General Administrative Officer - Legal Affairs & Human Resources

About Pelican Bay Foundation

Pelican Bay Foundation is a master homeowners association and premier luxury community in Naples, Florida. Spanning more than three square miles and bordered by pristine white-sand beaches, Pelican Bay is home to more than 6,500 residences and offers one of the most comprehensive and diverse amenity portfolios in the region.

The Foundation manages all common areas and amenities, including beach facilities with private dining, racquet and fitness centers, community facilities, boardwalks, and approximately 90 acres of land. Pelican Bay is widely regarded as one of the most desirable residential communities in the country and is supported by a professional staff committed to excellence, transparency, and service.

The General Administrative Officer – Legal Affairs & Human Resources (GAO) is a senior executive role responsible for overseeing the Foundation’s legal affairs, human resources, governance support, and enterprise risk management.

Reporting directly to the General Manager
, the GAO serves as a trusted advisor to executive leadership and the Board of Directors, ensuring the Foundation operates with sound governance, compliant, and effective people practices, and informed, risk-based decision making.

The GAO will primarily focus on legal compliance, risk mitigation, employee relations, policy development, and managing the full employee lifecycle (recruitment, performance, benefits, termination) from a legal and strategic standpoint. The role requires expertise in employment law, contract management, and organizational governance to ensure lawful, ethical, and efficient people operations.

This position combines broad legal leadership with hands-on human resources oversight
. The GAO is not intended to replace outside legal counsel, but rather to provide internal legal judgment, frame issues and options, manage risk exposure, and coordinate effectively with external counsel. On the Human Resources side, the GAO provides strategic direction and leadership to an HR team while serving as a guiding and trusted presence for managers and staff across the organization.

• Provide internal legal leadership across a wide range of matters, including Homeowners’ Association (HOA) law, contracts, business and employment law, governance issues, regulatory compliance, and enterprise risk.
• Identify legal and operational risks, evaluate options, and advise the senior leadership team and the Board of Directors on appropriate courses of action.
• Serve as the primary internal point of coordination with outside legal counsel, ensuring legal matters are appropriately scoped, prioritized, and cost-effective.
• Oversee contract review, policy development, dispute management, records requests, and regulatory interactions.
• Draft, review, and manage contracts, including vendor, client, and crucial employment-related documents (offer letters, NDA's, settlement agreements).
• Oversee litigation, dispute resolution, and investigations, advising on termination processes.
• Develop and maintain standard legal templates, policies, and decision frameworks to promote consistency, efficiency, and risk mitigation.

• Partner with the senior leadership team and the Board of Directors to support strong governance practices and statutory compliance.
• Provide guidance on Board procedures, elections, fiduciary duties, confidentiality, and records obligations.
• Support Board committees as assigned, particularly those involving governance, compensation, and personnel matters.
• Translate legal and regulatory requirements into clear, practical guidance for Board members and senior staff.

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of the Foundation’s human resources function, ensuring alignment with organizational values, culture, and long-term objectives.
• Lead the full employee lifecycle: recruitment, onboarding, performance management, compensation & benefits, and employee development.
• Develop, implement, and enforce HR policies and procedures (payroll, safety, workplace environment, etc.) in collaboration with legal…