Relief International Jobs

Relief International is a humanitarian non-profit agency that provides emergency relief, economic rehabilitation, development assistance, and programme services to vulnerable communities worldwide. Relief International UK is non-political and non-sectarian in its mission. It is seeking a qualified, motivated, capable and experienced Legal Counselor to join the team in the Washington D.C. The position holder will be responsible for all the legal affairs of Relief International and ensure the appropriate protection of its legal rights.

The Legal counsel stays abreast of activities across all departments of the organization and evaluates this information to understand and anticipate potential legal effects on RI and to provide the best overall advice to RI’s governing bodies, senior management team and other staff. This covers legal, regulatory and compliance policies and processes across RI.

Roles and responsibilities

The Legal Counsel’s key areas of responsibilities are:

Corporate responsibilities

• Provide support for governance, Board matters, Alliance matters, and corporate secretary functions.
• Participate in the definition and development of corporate policies, procedures, and programs, and provide continuing counsel on legal implications.
• Select, manage and evaluate outside counsel (including local counsel in program countries and specialized services) and arrange pro bono services as needed.
• Oversee local registrations and powers of attorney in program countries.
• Protect RI’s Intellectual Property
• Provide support for issues regarding US tax exemption, non-profit rules, UK VAT exemption, Charity Commission regulations, EU eligibility, French tax exemption, local employment law, etc.
• Ensure RI has policies and practices in place to be compliant with legal requirements, including GDPR, safeguarding (trafficking, sexual abuse, and exploitation, child protection), financial crimes (terrorist financing, money-laundering, corruption, fraud), environmental sustainability, diversity & inclusion, etc.
• Research and advise, with input from outside counsel if needed, on legal issues relating to RI’s global program operations, including matters relating to fraud, terrorism financing, bribery and corruption, money laundering, sanctions, data protection, and whistleblowing.
• Protect RI from legal action and manage complex contractual issues, lawsuits and arbitration proceedings, and disputes with donors or sub-recipients, as needed.
• Work with management and the Board to promote a culture of high ethical standards and compliance across the organization.

Operational responsibilities

• Provide MOU’s, implementation agreement templates and specialized support for partnerships.
• Provide legal templates/updates to procurement, grants and contracts, and support on complex issues or new terms.
• Provide insights into the senior management team on legal risks, organizational issues, and strategy.
• Respond to external auditors regarding contingent liabilities.
• Provide support as needed on fund-raising and unique/custom donation agreements for individuals and corporations.
• Conduct and/or oversee investigations of potential breaches of law, regulations or RI policies in coordination, as appropriate, with other SMT members and/or outside counsel.
• Advise on lobbying restrictions

Qualifications and requirements

Applicants should possess:

Legal Technical requirements:

• Juris Doctor Degree (or the equivalent first-level legal degree awarded by a law school accredited by the national authority responsible for accreditation)
• Must be qualified to practice law or be admitted to practice law by a recognized national or state bar or law society
• 5+ years of legal professional experience working in business contracts, tax-exempt entities and/or corporate law
• INGOs experience, as staff, outside counsel or advisor
• Solid background and knowledge of bilateral and multilateral international development sector donor rules and regulations
• Substantial experience in legal negotiations
• Experience working with foreign legal counsel, as well as offices of Inspectors General (US, UK, EU or France)
• Ability to identify legal issues and summarize them clearly and concisely in a manner understandable by non-lawyers
• Ability to interpret and apply legislative instruments and draft legal documents

General Professional requirements:

• Excellent verbal and written English communications and negotiations skills.
• Excellent analytical abilities and legal research skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, tasks efficiently
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills
• High standards of ethics and values
• Must be able to travel when needed, including sometimes to fragile environments
• Must be authorized to work in a country of RI corporate registration (US, UK or France).