Career Center

The Frick Collection (“The Frick”) has retained Major, Lindsey & Africa on an exclusive basis to conduct a search for a General Counsel.  The Frick is an equal opportunity employer. Please do not contact The Frick directly; all resumes sent to The Frick will be routed to MLA for handling and will create delays.

Position Description: The Frick Collection’s General Counsel will serve as the principal legal officer for The Museum and Library, with overall responsibility for the leadership of The Frick’s legal function. Reporting to the Director, the General Counsel will provide legal advice and counsel to the Director, The Senior Leadership Team, the Board of Trustees, and other members of the Museum community on a broad and diverse range of legal matters. The General Counsel will be involved in supporting the multi-faceted, diversified and complex legal affairs of this institution. The General Counsel will passionately support the cultural components of the museum and work to support the Frick in its exciting transition to their new home. This position provides an excellent opportunity to serve as a trusted advisor to the senior leadership team of one of the most prominent museums and non-profit organizations in the world. This position will be located full-time in New York, NY.

Organization: Opened to the public in 1935, The Frick Collection is a world-renowned art museum consisting of more than 1,500 works of art from the ninth to the nineteenth centuries displayed in the intimate surroundings of the former home of Pittsburgh industrialist Henry Clay Frick. It is considered one of the world’s most perfect museums, and the residence is one of New York City’s few remaining Gilded Age mansions. The Frick welcomes nearly 300,000 visitors a year to its tranquil mansion on the Upper East Side, encouraging visitors to closely observe, reflect, and engage with its esteemed collection.

Qualifications and Experience: The Frick is seeking candidates who have significant legal experience gained through an extensive career. Given the breadth of issues facing The Frick, a broad based, generalist capacity and background will be vital to supporting the diversified legal issues facing the institution. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience handling matters in a number of the following areas: commercial contracts, tax, real estate law, licensing, compliance, governance, pre-litigation and litigation counseling/management, privacy and data privacy, intellectual property, human resources, and employment law. An understanding of matters relating to a museum, collections management, non-profit law, 501 (c) 3 tax treatment, philanthropic activities and gifts/bequests is desirable.

In a broad sense, the General Counsel of The Frick,

1. Provides institutional leadership as a member of the senior management team: The General Counsel will be providing the legal perspective to assist the Museum in strategically shaping its policies and public stance on a wide variety of topics;
2. Responsible for leading and coordinating all legal matters affecting the operation of The Museum;
3. Possesses a “roll-up-the-sleeves” attitude to independently handle a wide range of legal issues, while managing outside counsel on assignments;
4. Builds relationships internally with the Director, the members of the Senior Management Team, and the Board of Trustees. The General Counsel must be seen as a business partner committed to supporting the institutional goals of The Frick.=

Personality Profile: Technical legal skills are essential – but the successful candidate’s personal fit is critical to the success of the role and The Frick. Because the General Counsel will interact with a wide variety of people, outstanding communication, judgment and interpersonal skills are necessary. The General Counsel must be a relationship builder who presents creative solutions to the Director, members of Senior Management and the Board of Trustees. A candidate who is inflexible on approach will not match the internal environment of The Frick. The right candidate will be a team member, consultative, collaborative and think holistically about courses of action. The right candidate will respect the institutional knowledge and area expertise of the members of the senior leadership team and will look to incorporate these insights into his/her decision-making process. The right candidate will possess a record of professional experience and success that demonstrates progressive responsibilities and significant interaction with senior leadership teams. The successful candidate will be highly ethical, creative and forward-thinking, and have demonstrated collaborative, evaluative leadership in his or her prior roles. The General Counsel must be able to navigate the “Not-for-Profit” world, as well as be able to engage with a “NYC politically savvy” environment.

Compensation: The Frick offers a competitive compensation package, including a rich benefits package.

Location: New York, New York (hybrid work arrangement)

Relocation: Yes. This is a national search.