Sr. Director Legal, Governance and Compliance at Plan International

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian nonprofit that advances children's rights and equality for girls. Working in over 80 countries, we tackle the root causes of challenges girls face to ensure they achieve their full potential with dignity and safety.

About the Organization

At Plan International USA, we believe in the power and potential of every child, but we know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, and discrimination. Because girls are most affected by these injustices, they are at the heart of everything we do. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national, and global levels to transform lives.

Powered by supporters worldwide, we have challenged ourselves to improve the lives of 10 million girls through our global strategy, "Girls Standing Strong." In 2019, we launched the We Are the Girls campaign to raise $200 million to advance these goals. We are currently navigating a mission-critical pivot, reorienting our organization toward private fundraising to create a sustainable engine of support.

This includes evolving from a model heavily reliant on child sponsorship and government grants to a more holistic, donor-centric approach that meets our supporters where they are. By diversifying our revenue and modernizing our engagement strategies, we ensure that Plan International remains a resilient, girl-led force for change for the next 80 years.
We won't stop until we are all equal.

About the Role

As the Senior Director of Legal, Governance & Compliance, you will serve as Plan International USA's sole in-house counsel, trusted governance advisor, and compliance lead. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, you will sit on the Executive Team, providing strategic risk assessment and hands‑on legal leadership. In this role, you will navigate complex U.S. regulatory frameworks, protect the organization's high‑risk operating environment, oversee enterprise risk monitoring, and manage corporate board governance.

Serving as a key bridge between U.S. operations, the Board of Directors, and global federation headquarters, you will balance high‑level strategic counsel with a roll‑up‑your‑sleeves execution mindset to enable mission‑critical growth.

• Serve as the sole in‑house counsel for the organization, offering strategic guidance to the CEO and senior leadership on ongoing operational and legal matters
• Provide expert counsel on 501(c)(3) tax law, federal and state charitable regulations, charitable solicitations, lobbying restrictions, and donor compliance
• Manage external legal counsel engagements, serving as the single point of contact and ensuring cost‑effective use of specialized outside resources

• Act as the legal and compliance lead for U.S. government foreign assistance awards, subawards, subcontracts, and federal assistance requirements (Code of Federal Regulations)
• Lead enterprise risk management initiatives, establishing clear standards, monitoring operational risk, and integrating risk discussions into regular leadership agendas
• Maintain and oversee the internal incident reporting log for fraud, safeguarding, and legal allegations, ensuring proper documentation, investigation, and escalation
• Oversee legal compliance for corporate partnerships, marketing, data privacy, and information governance

• Draft, revise, and negotiate contracts across teams, serving as the formal approver for contracts over $30,000 via the contract management system
• Maintain a business‑minded approach to legal review, translating complex legal context into actionable risk assessments that enable fundraising and strategic…