KIPP Public Schools is a national network of tuition-free public charter schools that prepares students with the skills and confidence to create the future they want for themselves, their communities, and us all. We are a network of 275 schools, nearly 16,500 educators, and 175,000 students and alumni.    

Our mission: Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world. 

Our vision: Every child grows up free to create the future they want for themselves and their communities. 

The KIPP Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports KIPP schools across the country. The KIPP Foundation trains and develops outstanding educators to lead KIPP public schools; provides tools, resources and training for excellent teaching and learning; promotes innovation; and facilitates the exchange of insights and ideas across KIPP and other public schools and organizations. 

About Our Values: 

Focus on Excellent Results: Winning for Children and Families – Denying people of color and people experiencing economic hardship excellent outcomes from public organizations is longstanding and only perpetuates inter-generational racism and poverty.  We pursue excellence at a world-class level because our children and families deserve nothing less.  We focus on excellent results, generated by excellent daily action, because intentions alone will not enable our children to lead fulfilling lives. 

Courageous Action: We do Hard Things All day, Every Day – Our work is centered on reversing the impact of generational racism and poverty on children of color from low-income families.  This work is inherently challenging and will never be easy.  Our mission requires that, through concerted action, we embrace, confront, and overcome adversity. 

Resilient Solutions Focus – Find a Way or Make One – We doggedly pursue solutions to every problem we confront.  For every problem, we find or invent a solution.  We are smart, optimistic, and thoughtful in crafting solutions, but also timely, recognizing that our children only have one life to live.  We embrace a growth mindset, believing that simply because we have not achieved our ultimate aims today does not mean that we cannot tomorrow.  We chase the continuous improvement of ourselves, our interpersonal relationships, our teams, and our organization. 

About The Position 

Under the supervision of the Chief Legal Officer, Counsel will provide legal counsel and strategic guidance for officers, management, and employees of the KIPP Foundation. As a support to the Chief Legal Officer, the Counsel will provide legal guidance and solutions, through research, contract negotiation, litigation, policy, creation, and employee training to help address various strategic matters with legal implications. This position will provide a blend of both legal and business services enabling the KIPP Foundation to reach its mission. As Counsel, you will join a two-person legal team (including the Chief Legal Officer) to provide legal services to the KIPP Foundation which supports 275+ KIPP schools nationwide and the students they serve. This role will require agility and mental acuity to navigate challenging landscapes across the educational and business landscape.  

Responsibilities   

• Draft, review and negotiate contracts relating to a broad spectrum of topics (examples include vendors providing HR or IT infrastructures/services and licensing agreements) 

• Provide support on a variety of legal matters, including commercial contracts, data privacy, real estate, board governance, intellectual property, licensing, and compliance  

• Manage the queue of legal queries from KIPP Foundation colleagues to ensure we are prioritizing the most urgent and organizationals critical needs. 

• Coordinate, manage, and update documents for efficiency, compliance, and preparation of materials for board meetings 

• Drive the continuous improvement of standard form agreements, legal processes, organizational policies and document management  

• Collaborate and support the Human Resources, IT, and Finance departments on topics such as employee relations, compliance with employment laws, data privacy regulations, financial compliance, etc. 

• Draft, execute, and deliver policies and training presentations.  

• Assist with internal investigations and risk mitigation. 

This description is intended to describe the type of work being performed by a person assigned to this position. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities required by the employee.

Skills  

• Mission & Student Focus: Demonstrated commitment to education equity; a passion for KIPP’s mission; desire and ability to uphold KIPP’s values (Focus on Excellent Results, Courageous Action, and Resilient Solutions Focus) 

• Achievement Orientation: Ensures clarity in goals and accountabilities while working with agility and creativity to drive toward deadlines and outcomes-focused metrics;  

• Planning and Execution: Design, develop and execute project plans with attention to agility, deadlines, and stakeholders; proactively evolves plans and processes in anticipation of changing circumstances. 

• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: A systems thinker who can gather information from different sources; sifts through complexity; and proposes relevant solutions. Disciplined, data-driven approach to decision-making, assessing progress and problem-solving; ability to adapt and re-prioritize in response to changing circumstances. Demonstrated experience in finding creative, sustainable and efficient solutions to novel situations. 

• Stakeholder Management and Influence: Identifies and creates opportunities to partner with relevant stakeholders; establishes trust through strong relationships and employee training; can effectively drive desired impact through strong relationship building; effective communicator who can ensure messages are conveyed in the right mediums and channels to maximize reach and impact 

• Cultural Competence & Commitment to Equity: A proactive cultural leader and team player who thrives on collaboration and learning; can effectively collaborate with teammates across lines of difference. 

Experience and Qualifications   

• Juris Doctorate with a license to practice law 

• At least 6 years’ prior experience as a licensed attorney, with experience working in a law firm, preferred  

• Ability to exercise discretion and judgment with the handling of highly sensitive and confidential information  

• Meticulous attention to detail with an ability to produce high quality work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment  

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and Outlook 

Work Conditions 

• Travel requirements: 25% and will vary

• Full-time, Exempt position  

Location 

This role also has the option of working from a KIPP Foundation office or a remote office full-time. KIPP Foundation has offices in NYC, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington DC.  It is preferred that this role is in a market where KIPP has schools.

Compensation and Benefits 

The salary range for this position is $150,000-$187,500, commensurate with relevant experience. 

Our comprehensive benefits package include:  

• 26 vacation days + 18 days additional flexible PTO days (flexible PTO increases to 23 days for years 3 and 4 and to 28 days for years 5+).  

• 100% paid parental leave  

• 100% coverage of the premium for employee and 75% for employee + family’s medical/dental/vision plans. 

• Wellness benefits such as fitness reimbursements, discounted tickets to theme parks/attraction, back-up care support for children and adults/elders, and our employee assistance program 

• Finance Security benefits include such as a 401K retirement plan with 4% match, employer sponsored legal plans, and life/disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts