Head of Legal

About the FoundationThe OpenAI Foundation's mission is to ensure artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.AI is already changing how people work, learn, and access care. It has the potential to unlock extraordinary benefits—faster medical breakthroughs, accelerated scientific discovery, more personalized services in healthcare and education, new tools for creativity and invention, higher productivity and economic growth, improved public services like transportation systems, and so much more.But building powerful systems to benefit humanity is only a part of the work of our mission. Advanced AI models will also present new challenges that are already surfacing, and we need to be prepared to identify these challenges and develop solutions to address them. These are the two dimensions of what we’re building the Foundation to do. Over the next year, as we quickly ramp up, the Foundation expects to invest at least $1 billion across life sciences and curing diseases, jobs and economic impact, AI resilience, and community programs. This includes early investments toward our previously announced $25 billion commitment to curing diseases and AI resilience.About the RoleAs Head of Legal for the OpenAI Foundation you will support and lead on a broad range of matters supporting the OpenAI Foundation’s operations. This role offers a unique opportunity to advise on complex, high-impact legal issues at the intersection of mission, governance, and AI. You will work closely with OpenAI Foundation leadership to support its initiatives, as well as work with affiliated organizations within the broader OpenAI enterprise, including OpenAI Group PBC.This role is based in San Francisco, CA. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week.In this role, you will:Serve as the primary legal advisor on day-to-day operations for OpenAI Foundation, including advising on compliance with federal and state nonprofit law, tax-exempt status requirements, grants administration compliance, private benefit and excess benefit rules, and mission-aligned governance.Lead governance initiatives, including advising on governance matters, conflicts-of-interest processes, and implementing and operationalizing policies required for a complex, high-profile nonprofit operating alongside a PBC affiliate.Advise on the legal and tax implications of transactions and arrangements between the nonprofit and affiliate entities, including shared support services, funding, IP and commercial relationships, and other intercompany matters.Advise and partner with the OpenAI Group PBC legal team on general corporate, governance, and disclosure matters that require coordination with the OpenAI Group PBC as an affiliated entity, including public disclosures, compensation matters, governance initiatives, and other enterprise-level legal issues.Partner closely with Foundation staff as well as OpenAI Group PBC Finance, Tax, Accounting, Investor Relations, and other Legal teams to design and maintain compliant structures, processes, and controls across OpenAI, including entity management, subsidiary governance, and regulatory compliance.Develop and scale legal frameworks and operating processes for nonprofit governance, tax compliance, and related corporate matters, in close collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders, to support the organization’s growth, complexity, and public profile.You might thrive in this role if you:Have 15+ years of legal experience, including experience advising nonprofits or mission-driven organizations on operational, corporate and compliance matters. Experience with public charities,  affiliated entities organizations is preferred.Bring strong judgment and relevant expertise across governance, regulatory, tax, compliance, or corporate structuring issues, with the ability to quickly develop fluency in nonprofit-specific requirements.Exercise sound judgment in ambiguous, high-stakes situations and are comfortable serving as a trusted advisor to senior leaders and boards on important governance matters.Take strong ownership of your work, are intellectually curious, and are energized by novel legal issues at the intersection of technology, mission, and organizational structure.Communicate clearly and effectively, manage multiple complex workstreams in parallel, and collaborate well across legal, finance, tax, and other cross-functional teams.Operate with humility, integrity, and a strong sense of responsibility to mission, stakeholders, and the public interest.Hold a JD and are licensed to practice law in California, or are eligible to become licensed.We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.