Note: Applications for this role may be evaluated on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply sooner than later.
We’re hiring a Senior Legal Counsel. This role is responsible for managing CEA's legal matters across compliance, contracts, governance, and risk, while serving as a strategic partner to leadership on cross-functional decisions. This is a senior individual contributor position on our Operations team, reporting to the General Counsel and collaborating closely with teams across CEA and partners throughout the EA ecosystem.
The Centre for Effective Altruism (CEA) stewards the movement of people putting effective altruism principles into practice to solve the world's most pressing problems. We’re working to build a flourishing future by applying evidence, reason, and compassion to challenges like global poverty, animal suffering, and existential risks.
Our work centers on growing and supporting a global community of people who rigorously analyze where they can do the most good – and take action on those insights. Current strategic priorities include increasing understanding of effective altruism and its principles, growing the number of people who are motivated by EA principles to take significant action to address pressing problems, and diversifying funding sources for high-impact work.
We had significant success in 2025, building momentum within CEA. Our headcount grew from 42 to 66 core staff. Program participation (e.g., events, courses, groups) grew by 20-25% year over year. We merged with EA Funds and are rapidly scaling up our capacity for grantmaking and associated fundraising: our first Fund staffed with full-time employees (EA Animal Welfare Fund) raised almost as much as the previous three years combined.
In 2026, we’re maintaining ambitious momentum while building the foundations for a step-change in the wider EA ecosystem’s growth trajectory from 2027 onwards.
We are hiring for a Senior Legal Counsel. This is a senior role reporting to the General Counsel and working closely with teams across CEA and partners throughout the EA ecosystem.
CEA is at an inflection point. We're planning to grow headcount by over 50% in 2026, launch new products, and raise tens of millions of dollars for additional grantmaking. There is very little "business as usual." We are looking for someone who can bring the flexibility and creativity to work with internal stakeholders and external advisors to put CEA on the best footing to continue doing good in the world.
To be successful in this role, you see yourself as a strategic partner first and a lawyer second. You'll help leadership navigate complex decisions where legal considerations intersect with operational realities, financial constraints, and mission priorities.
You give calibrated, practical advice – not just technically correct, but grounded in understanding when a risk is worth taking and when it isn't, and communicate that clearly to non-lawyers to help the organization succeed.
You're comfortable with ambiguity, curious about disciplines beyond law, and able to hold multiple competing priorities in tension while finding a path forward.
You're senior and experienced enough to work autonomously, but you enjoy working in a team, asking questions and seeking input from others. You have high standards for your own work and bring a calm, steady presence to high-stakes situations. Above all, you see yourself as first and foremost working toward a better world and future, with that outlook framing your work at CEA.
We list key responsibilities below based on current priorities, but candidates should expect to adapt based on organizational needs.
Identify, assess, and mitigate legal risks across CEA and its programs
Track regulatory developments and ensure ongoing compliance with applicable laws (US and UK)
Contribute to annual risk assessments from a legal perspective
Manage relationships with outside counsel, deploying external resources strategically
Manage legal issues across CEA's multi-entity, multi-country structure (US and UK)
Collaborate with overseas legal advisors and coordinate cross-border compliance
Handle a diverse portfolio of legal matters, including:
Contracts of all types (vendor agreements, service contracts, NDAs, complex commercial transactions)
Employment and HR matters, including offer letters, employee relations, and immigration/visa support
Intellectual property management
Data protection and privacy compliance, including GDPR
Develop and maintain legal templates and processes that enable teams to move quickly on routine matters
Advise the boards of the CEA entities, plus the leadership team, on various governance issues
Support all internal CEA program teams, across a wide range of projects – including international events and grantmaking
Serve as a thought partner to leadership on cross-functional decisions involving legal, financial, operational, and reputational considerations
Translate organizational priorities into legally sound approaches – and legal constraints into actionable guidance for decision-makers
Support the grants function, ensuring compliance while maintaining speed and flexibility
For US-qualified candidates:
JD and active license to practice law in at least one US jurisdiction (must be able to practice remotely as in-house counsel)
