Special Olympics is an experience that is energizing, healthy, skillful, welcoming and joyful. Special Olympics offers an excellent benefits program that includes health insurance, life insurance and company-funded pension plan.

When positions are available they are posted below. All candidates who submit cover letter, resumes and salary history to specific job openings will be considered.  If you are interested in one of the jobs listed here send an e-mail with your information to jobs@specialolympics.org with the desired job title in your subject line.

Special Olympics is an equal opportunity employer. 

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Chief Legal Officer

June 2009

Special Olympics International is founded on the belief that persons with intellectual disabilities learn, enjoy, and benefit from participation in year-round individual and team sports training and competition.  Through sports training and competition, persons with intellectual disabilities benefit physically, mentally, socially and spiritually; families are strengthened; and the community at large, both through participation and observation, is united in understanding people with intellectual disabilities in an environment of equality, respect and acceptance.

Special Olympics International, headquartered in Washington, DC, is a global non-governmental organization dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive, and respected members of society through sports training and competition.  Special Olympics offers children and adults with intellectual disabilities year-round training and competition at no cost in 30 Olympic-style summer and winter sports.

The Special Olympics movement serves more than 3 million persons with intellectual disabilities through 230 accredited Special Olympics Programs in over 170 countries and in each of the 50 U.S. States and the District of Columbia.  Children and adults with intellectual disabilities who participate in Special Olympics develop improved physical fitness and motor skills, greater self-confidence, and a more positive self-image.  They grow mentally, socially, and spiritually and, through their activities, exhibit boundless courage and enthusiasm, enjoy the rewards of friendship, and ultimately discover not only new abilities and talents, but their voices as well.

In recent years Special Olympics has broadened its work with programs designed to embody the principles of athlete empowerment and self-advocacy, and to change attitudes toward people worldwide with intellectual disabilities from pity or “charity” to acceptance, dignity, and respect.  This philosophy recognizes that people with intellectual disabilities are gifted in many ways and that ability is more important than disability.  Special Olympics is not just a sports movement, but is also an effective catalyst for personal and social change inviting all citizens to discover Special Olympics athletes as valuable members of their families, their communities, and their countries.

To that end, Special Olympics now boasts a large public health program (Healthy Athletes), an exercise development program for children 2-6 years old (Young Athletes), a growing outreach effort to nondisabled young people (Project Unify and Special Olympics Get Into It), an appeal to Heads of State for greater political action, a targeted research effort, and a family support and advocacy effort (The Family Support Network).  With these efforts, Special Olympics is a powerful vehicle for organizing and sustaining community cohesion and engagement all over the world.  At the same time, the Special Olympics movement promotes the ideal of acceptance and overcoming differences in each of its activities, making it a unique global force for unity and understanding.  For these reasons, Special Olympics International aims to strengthen its identity as a development organization, a health care organization, an education organization, and a worldwide movement for the best in the human spirit.

Special Olympics International, with over 200 staff worldwide, serves as the central governing organization of the Special Olympics movement, coordinating and overseeing its 230 accredited Special Olympics Programs, each of which is a separate legal entity with its own Board of Directors or other governing body and professional staff.  Special Olympics International partners closely with the political, business, sport, health, education, entertainment and media leadership in each country and each state where Special Olympics Programs exist.

BASIC FUNCTION

The Chief Legal Officer has a dual reporting relationship to the Board of Directors and the Chairman of the Board and CEO, and to the President and COO.  The Chief Legal Officer provides Board and governance support, including direct support of the Executive Committee, Compensation Committee, and Nominating Committee, and manages the Board effectiveness and mission compliance surveys.  The Chief Legal Officer has a special role to protect the mission of Special Olympics through oversight and maintenance of compliance with the Special Olympics General Rules, which is the principal governing document of the Special Olympics movement.

The Chief Legal Officer is also responsible for the full range of legal functions handled by the Legal Department and by outside counsel, including contracts, trademarks, entertainment law, corporate law issues, compliance with U.S. and international legal requirements, exempt organization tax law, sponsorship and fundraising matters,  litigation, biannual accreditation of every Special Olympics Program, risk management, and registration of Special Olympics offices around the world.

