Head of Legal - Orchestra : Job Details

Orchestra is a full-service marketing-communications firm that offers clients across sectors unparalleled strategy, storytelling, and data science expertise. Its growing team of 700+ storytellers and strategists is shaping what's next in communications, with experience that spans consumer, technology, climate and sustainability, education, healthcare, philanthropy, real estate, travel, hospitality and arts and culture, to name a few. Since 2022, Orchestra has acquired nine firms, including: BerlinRosen , Civitas , Derris , Glen Echo Group , Inkhouse , M18 , Message Lab , Onward and Small Girls PR . It also launched Brightmode , a talent acquisition firm for communications professionals.

People of all backgrounds and abilities are strongly encouraged to apply. Orchestra is committed to building and maintaining a diverse staff, and recognizes that its continued success depends on hiring and retaining high-quality creative professionals with a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Opportunities for advancement exist, and we are committed to helping all staff develop and grow.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Orchestra is seeking a Head of Legal to establish and lead a best-in-class legal function during a period of growth, organizational transformation and increasing client complexity.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer and partnering closely with the Chief Financial Officer, C-Suite and agency presidents, this individual will build a legal team and strategy that is agile, proactive and built for scale.

The Head of Legal will oversee core areas including client contracts, employment law, risk management and compliance. This is a high-impact leadership role for a pragmatic operator who brings deep experience in the media, communications or agency space and excels in translating legal insight into real-world, business-smart decisions.We are looking for a player-coach who thrives in high-volume environments and is energized by the opportunity to grow a small but highly impactful team. A willingness to “roll up the sleeves” and become deeply involved with all aspects of the network and its operations is critical to success in this role.

Role location: This role is based in our New York, N.Y. office on a hybrid basis. Orchestra staff are in office a minimum of 3 days per week.

ACCOUNTABILITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS

As Head of Legal, you will…

• Triage incoming legal needs across contracts, HR, and finance to reduce pressure on our contracts team and ensure the right issues get the right level of support through our in-house team or from our external counsel.
• Develop scalable legal playbooks, templates and workflows to streamline contracting and accelerate time-to-close.
• Oversee and optimize outside counsel use with a focus on reducing external legal spend and bringing more work in-house over time.
• Support legal infrastructure by supporting integrations with tools like HubSpot and Quickbase, guiding the selection and implementation of a contract lifecycle management (CLM) system, and championing the safe, strategic use of AI across legal and business functions.
• Recruit, develop and lead a small but high-impact legal team, working in close partnership with contracts, HR, and finance.

KEY RESPONSIBILITY AREAS

Client and commercial contracts (primary focus)

• Lead legal review and negotiation of hundreds of client and vendor contracts each year across public relations, creative, strategy, earned/owned/paid media, events and influencer partnerships.
• Oversee the development and refinement of templates, including master service agreements (MSAs), statements of work (SOWs), nondisclosure agreements (NDAs), renewals and amendments.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for client redlines and compliance questions.
• Introduce and oversee the implementation of a contract lifecycle management system (CLM) to improve efficiency, transparency and cross-functional alignment.
• Reduce client onboarding friction while maintaining a strong risk posture and contract compliance.

Employment and HR legal

• Partner with HR on templates for offer letters, terminations, severance and employee relations.
• Oversee legal strategy around employment litigation, DEI concerns and personnel risk.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state and local employment laws across jurisdictions.

Collections and disputes

• Collaborate with finance and company leaders to manage collections, manage contract breaches and enforcement strategies.
• Engage with outside counsel on arbitration, litigation and pre-legal disputes, as well as areas that require subject matter expertise.
• Establish clear guidelines and standard operating procedures for when and how Legal intervenes on accounts receivable issues.

Corporate and real estate

• Oversee legal review of leases, subleases, expansions, renewals and other real estate matters, with attention to personal guarantee exposure.
• Support corporate governance and conduct legal risk assessments for mergers and acquisitions.
• Ensure compliance with corporate insurance and legal entity setup.

Legal team leadership and operations

• Mentor and support a growing legal team, beginning with the current two-person contracts function.
• Define clear roles and responsibilities across legal, contracts, HR, and finance.
• Build dashboards or reporting mechanisms to provide C-suite visibility into legal volume, risk areas and performance trends.
• Manage the budget for our legal and contracts team in partnership with the COO and CFO.

QUALIFICATIONS

• JD from accredited law school; licensed to practice in New York or eligible for in-house counsel registration.
• At least 10 years of relevant legal experience, with a strong preference for candidates who have served as in-house counsel in media, public relations, marketing or agency environments.
• Demonstrated experience building or leading a legal function within a fast-paced, high-growth organization.
• Deep expertise in commercial contract negotiation and employment law, with the ability to navigate complex, multi-party agreements.
• Familiarity with contract lifecycle management platforms such as PandaDoc, Ironclad, LinkSquares, or ContractWorks.
• Experience advising on client onboarding, vendor compliance, collections and related operational matters.
• Strong judgment and business acumen, with the ability to balance legal risk with commercial realities and business growth.
• Exceptional communicator with high emotional intelligence and the ability to work effectively across departments and seniority levels.

WORKING AT ORCHESTRA

Salary range (commensurate with experience and skills): $250,000 base salary, plus potential bonus and options.

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents
• Pre-tax Health Savings Account Savings Plan (HSA-SP) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• 401K with a 4% employer match and no vesting period
• Generous paid time off
• Mobile phone reimbursement for data and minutes

To ensure that applicants are matched with the job that best suits their qualifications and interests, information that you submit may be shared with our network agencies. By providing your information, you are consenting to allow us and our subsidiaries to keep your information on file and to contact you regarding job opportunities, recruitment events and other related updates.

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