For UK-qualified candidates:
Qualified to practise as a solicitor in England and Wales (current practising certificate not required)
For all candidates:
7+ years of legal experience
Strong preference for in-house experience; exceptional law firm candidates with relevant practice areas will be considered
Excellent judgment and the ability to give calibrated advice – understanding degrees of risk and helping decision-makers navigate complex tradeoffs
Outstanding communication skills: able to translate complex legal concepts into clear, actionable guidance for non-lawyers
Genuine curiosity about the organization and a desire to understand priorities across disciplines (finance, operations, programs)
Ability to manage multiple competing projects and priorities, with many stakeholders
501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) nonprofit experience and/or experience working with non-profits or charities in the UK, either in-house or in private practice (preferred but not required)
Employment law experience (preferred but not required)
Experience with cross-border entities and structures (preferred but not required)
Analytical skills: Ability to identify, assess, and mitigate legal risks, and to analyze complex legal documents and contracts
Communication skills: Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to assess risk, convey degree of certainty, and help decision-makers navigate complicated trade-offs
Negotiation skills: Strong negotiation skills to resolve disputes, negotiate contracts, and manage legal issues in external relationships
Attention to detail: Meticulous attention to accuracy in legal documents, contracts, and compliance matters
Problem solving: Ability to identify and resolve legal issues, and to provide creative, practical solutions that support organizational objectives
Interpersonal skills: Strong relationship-building and collaboration skills; ability to manage sensitive situations such as conflicts of interest and employee relations issues
Crisis management: Ability to work collaboratively through intense, stressful situations while maintaining morale and focus
Flexibility: Ready to help in many different capacities; comfortable with day-to-day responsibilities that range from reviewing routine contracts to advising on complex legal matters to managing operational projects
On-the-job learning: Comfortable quickly getting up to speed in unfamiliar areas of law; excited to learn on the job
If this sounds like you, and you're excited about using your legal expertise to help us achieve our mission of doing as much good as possible, we hope you'll apply.
If you're excited about this work but unsure whether you're fully qualified, we'd strongly encourage you to err on the side of applying! (For calibration, most of our legal hires did not have meaningful charity law experience before joining our legal team, and they were all highly successful in their roles).
This is a full-time, remote position. We prefer applicants who are able to work in time zones between US Pacific Time and CET.
We have an office in Oxford, UK, that you would have access to.
Start date: As soon as possible, though we recognize senior candidates may need transition time and will work with the right person to find reasonable solutions
Reports to: the CEA General Counsel
Compensation
US: total compensation package starting at $186,665, comprising a base salary of $169,696, and a 10% unconditional 401k contribution.
UK: total compensation package starting at £146,775, comprising a base salary of £133,432 and a 10% pension contribution.
Other locations: For candidates outside the US and UK, we adjust for the cost of employment and fixed local benefit costs to create an equivalent package
Benefits in the US/UK include private health insurance, flexible work hours, a $6,000 / £5,000 annual professional development allowance, a $6,000 / £5,000 mental health support allowance, extended parental leave, ergonomic equipment, 25 days of paid vacation, and more.
This role will involve travel. There are likely 2 trips annually to attend team retreats and other events, including several international trips.
Future hiring: We anticipate hiring a second attorney (potentially UK-qualified if the first hire is US-qualified, or vice versa) to support our cross-border operations.
Part-time: For particularly qualified candidates, we are open to applications from individuals seeking a short term or part-time arrangement.
We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. We especially encourage applications from self-identified women and people of colour who are excited about contributing to our mission. The Centre for Effective Altruism is an equal opportunity employer. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, or have any other questions about applying, please contact [email protected].
CEA participates in E-Verify for US employees.
We are committed to protecting your data. See our privacy policy for more information.
We expect the interview process to include the following steps, subject to change:
Application review
Initial screening conversation
Test task
Final interviews
Reference checks
We're looking for someone to start as soon as possible and may review applications on a rolling basis.