Deputy Director and General Counsel - Nonprofit Legal Organization

Join a Mission-Driven Leadership Team – Deputy Director and General Counsel Opportunity in Ohio!

Aspen Careers is partnering with a respected nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing and protecting the rights of people with disabilities throughout Ohio to identify a Deputy Director and General Counsel.

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced attorney and strategic leader to combine broad legal work with executive-level organizational leadership. Working closely with the President and CEO, this individual will advise senior leaders, oversee legal risk and compliance, coordinate projects across departments, and help advance the organization’s statewide mission.

This is not a traditional General Counsel position focused only on legal matters. The person will also serve as a true Deputy Director, helping leaders work together, supporting major organizational initiatives, and providing leadership coverage when needed.

Job Title: Deputy Director and General Counsel

Location: Ohio | Hybrid with regular travel to Columbus

Candidates may live throughout Ohio but must be able to work in the Columbus office at least twice per month. Some meetings may take place on consecutive days.

Salary: Competitive, based on experience and qualifications

Why You Should Apply:

Work directly with the President and CEO as a trusted legal and organizational advisor.

Help develop, implement, and oversee organization-wide goals and priorities.

Advise executive leadership and department directors on complex legal, compliance, personnel, and operational matters.

Serve as the CEO’s designee when needed and provide organizational leadership when the CEO is unavailable.

Handle a broad and varied legal workload involving employment law, nonprofit operations, contracts, ethics, confidentiality, insurance, policies, and regulatory requirements.

Support HR leadership with personnel matters, policy development, legal risk, and collective bargaining obligations.

Partner with Finance to support federal grant compliance, audit matters, and the appropriate use of funding.

Oversee the organization’s client grievance process and support the CEO and Board with higher-level grievance reviews.

Help protect and enforce the organization’s Protection and Advocacy access authority.

Provide backup legal supervision when the Legal Advocacy Director is unavailable.

Coordinate cross-department projects and annual organizational goals.

Help build and improve an organization-wide impact measurement framework.

Join a role where your legal judgment and leadership can support meaningful outcomes for people with disabilities across Ohio.

Grow within a broad executive role that is expected to develop significantly during the first two to three years.

What the Role Looks Like:

Some responsibilities will require hands-on legal work, including researching unfamiliar issues, reviewing agreements, and providing practical legal advice.

Other responsibilities will focus on leadership, coordination, and oversight. This person will bring the right departments together, make sure everyone has the information they need, and keep important projects moving forward.

The position will not initially have direct reports. Success will require the ability to lead through judgment, communication, collaboration, and influence.

The Ideal Candidate:

Juris Doctor from an accredited law school.

Admitted to the Ohio Bar, or eligible for prompt admission, and in good standing.

At least five years of active legal experience.

Strong leadership or management experience in addition to legal experience.

Experience advising executives, department leaders, managers, or governing boards.

Broad legal experience, preferably involving more than one area of law.

Ability to research unfamiliar legal issues and provide clear, practical guidance.

Experience handling sensitive, confidential, or urgent organizational matters.

Knowledge of labor and employment law and experience assessing organizational risk.

Strong analytical, research, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Ability to coordinate complex projects involving several departments or stakeholders.

Ability to support other leaders without relying on direct supervisory authority.

Willingness to learn complex areas of law, regulation, federal funding, and grant compliance.

Strong commitment to disability rights, civil rights, and client-directed advocacy.

Ability to travel to Columbus regularly and attend other in-person meetings when needed.

Admitted to, or eligible for admission to, the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Candidates with approximately five years of legal experience should also bring significant earlier experience in leadership, management, nonprofit operations, grants, compliance, or another closely related area.

Experience That Would Be Especially Valuable:

General Counsel or Deputy General Counsel experience.

Leadership experience within a nonprofit, legal aid organization, government agency, educational institution, or mission-driven organization.

Experience supporting other managers or leading organization-wide initiatives.

Federal grant compliance, restricted funding, audits, or regulatory reporting.

Labor relations, collective bargaining agreements, workplace investigations, or personnel risk.

Nonprofit governance, Board support, ethics, contracts, insurance, or policy development.

Disability rights, civil rights, mental health advocacy, or Protection and Advocacy work.

Performance measurement, program evaluation, or organizational data analysis.

Experience turning complex information into clear and useful guidance.

Experience training staff on compliance requirements, policies, procedures, or data collection.

Direct experience in every area is not required. The strongest candidates will bring broad legal judgment, meaningful leadership experience, and the ability to learn new subject areas quickly.

About the Organization:

Mission-driven nonprofit focused on protecting and advancing the rights of people with disabilities throughout Ohio.

Provides legal advocacy and other support designed to create meaningful change for individuals and communities.

Offers the opportunity to combine sophisticated legal work with executive-level organizational leadership.

Collaborative environment where Legal Advocacy, HR, Operations, Finance, and executive leadership work toward shared goals.

Values thoughtful collaboration, careful listening, strong judgment, practical problem-solving, and client-directed advocacy.

What’s in It for You?

Salary range based on experience and qualifications.

Hybrid work environment with flexibility to live throughout Ohio.

Full-time 35-hour workweek.

Health insurance.

Employer-paid dental and vision insurance.

Employer-paid life insurance.

401(k) retirement plan with employer matching.

Generous paid time off, with possible flexibility based on experience.

14 paid holidays.

Parental leave.

Direct partnership with the President and CEO.

Opportunity to grow within a broad and highly visible leadership role.

Meaningful work that supports disability rights and statewide impact.

Ready to Take the Next Step? Let’s Chat!

Whether you are interested in this position or exploring other opportunities in Ohio, contact Kelsey today:

Call or Text: (380) 210-2527 Email: kross@aspen-careers.com

Join an organization where your legal experience, leadership, and judgment can make a meaningful difference throughout Ohio.