Associate General Counsel, Contracts

The Associate General Counsel reports to the General Counsel and provides legal and strategic support and advice to Burning Man Project (the “Organization”) on the wide range of legal matters that arise in the Organization’s operations. The Associate General Counsel’s principal duties include: providing advice and counsel to all departments within the Organization; project‑managing litigation and administrative proceedings involving the Organization; managing Burning Man’s intellectual property portfolio; overseeing the legal review of all the Organization’s contracts; Strong relationship‑building and adaptability are key to thriving in this environment.
This is a regular full‑time role, located at Burning Man Project’s San Francisco, CA office. Strategic Legal Advice and Counseling (40%)
In collaboration with the General Counsel, tracks and responds to requests for legal research, advice, or opinions from departments across the Organization
Performs legal research and drafts research memorandums on a wide variety of legal topics as needed
Oversees the ongoing work of outside counsel and legal consultants, serving as the liaison and primary point of contact with internal staff
Oversees litigation and administrative proceedings to which the Organization is a party, including investigating potential or actual claims, drafting and reviewing pleadings, and managing discovery and fact development
Acts as a key risk manager of the organization by identifying potential legal issues as they arise, and works collaboratively with other departments to suggest creative solutions for managing risk while also allowing the organization to achieve its goals. Regularly consults with the People Operations (HR) team on employment law developments and compliance, employee disputes, and internal investigations
Helps facilitate Legal Team meetings, intellectual property team meetings, and contract team meetings
Manages requests within the Organization for legal support with contracts, including drafting template agreements for consultants, vendors, service providers, grant recipients, licensees, affiliates, and other collaborators; Oversees outside contracts counsel and acts as the primary liaison between the Organization’s contract managers and outside contracts counsel, ensuring timely and efficient review of all requests
Manages Burning Man’s intellectual property portfolio, with a focus on preserving and protecting Burning Man’s Decommodification Principle and protecting Burning Man’s intellectual property and images and recordings from the Burning Man event from being used for unauthorized purposes
Oversees licensing of Burning Man’s intellectual property, including in book, film, and other media projects and by Burning Man Regional Events and other affiliates and partners
assesses the Organization’s intellectual property policies in light of these developments; proposes revisions as appropriate for consideration by the General Counsel; and implements new and revised policies
Keeps the General Counsel informed about complex and ongoing intellectual property issues
Teaching – Takes a leadership role in the acculturation and training of staff. Promotes a culture of teaching and learning throughout the community
Training development – Collaborates with the education team to develop training materials in their area of expertise, as requested
Participates in conferences, forums, and networking events, where appropriate
Speaking – Represents Burning Man as a subject matter expert and culture‑bearer, as requested
A Bachelor’s Degree and Law Degree
At least six years of law practice experience in a fast‑paced environment, with previous in‑house generalist experience
Experience with risk management
Strong computer skills
Very detail‑oriented with impeccable organizational skills and a track record of successfully completing projects
Demonstrated ability to juggle numerous concurrent tasks, manage a high‑volume workload, pay extremely close attention to detail, adapt quickly to changing organizational priorities and meet deadlines in a fast‑paced environment
Ability to maintain personal integrity and uphold high standards of confidentiality
Ability to adjust schedule seasonally to work at the Burning Man event held in Nevada
It is helpful if the candidate has previously been to Burning Man and/or is familiar with its culture
Note: If you have gained the necessary experience to succeed in this role and have acquired this experience in other ways, we encourage you to apply and share all relevant experience in your application.
We are certain that working for Burning Man Project is unlike any other job on the planet In addition to the unique opportunity to participate and contribute to our global community and culture within a creative, fun, and inspiring work environment, we’re also thrilled to provide the following:
Health benefits: medical, dental, vision insurance for employees and dependents
Long‑term disability and life insurance
401(k) retirement plan with voluntary employee contribution
Additional annual paid time off in accordance with policy guidelines; 7 paid holidays annually, in addition to paid office closure during December 24 – January 1
Communications benefits for remote employees; reimbursement of up to $120/month for home office internet and phone expenses
Mental health support, life coaching, financial and legal consultation services through our employee assistance program
Equipment and tools necessary to succeed in a remote‑friendly workplace
This role may require some work outside of the traditional work day in order to accommodate meetings and events in the evenings and weekends to work around volunteer and resource schedules.
Burning Man Project celebrates the importance of creating a diverse environment and enthusiastically encourages Black, Indigenous, Peoples of Color, LGBTQIA+, Immigrant, women, and people with disabilities, of all ages, to apply.
Burning Man Project provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.