General Counsel in Sheffield

About Plastic Solutions Fund

The Plastic Solutions Fund (PSF) is an international funder collaborative dedicated to addressing the global plastic pollution crisis, which threatens the health of people, communities, and ecosystems worldwide.

PSF supports systems-change strategies across the entire plastics lifecycle—from extraction to disposal—with a focus on preventing plastic production and challenging corporate influence.

As a core partner of the global Break Free From Plastic (BFFP) movement, PSF works to strengthen and expand the grassroots leadership driving transformational change.

Over the next five years, PSF seeks to work with BFFP to help extend its reach, power, and capacity, while also broadening the diversity of partners it works with to build collective power in support of transformational change.

The Opportunity

As the organisation evolves, PSF is seeking an experienced General Counsel to provide strategic and practical legal advice across all areas of the organisation's operations.

This is a senior advisory role that will work closely with the Executive Director (ED) and Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to identify, assess, and mitigate legal risks—enabling PSF to pursue its mission with confidence.

The General Counsel will be responsible for both the direct provision of legal advice and guidance, and the coordination and management of advice from external legal counsel where specialist expertise or additional capacity is required.

The role will serve as the primary point of contact for outside counsel relationships, ensuring external advice is appropriately tailored to the organisation's needs.

The ideal candidate will bring a deep understanding of international non-profit contexts and the legal complexities and risks associated with multi-jurisdictional operations and fiscal sponsorship models.

A collaborative and pragmatic approach is essential, as the role involves working alongside internal teams, external legal advisors, and partner organisations.

The General Counsel will be joining at a moment of real organizational momentum, which means there is room to contribute, shape, and build.

This role is best suited to someone who is proactive and self-directed, comfortable operating when not everything is fully defined, and energized by the opportunity to help establish new ways of working as the organization evolves.

The role will report directly to the Executive Director and will work closely with all Senior Leadership Team members.

The role will be a 12 month Fixed Term Contract with the possibility of becoming a permanent role.

We are open to candidates looking to work part time (e. g. 3-4 days per week).

The Role

The General Counsel will have the following core responsibilities

• Legal & Compliance Risk Assessment
• Review and assess PSF's existing legal documentation, templates, and guidelines to identify areas of legal risk and recommend appropriate remedial action.
• Assess current practices across PSF's operations, including grant-making into multiple jurisdictions and through third-party intermediaries, the receipt of funds from diverse funders and entities, and the management of internationally mobile staff.
• Evaluate PSF's regulatory compliance obligations arising from its current and proposed corporate structures, and develop and implement practical strategies to ensure ongoing compliance.
• Provide legal input into PSF's risk management framework, advising on the identification, assessment, and mitigation of legal risks across the organisation
• Organisational structure
• Oversee the legal workstream of PSF's organisational and fiscal hosting review, including analysis of the legal, financial, and operational implications of available options and structures
• Coordinate with the legal counsel of PSF's fiscal hosts on legal risk and compliance matters, including day-to-day operational matters with potential legal implications, such as labour and employment issues.
• Act as the primary internal point of contact for legal queries requiring escalation to, or specialist input from, external counsel.
• Strategic Counsel to PSF
• Provide legal advice and guidance to the Executive Director and Senior Leadership Team on matters including organisational risk, operating models, and internal policy frameworks.
• Advise on legal risks associated with PSF's governance arrangements and its relationships with Participating Foundations, including in connection with any proposed changes to governance structures or models.
• Attend team, staff and Board meetings as required to advise on the legal implications of proposed decisions or emerging situations, communicating complex legal issues in a clear and accessible manner.
• Employment Legal Oversight
• Advise on staff employment matters across multiple jurisdictions, including on employment law obligations relevant to internationally mobile staff, such as right to work, social security, and applicable labour standards.
• Support the development and review of HR policies and staff handbooks to ensure legal compliance across all jurisdictions in which PSF operates or employs staff.
• Advise on the legal implications of different workforce engagement models — including employee, consultant, and contractor arrangements — across relevant jurisdictions.
• Advise on the legal dimensions of employment-related disputes, grievances, and disciplinary proceedings, including assessment of PSF's risk and legal exposure.
• Instruct and liaise with external employment law specialists in relevant jurisdictions where local expertise is required.
• Data and Information Governance
• Advise on documentation and communications retention policies, ensuring PSF's practices align with applicable legal requirements and sector best practice.
• Advise on PSF's IT cybersecurity and information governance risk assessment and associated implementation plan.
• Advise on PSF's legal obligations relating to data protection, privacy, and cybersecurity frameworks across its jurisdictions of operation.
• External Legal Relationships
• Develop and maintain relationships with legal counsel at peer organisations, including grantees, re-granters, and funders, with a view to sharing knowledge and collaborating on shared legal risks and challenges.
• Monitor and assess emerging legal developments of relevance to international philanthropy and plastic pollution advocacy, and advise PSF accordingly.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Required
• Qualified lawyer with significant post-qualification experience in non-profit, charity, or foundation law; a strong preference for candidates qualified to advise on UK law.
• Strong knowledge of international programs/grant-making frameworks and understanding of fiscal sponsorship models.
• Experience advising on multi-jurisdictional regulatory compliance for organisations operating globally, with a strong understanding of the legal risks and challenges faced by international organisations.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate and manage advice from external legal counsel, ensuring that expert advice is tailored to the organization’s needs.
• Experience providing legal advice on data protection, IT governance, or cybersecurity.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to translate complex legal concepts into accessible guidance for non-legal colleagues.
• Proven ability to work independently and manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to PSF's mission and values, including environmental justice, equity, and systems change.
• Preferred Experience
• Experience working in a remote or distributed team environment.
• Prior in-house or advisory experience within international organisations, with a strong grasp of the legal complexities and global risks inherent in cross-border operations, partnerships, and advocacy.
• Experience with re-granting structures and donor-advised funds.
• TRAVEL

This role requires regular travel (approximately 3-4 times per year) for organizational meetings, conferences, and team working sessions.

LOCATION

This is a remote position. As we are a remote team, the applicant will need flexible working schedules to work across time zones.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

PSF is committed to providing equivalency of salary & benefits across its global team and maintaining a sustainable and positive working environment for all team members.

We foster a collaborative, virtual, and values-driven work culture grounded in trust, equity, and mutual respect.

Our benefits package is generous, including health and life insurance, retirement contributions, work from home allowances and generous leave policies.

PSF is committed to equal employment opportunity principles and to providing all employees with a safe and sustainable work environment free from discrimination and harassment.

We welcome and value your race, gender identity, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, age, physical ability, nationality, and any other status unrelated to the performance of the job and protected by law.

Candidates from historically disadvantaged or marginalized groups are strongly encouraged to apply.