THE TEAM
At CZI, we pair technology with grantmaking, impact investing, and collaboration to accelerate progress in Science, Education, and our communities. Our Legal and Investment teams provide the foundation that supports this mission.
Team LeGiT ensures CZI operates lawfully and responsibly, partnering across the organization to provide clear, practical legal guidance. The Investment team manages CZI’s funding entities through a manager-of-managers approach, partnering with top-tier investment firms globally across asset classes to sustain long-term giving and enable lasting impact aligned with our mission.
This Senior Legal Counsel – Investments role will report to the Legal team but be embedded with and focused on the Investment team’s work—advising on legal and regulatory matters, supporting fund negotiations and diligence, and helping ensure compliant and effective investment execution.
THE OPPORTUNITY
CZI is seeking a thoughtful and mission-aligned investment legal attorney to join our Investments team, with a direct reporting line to CZI’s General Counsel and a dotted line to the Investment team. This is CZI’s first dedicated investment legal counsel role—an exciting opportunity to help shape and build the legal foundation for our growing investment program.
You will be fully integrated into the Investment team’s legal work, partnering closely with investment professionals and outside counsel on the legal aspects of public and private fund investments, co-investments, and related opportunities. You will bring prior experience advising on fund matters and apply that expertise as you collaborate with investment professionals in structuring, reviewing, and negotiating deals that span tax-exempt and taxable entities.
In this role, you will provide strategic legal support across CZI’s investment activities, ensuring that fund agreements, side letters, and related documentation align with legal, regulatory, and entity-specific requirements. You will advise on fund structuring, co-investment terms, and regulatory risks unique to each investment vehicle, incorporating key considerations applicable to tax-exempt and mission-driven entities.
You will be a key partner, translating legal complexity into practical, high-quality guidance. You will be a builder, developing investment legal frameworks, templates, and internal guidance to streamline fund reviews and ensure consistency across CZI’s investment legal processes. You will also be a collaborator, forging strong relationships across investment, legal, and external stakeholders to support the organization’s investment activity with clarity and rigor.
We’re looking for an experienced fund attorney with a strong foundation in private and or public investment fund work, excellent legal judgment, and a collaborative mindset. If you’re energized by the chance to build something new, partner across functions, and contribute to a dynamic, mission-driven organization, we’d love to hear from you.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
- In collaboration with investment professionals, lead the legal process for fund and co-investment opportunities, including analysis of LPAs, PPMs, subscription materials, and related documentation, with adaptations based on the specific structure of the investing CZI entity and its goals.
- Draft legal issue summaries and advise the investment team on implications based on entity type and applicable regulations. In rendering this advice, you will collaborate with our in-house attorneys who specialize in tax exempt law.
- Partner with investment professionals and external counsel to negotiate terms, including terms that pertain to CZI’s legal exposure and tax-exempt profile.
- Draft and negotiate tailored side letters that address the unique legal requirements of taxable and tax-exempt organizations.
- Coordinate with tax advisors and legal counsel to incorporate tax considerations and ensure regulatory compliance across entity types, including compliance with the disclosure requirements under securities laws.
- Serve as a legal resource during the negotiation of NDAs, IMAs, subscription agreements, and AML/KYC materials to help ensure compliance with applicable legal and regulatory standards.
- Manage post-investment obligations including MFN rights, amendments, and consents across investment vehicles.
- Monitor legal, tax, and policy developments relevant to philanthropic, tax-exempt, and taxable entities.
- Create and maintain internal documentation to reflect recurring issues and preferred terms across CZI’s varied investment structures.
WHAT YOU’LL BRING
- 10+ years of legal experience in fund and asset management, with a focus on hedge funds and private equity.
- Strong preference for law firm experience. Additional experience working in-house is a plus.
- Expertise should include investor-side review and negotiation of fund agreements—including limited partnership agreements, separately managed accounts, and co-investment vehicles—as well as key supporting documents such as NDAs and other administrative agreements.
- Extensive experience and expertise in investor-side review and negotiation of fund agreements, including across varied legal structures.
- Familiarity with compliance and regulatory issues for taxable and tax-exempt and mission-driven investors (e.g., EBH, UBTI, self-dealing).
- Familiarity with applicable securities law filings.
- Exceptional academic background and demonstrated excellence in legal writing, analytical thinking, and communication.
- Strong desire to join a mission-driven, philanthropic culture.
- Proven ability to navigate complex internal and external stakeholder environments with professionalism and efficiency.
- Strong relationship-building skills and a commitment to high-quality, mission-aligned client service.
- Uncompromising integrity, discretion, and collaborative approach in a fast-paced setting.
- JD required and active membership in the California state bar (or willingness to relocate to the SF Bay Area and sit for the California state bar).
COMPENSATION
The Redwood City, CA base pay range for this role is $300K – $385K. New hires are typically hired into the lower portion of the range, enabling employee growth in the range over time. Actual placement in range is based on job-related skills and experience, as evaluated throughout the interview process.
In addition to base salary, this role is eligible for a discretionary target bonus, based on individual and company performance. Bonus eligibility and targets are determined in accordance with CZI’s total rewards philosophy and may vary by role.
TO APPLY
Interested, qualified attorneys should submit an electronic copy of their letter of interest and their resume to the following search consultants:
| Steve John Partner John and Snyder, LLC steve@johnandsnyder.com (415) 505-6685 | Jason Snyder Partner John and Snyder, LLC jason@johnandsnyder.com (415) 505-6687 |
All inquiries and/or application materials sent directly to CZI will be redirected to John and Snyder, LLC for review, which may cause significant delay in evaluation and response.
On behalf of Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, we thank you for your interest in the Senior Counsel, Investments opportunity.
