPPs intellectual property portfolio, including standards, certifications, educational content, research outputs, and digital products, ensuring appropriate protection, use, commercialization, and value realization.

Working closely with the CEO, Senior Director of Board Relations, Executive Team, and senior leaders across AMPP, the role ensures legal alignment with organizational strategy and business objectives. The Counsel & Director of Legal Affairs advances AMPPs core values to connect, listen, anticipate, simplify, and serve while enabling responsible growth and enterprise-wide decision-making.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Corporate Governance & Board Support

Lead corporate governance and corporate maintenance activities, ensuring legal compliance and operational integrity. Partner with the Senior Director of Board Relations to support the Board of Directors and committees, including preparation of legal documents, resolutions, policies, and governance materials. Advise the CEO, Board of Directors, and Board Committees on governance best practices, bylaws, committee charters, fiduciary duties, conflicts of interest, and overall nonprofit regulatory and organizational compliance. Ensure AMPP maintains proper records, charter documents, governance frameworks, and legal filings.

Commercial Contracts, Procurement & Business Agreements

Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements supporting AMPPs global portfolio of products, programs, services, events, strategic partnerships, and future organizational growth initiatives. Oversee all agreements such as MOUs, partnership contracts, vendor and service agreements, event/venue contracts, IP agreements, sponsorship agreements, data-use agreements, and licensing arrangements. Partner with Procurement, Finance, Operations, Events, and Commercial teams to structure agreements that balance risk management with business enablement. Lead contract lifecycle processes, templates, approvals, and workflow governance. Support local M&A activity, including due diligence, transaction review, and integration.

Compliance, Regulatory Oversight & Ethics

Serve as the first point of contact for compliance-related questions and concerns within the organization. Lead compliance oversight across areas including tax-exempt organization rules, privacy regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), export controls, accreditation requirements, and nonprofit regulatory obligations. Ensure compliance with applicable domestic and international data privacy, security, and industry-specific regulations, including U.S. federal and state privacy laws, payment and data security standards, child privacy requirements, and foreign data protection regimes. Support and strengthen AMPPs compliance framework, including whistleblower procedures, conflict-of-interest management, and ethics programs. Partner with Group Compliance to implement and monitor legal compliance policies at the local and global levels. Provide hands-on support in internal compliance investigations. Liaise with federal, state, and international authorities on legal and regulatory matters.

Intellectual Property, Standards & Licensing

Protect AMPPs intellectual property portfolio, including standards, certification marks, trademarks, copyrighted content, digital products, research outputs, and educational materials. Develop and manage licensing strategies for standards, learning products, certification materials, and digital tools. Oversee trademark registration, enforcement, and proper use of AMPP-owned marks. Support the Chief Standards Officer and standards leadership to ensure appropriate legal protection of standards development activities. Claims Management, Disputes & External Counsel

Manage and resolve claims, disputes, and pre-litigation issues in a manner that safeguards AMPPs interests and supports fair outcomes. Serve as the primary liaison to external legal counsel for litigation, employment law matters, intellectual property issues, and specialized legal needs. Oversee legal strategy, documentation, and cost management for external legal services.

Employment & HR Legal Support

Provide legal guidance to HR and leadership on employment-related matters, including hiring, discipline, terminations, accommodations, and internal investigations. Assist in developing and maintaining handbooks, codes of conduct, workplace compliance policies, and training materials. Support organizational compliance related to harassment prevention, discrimination, workplace safety, and employee rights.

Data Privacy, Digital Governance & Technology Support

Contribute to AMPPs data protection strategy and compliance with global privacy requirements. Advise on digital governance, data licensing, cybersecurity risk, technology contracts, and emerging AI/ML regulatory expectations. Support legal review for digital platforms, online services, databases, and data-driven product innovations.

Strategic Business Partnering & Organizational Enablement

Provide proactive, solutions-oriented legal support to commercial teams, R&D, Operations, Membership, Education, and Events. Advise on legal implications of new business models, strategic partnerships, growth initiatives, and product development. Deliver in-person legal and compliance training across the U.S. to support commercial law, ethics, contract risk, and compliance awareness. Ensure legal considerations are embedded early in business decision-making and aligned with organizational goals.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities but will provide guidance to cross-functional teams and manage the work of outside legal counsel, consultants, or project-based resources.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

This role requires 30-40% domestic and international travel, including board meetings, conferences, customer and partner visits, industry events, and periodic travel to AMPPs corporate office, conferences, partner locations, and internal meetings. A valid passport is required.

REQUIREMENTS

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited U.S. law school.
• Active bar membership in at least one U.S. state; eligible for in-house counsel registration in Texas.
• 8-12+ years of progressive legal experience in corporate, in-house, government, or association settings.
• Expertise in commercial contracting, corporate governance, compliance, IP protection, employment law, and risk management.
• Ability to translate complex legal issues into clear, practical business guidance.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, cross-functional, international environment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in a law firm, corporate legal department, or regulatory agency.
• Experience working with professional associations, nonprofits, certification bodies, or standards organizations.
• Familiarity with ISO/IEC 17024, 17065, or 17020 accreditation frameworks.
• Experience in data governance, cybersecurity, AI/ML policy, or technology contracting.

KEY ATTRIBUTES

• Strategic, business-minded legal advisor
• Practical and solutions-focused communicator
• Ethical, objective, and trustworthy
• Collaborative partner aligned with AMPPs values (Connect, Listen, Anticipate, Simplify, Serve)
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving ability

MATHEMATICAL & ANALYTICAL SKILLS

• Strong analytical abilities with the capacity to interpret and evaluate complex contractual terms, financial implications, risk models, and regulatory data.
• Ability to review cost structures, quantify legal exposure, assess damages or liabilities, and support budgeting for outside counsel and major legal initiatives.
• Skilled in analyzing compliance metrics, market data, and operational information to support legal decision-making and organizational risk mitigation.
• Able to synthesize disparate information into clear, actionable legal recommendations for senior leadership.

REASONING ABILITY

• Strong judgment, critical thinking, and legal problem-solving skills.
• Ability to interpret complex statutes, regulations, contracts, and organizational policies.
• Skilled at evaluating risk, synthesizing diverse information, and making decisions in ambiguous or rapidly evolving situations.
• Demonstrated ability to balance legal considerations with strategic business objectives.
• Able to develop sound, defensible recommendations in high-stakes or time-sensitive environments.

OTHER SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Strong leadership presence with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• High level of professionalism, discretion, and ethical conduct.
• Ability to manage multiple matters simultaneously and prioritize effectively.
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy in legal drafting and review.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to align legal advice with organizational strategy.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust and collaborate cross-functionally.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This is a hybrid role working from Houston, TX or Washington, DC, with periodic travel required to AMPPs corporate office, conferences, partner locations, and internal meetings. The position generally follows standard business hours, with occasional extended hours required to support governance deadlines, urgent legal matters, or executive-level engagements. On-site presence may be required during major organizational events, Board meetings, or critical legal activities.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands of this role are consistent with those of a typical professional office position. The employee must be able to sit or stand for extended periods, participate in virtual and in-person meetings, and travel domestically and internationally as needed. Occasional lifting of up to 15-25 pounds (such as laptops, binders, or meeting materials) may be required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN EMPLOYMENT

It is the policy of AMPP to provide equal opportunity in employment for all persons, and to recruit, select, train, promote, retain, and discipline without regard to race, color, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or national origin. AMPP complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodation for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact Human Resources via email at