The Chief Legal Officer is responsible for providing the day-to-day legal leadership and direction for Special Olympics International and provides direction for a small legal staff, including a Senior Counsel, an Accreditation Counsel, and a Legal Assistant, as well as for outside counsel throughout the world. 

As Special Olympics International continues to grow as a world leader in advancing the interests of persons with intellectual disabilities, the Chief Legal Officer and the Legal Department will become increasingly active in human rights matters, disability rights advocacy, and government relations, all in ways that will evolve and are yet to be defined. 

IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES

The Chief Legal Officer should give priority to the following during the first twelve months in office:

• Thoroughly understand the Special Olympics movement – its history, culture, governance structure, General Rules, policies, finances and fundraising efforts, programs, policy and advocacy issues, and its strategic vision;
• Gain the trust and inspire the confidence of the Chairman/CEO, President/COO, and senior management;
• Gain the trust and inspire the confidence of the Board of Directors, including the Executive Committee, Compensation Committee, and Nominating Committee, and work with respective committee chairs to set agendas, provide supporting materials, and assure governance responsibilities are met;
• Work with current incumbent to finalize effective transition strategy;
• Direct and manage the annual renewal of the SOCIP policies (November-December); and
• Understanding and presenting the revised Special Olympics General Rules at the Special Olympics Global Congress in Marrakesh, Morocco, in June 2010.

ONGOING RESPONSIBILITIES

• The Chief Legal Officer’s ongoing responsibilities include:
• Assuring adherence to the Special Olympics mission and maintaining and overseeing compliance with the Special Olympics General Rules and Special Olympics policies;
• Board support and governance, including direct support of the Executive Committee, Compensation Committee, and Nominating Committee, and management of Board effectiveness and mission compliance surveys;
• Overseeing risk management, including management of the Special Olympics Corporate Insurance Program, a package of ten insurance policies that cover Special Olympics International and the 51 U.S. Special Olympics Programs;
• Overseeing work of Accreditation Counsel for accreditation of all 230 Special Olympics Programs;
• Providing advice on ethics and conflict of interest issues;
• Providing advice to management on strategy and crisis management;
• Human rights advocacy, such as work on briefs for Atkins v. Virginia (Supreme Court held that imposing death penalty on persons with intellectual disabilities is cruel and unusual punishment); and
• Overseeing the day-to-day activities of the Legal Department.

IDEAL EXPERIENCE

The Chief Legal Officer should have the following experience and qualifications:

• A commitment to Special Olympics’ mission of fostering self-esteem and a healthy lifestyle through sports for persons with intellectual disabilities and advocating for change in the way societies view and embrace those with intellectual disabilities worldwide;
• At least 15 years of related senior-level legal experience that includes a background in international law, a demonstrated understanding of cultural sensitivities, contract drafting and negotiation, intellectual property licensing and management, exempt organization and non profit law, corporate law, and risk management;
• Proven ability to manage a small department with large responsibilities while dealing with “big ideas” and strategic issues;
• Direct experience in law firm, NGO, government and/or in-house environment;
• Experience working with high level international boards of directors;
• The proven ability to create constructive partnerships among diverse constituencies and strength in consensus building, collaboration, and communication;
• Excellent writing and communications skills;
• Law degree and excellent academic credentials;
• First-hand volunteer or professional experience in the NGO sector is helpful.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

The successful candidate should be a person:

• Committed to Special Olympics’ mission and goals, with an understanding for and commitment to the power and importance of persons with intellectual disabilities, the unique role and power of sports, and a vision of a more understanding, inclusive, and just world;
• Having personal authority and professional integrity who is organized, creative, strategic, politically aware, and financially astute; a consensus builder who can bend when necessary yet be firm and decisive when needed; a non-paternalistic individual able to listen, empathize and command respect internally, with the Board of Directors and externally.
• With emotional maturity, a sense of humor and perspective who is practiced at working with a group of diverse personalities;
• With the ability and willingness to travel internationally.

INTERESTED CANDIDATES

• To submit your interest in this position please send a cover letter and resume via email to jobs@specialolympics.org.  Include in the subject line: Chief Legal Officer.