Regional Senior Legal Advisor MENA

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 192-member National Societies. The overall aim of the IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” The IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises. The IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of the IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. The IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services. The IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The IFRC also has country cluster delegation and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat. The position of Senior Legal Adviser for MENA is based in the MENA Regional Delegation in Beirut, Lebanon. The Senior Legal Adviser for MENA reports to the Regional Director with a technical reporting line to the Managing Legal Counsel, Partnerships, Programmes and Operations, Legal Department, Headquarters. The Senior Legal Adviser for MENA is a member of the Global Legal Team, which advises the organisation globally in the following areas: • Management of legal risks; • Compliance with applicable legal and regulatory framework; and • Support to member National Societies in their own legal risk management. The Senior Legal Adviser for MENA will primarily provide legal services to the regional Delegation, country delegation, country cluster support delegation (CCST) and operations throughout the MENA region. The position requires travel in MENA as the files dictate.

Job Purpose

Under the technical guidance of the Managing Legal Counsel, Partnerships, Programmes and Operations, Legal Department, Headquarters, the Senior Legal Adviser for MENA will:

Advise on and provide legal services regarding the organization’s activities and operations in the MENA region, including to the regional delegation, country and CCST delegations at the technical and managerial levels, in relation to the management of legal risks in the areas of expertise mentioned below;

Provide legal advice principally on contracts, diplomatic law, employment law, administrative law of international organisations, public international law, and in general on all legal claims, commitments and liabilities of the organisation in the MENA region;

Support the development and use of the contract management system in the MENA region; and 
Proactively contribute to the development of the organization’s broader policy and legal services to its membership in the MENA region.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Under the technical guidance and supervision of the Managing Legal Counsel, Partnerships, Programmes and Operations, Legal Department, Headquarters, the Senior Legal Adviser is responsible for:

General advice and management of compliance obligations and legal risks for the MENA region

• Provide expert legal advice regarding the management of the legal risk for the organisation in the MENA region in a broad range of general legal issues and complex and sensitive legal matters;
• Provide expert legal advice and guidance in the following areas, including in relation to the development and implementation of the Federation’s wide systems, procedures, policies and tools, which have an impact on the legal obligations and risks of the organization in the MENA region:

Programmes and Operations - Emergencies

• Provide legal advice and oversee the negotiation of a broad range of agreements and projects in particular in relation to Health and Care, Migration, and Cash programmes;
• Provide legal advice on the legal structuring of deployment mechanisms of the IFRC;

Movement Coordination

Provide legal advice on Movement Coordination matters;                             

Logistics, Procurement and Supply Chain Management

Provide legal advice to the Logistics, Procurement and Supply chain management (LPSCM), including for the fleet, for ensuring compliance with the Procurement policies, rules and regulations;

Security matters

Provide legal advice to the Security team in the MENA region in relation to the duty of care owed to staff and related liabilities;

Legal Status of the Federation

Provide legal advice in relation to the IFRC’s legal status in the MENA region and negotiation and drafting of status agreements, including enforcement of privileges, immunities and obligations of said agreements;

Partnerships

• Provide legal advice on the structuring of IFRC’s activities, including complex grants or other relationships such as joint-ventures, partnerships coordination structures, and/or delegated functions;
• Liaise with UN Agencies, other components of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, governmental and nongovernmental organizations and collaborate with them on legal matters;

Emblem and Logo

Provide legal advice on the rules and regulations pertaining to the Emblems and use of the Federation’s name and logo;

Labour, disciplinary and ethics matters

Provide legal advice on labour law, disciplinary and ethics matters including in particular to HR and senior management on individual case management, such as recruitment, performance reviews, misconducts, termination of contracts and other issues with potential legal implications;

Fraud and investigation

• Provide legal advice on general and specific requests regarding fraud, sexual exploitation and abuse and other types of allegations, investigations and their legal implications in the Region in liaison with the Office of Internal Audit and Investigations and the Managing Legal Counsel for Institutional Matters;
• Case management: Handling of disputes (mediation, arbitration, litigation etc.) in which the Federation or its employees are a party in the MENA region
• Oversee all legal disputes in which the Federation or its employees are a party, including before national courts; Oversee all settlements;
• Provide legal advice on referral of cases to national authorities and requests for information and/or cooperation from national authorities;
• Provide legal advice on the waiver of privileges and immunities of the Federation and its staff;

Coordination of local counsels

• Lead, select and coordinate the engagement and utilization of external legal counsel in the MENA region;
• Coordinate with local legal counsel in the MENA region, ensuring conformity with applicable laws and alignment throughout the region with IFRC’s legal framework and approach; and
• Map and track all potential and ongoing cases within the region.

Systems, policies and procedures

• Proactively identify areas of improvement and provide legal advice in relation to the development and implementation of the IFRC’s systems, procedures, policies and tools, which have an impact on the legal obligations and risks of the organization; and
• Lead and oversee the compliance with all legal policies, procedures, tools and systems, including the eContract system, the Federation contracting policy and the Contract Approval Matrix (CAM) in the MENA region and ensure the dissemination of compliance and legal risks management good practices throughout the MENA region.

Project management and change management

Manage legal projects as needed.

Training

Contribute to the development of training material and provide trainings to IFRC staff and national societies legal advisers in the MENA region on legal risks and compliance.

Support to Membership

• Develop webinars, legal tools and legal services for National Societies in the MENA region in coordination with the Global Legal Team;
• Support the network of National Society legal advisers in the Region; and
• Manage projects related to legal risk management and compliance for the National Societies in the MENA region.

Other tasks

• Monitor legal information and developments that are or may be applicable to the Federation and 17 National Societies in the MENA region; and
• Perform any other job-related tasks as assigned by the Managing Legal Counsel, Partnerships, Programmes and Operations, Legal Department, Headquarters.

Education

• University degree in law - required
• Bar membership or equivalent - required
• Specialized studies in public international law, international organization law, and/or management would be an asset - preferred

Experience

• At least 5 years of prior experience in the practice of law - required
• Field experience handling legal issues - preferred
• Experience in private practice and/or in-house corporate legal environment - required
• Knowledge of the ILOAT case-law - preferred
• Experience with contract management systems (CMS) - required
• Sensitivity in and prior exposure to cross-cultural situations - required
• Experience in dealing with outside counsel - preferred
• Experience in working in a team environment, with remote team members - preferred
• Red Cross/Red Crescent experience or other humanitarian/non for-profit experience would be an asset - preferred

Knowledge and skills

• Good judgment and ability to work with complete integrity and confidentiality - required
• High degree of discretion, tact and sensitivity in dealing with internal and external clients and stakeholders at all levels - required
• Excellent analytical skills - required
• Excellent drafting skills - required
• Professional work ethic - required
• Knowledge of applicable legal and regulatory framework to international organisations - required
• Ability to manage change projects (CMS) - preferred
• Training and coaching skills - required
• General knowledge of international affairs - required
• Knowledge of the Red Cross and Red Crescent International Movement - preferred

Languages

• Fluently spoken and written English and Arabic - required
• Good command of French - preferred

Competencies and values

Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability
Competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust