Convergent Research is a non-profit science studio best known for pioneering the Focused Research Organization (FRO). We architect pivotal infrastructure that removes bottlenecks to breakthrough scientific research.
FROs are a new operating model for science that ensures rapid iteration cycles and high-throughput learning. Convergent secures funding and provides an operational backbone for counterfactual R&D, creating space for scientists to do what they do best. FRO teams are agile, creative, and risk-tolerant as a result. They make fast progress because they start and stay focused.
About the RoleConvergent Research has grown significantly since its founding—from a scrappy early-stage org to a 200-person, $100M-spend nonprofit with 13 subsidiary FROs, entities in the UK, a growing IP portfolio, active licensing deals, and a portfolio of organizations approaching graduation into the world. We're not running on the same legal playbook we started with and we want to position ourselves and our legal department for the future.
We're looking for a General Counsel who is a strategic partner to Convergent's leadership—someone who sees around corners, builds systems that make the whole organization more capable, and knows how to be a smart, creative enabler rather than a gatekeeper. You'll own the legal function at the enterprise level, set the IP and risk strategy, manage a growing team, and be a first call—not a last resort—for complex decisions.
This role sits in the senior leadership team. You will manage a small but growing legal function that includes an FRO General Counsel and a part time contracts counsel handling day-to-day contract work across the portfolio. We have an idea of how the workload will be divided across these functions, but will be looking to you to help operationalize and refine the division of the duties and responsibilities of each role. You'll also own Convergent's relationships with a roster of specialized outside counsel.
You Are
- A strategic thinker with a builder's instinct – You don't wait to be handed problems. You scan the horizon, identify what's coming, and help the organization get ahead of it. When someone says "we want to do X," your default is curiosity about how to make it work—not reasons it can't.
- An experienced corporate attorney – J.D. and active bar membership in at least one U.S. state, with 10+ years of practice. Your foundation is in corporate or commercial law—you know how deals are structured, how to manage volume and complexity, and how to deploy outside counsel efficiently. Nonprofit or research-sector experience is a strong plus; familiarity with 501(c)(3) compliance, disregarded entities, and exempt org law is important, whether that comes from direct experience or your ability to get up to speed quickly.
- Proactive on risk—not reactive to it – You identify compliance exposure, structural vulnerabilities, and deal risks before they surface as crises. You have a framework for when to escalate and when to resolve, and you help the organization understand that being "squared away" on the easy stuff creates room to take smart risks elsewhere.
A skilled resource manager – You know how to pick the right firm for the right work, negotiate rates, and make sure your outside counsel is actually adding value. You treat legal spend as a resource to be optimized, not just a cost to be approved.
Comfortable with structural complexity – Convergent is a nonprofit fiscal sponsor with 13 single-member LLC subsidiaries, UK entities, government contracts, philanthropic funding, IP licensing, and spinout transactions—all happening simultaneously. If that sounds like a lot, it is. You're not rattled by it.
Clear and decisive – You communicate legal advice in terms that non-lawyers can act on. You know when to say no, and you make "no" count by saying it rarely. When you find a path forward, you say so with confidence.
A people-leader and relationship-builder – You'll manage a small legal team, work closely with FRO CEOs, and serve as a trusted partner to Convergent's leadership. You invest in those relationships, give candid feedback, and hold yourself to the same standard you hold others.
You Will
Own Convergent's legal strategy – Set the overall legal and risk framework for the organization and all FROs. Advise the President/CEO and leadership team on significant decisions, structural questions, and areas of legal or regulatory exposure—before they become problems.
Lead IP strategy and governance – Build and maintain Convergent's IP strategy across the FRO portfolio: when to file, what to protect, how to structure licensing and spinout transactions. Work with FRO CEOs to ensure IP decisions are made deliberately and early. Manage relationships with outside patent counsel and help develop simple playbooks that empower FRO teams to make good disclosure decisions without escalating everything.
Manage and develop the legal team – Provide strategic direction to the FRO General Counsel and Contracts Counsel. Set clear escalation norms, and ensure the function is operating as a cohesive unit—not a collection of individual contributors.
Own outside counsel relationships – Manage Convergent's roster of outside counsel across nonprofit law, patents, corporate transactions, employment, and international matters. Negotiate rates, evaluate performance, and make sure the right firm is working on the right matter at the right price point.
Ensure 501(c)(3) compliance across the portfolio – The disregarded LLC structure protects corporate liability, not tax-exempt status. You'll ensure that FRO activities are monitored for exempt-org compliance, flag risks before they become IRS issues, and maintain strong oversight relationships with specialized outside counsel.
Navigate international and regulatory complexity – Convergent has UK entities, government-funded FROs, and an evolving set of international relationships. You'll ensure the organization is on the right side of GDPR, OFAC, anti-bribery statutes, and other cross-border requirements.
Drive deal strategy on complex transactions – Be at the table early on spinout structures, licensing agreements, FRO graduations, and university partnerships—not just at the contract stage. Help shape the deal before the lawyers are handed a draft.
Build systems and playbooks – Develop the templates, process documentation, and institutional knowledge that let Convergent's legal function scale without scaling headcount linearly. The goal is a legal function that makes the rest of the organization faster, not slower.
In Your First 6 Months, You Will Have
Developed a clear-eyed assessment of Convergent's current legal risk profile—EO compliance, IP coverage, international obligations, and contract practices—and presented a prioritized "go-forward" plan to leadership.
Established working relationships with each FRO CEO and a shared understanding of what they can expect from the legal function and when to call.
Completed an audit of the current IP portfolio and identified FROs where patent, disclosure, or licensing decisions need attention.
Reviewed and rationalized Convergent's outside counsel relationships, negotiating portfolio-wide rate structures where possible.
Built clarity with the FRO Legal Counsel and Operations Manager (Compliance) on roles, escalation paths, and priorities.
We Offer (Great Benefits)
An opportunity to change the world and work with some of the most talented scientists, operators, and thinkers in the R&D ecosystem
Competitive salary with up to a 6% 401k match, equitably benchmarked based on experience and adjusted for location)
Excellent medical insurance options: 10–20 plans to choose from across major national and local carriers. Employee and family premiums for most plans are fully covered by the Company contribution.
Excellent dental and vision insurance. Employee and family premiums for most plans are fully covered by the Company contribution.
Company-paid life insurance, AD&D, long- and short-term disability insurance, as well as voluntary supplemental insurance options
19 holidays (including the week off between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day)
3 weeks PTO with tenure increases, with separate allotments for sick and parental leave
Generous fertility benefits and childcare reimbursement
Education and professional development benefits
Wellness allowance for fitness and wellness activities
Quarterly offsite team retreats and additional opportunities to meet your teammates in person
Support for fully remote work
Skills Required
- J.D. degree and active bar membership in at least one U.S. state
- 10+ years of legal practice
- Foundation in corporate or commercial law with experience structuring deals and managing complex transactions
- Experience leading IP strategy, patents, licensing, and spinout transactions
- Experience managing and directing outside counsel and negotiating fee arrangements
- Experience managing and developing a legal team and setting escalation norms
- Familiarity with nonprofit law and 501(c)(3) compliance, including disregarded entities and exempt organization issues
- Experience with international and regulatory compliance (GDPR, OFAC, anti-bribery) and government-funded research matters
- Proactive risk management, strong strategic judgment, clear communication for non-lawyers, and builder/operations mindset
