Legal Counsel (Maternity cover) at Save the children

Job Description

Role purpose
The role holder will be expected, depending on experience and business needs, to:
• Support SCI’s programme delivery operations by supporting SCI’s country offices in one or more regions (MENAEE, Asia, Africa or Latin America) in their corporate or contractual enquiries (including in areas such as procurement, programming, awards and finance);
• Provide strong legal advice and analysis on legal risk in the context of SCI’s global programme delivery;
• Provide legal advice relating to SCI’s operations in matters of global scope or implication (such as global policy changes or discussions in the areas of HR, Transformation Delivery, Supply Chain, Finance, Treasury and Fundraising);
• Advise on the governance requirements of a global organisation;
• Take the lead on managing certain contractual and legal risk matters/projects;
• Take the lead on managing relationships with certain SCI core functions; and
• Be involved with managing other aspects of the SCI legal team, for example legal team well-being, pro bono relationships, internal team know how initiatives etc.
This is a complex, interesting role, involving engagement with a variety of functions and stakeholders within Save the Children.
In the event of a major humanitarian emergency or other organisational crisis, the post-holder will be expected to work outside the normal job description and to be able to vary working hours accordingly.

Principal Accountabilities
Advising on SCI’s operations, including delivering high quality and professional advice and support to Save the Children global teams, regional and country offices on a diverse range of legal issues relating to international development and humanitarian operations globally, including:
• Providing legal advice on SCI’s global programme delivery and humanitarian operations by supporting SCI’s country offices in one or more regions (MENAEE, Asia, Africa or Latin America), for example
(i) advising offices on legal issues and legal risks relating to the set up and running of their local operations and contractual matters;
(ii) advising on the legal aspects of scaling up programming operations, in particular, in a humanitarian crisis;
(iii) advising on the legal aspects of certain safeguarding projects;
(iv) negotiating frameworks for sub-contracting and sub-granting to third parties and partnerships with Governments, multi-lateral agencies, United Nations agencies, private sector and other NGOs;
• Providing advice to senior stakeholders within the organisation, including on legal risk and governance-related matters;
• Identifying and mitigating issues arising under Save the Children’s own internal frameworks;
• Managing advice from, and relationships with, SCI’s external law firms and helping SCI stakeholders to interpret and apply such advice;
• Identifying opportunities for training and new legal tools to manage and mitigate organisational risk, developing and delivering such training and tools;
• Supporting with identifying opportunities for training and new legal tools to manage and mitigate organisational risk, developing and delivering such training and tools; and
• Supporting at least one legal team initiative relating to well-being, managing and fostering pro bono relationships, identifying training, DEI and mentoring opportunities.

Experience and Skills
Essential
• Exceptional legal skills.
• Experience in one or more of the following areas of law: general corporate, commercial / contract, employment, finance, treasury, charity/not-for-profit, data protection, intellectual property and/or dispute resolution.
• Demonstrated ability to business partner with a function/team/client, to understand their priorities and to come to pragmatic, legally appropriate solutions.
• Experience operating in a range of jurisdictions, including instructing overseas counsel.
• Ability to provide advice with authority at senior level, with excellent communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to strategically manage work priorities by addressing immediate critical issues and progressing long-term aims.
• Ability to work independently and use initiative to tackle new areas of law with confidence.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate with people at all levels and across different cultures and to act with credibility and diplomacy.
• Maintains a calm disposition and positive outlook, particularly when working under pressure.
• Constructive approach.
• Team player, with a full appreciation of the value of collaboration.
• Good understanding of (and the ability to adapt to) the context in which Save the Children operates.
• Commitment to the mission, vision and values of Save the Children.
Desirable
• Knowledge of the international development/humanitarian and charitable sectors.
• Ability to work in one of SCI’s core languages, aside from English (French, Arabic or Spanish).
• Client, project and stakeholder management.
• Previous in-house experience preferred.
• Working knowledge of data protection and its application in a global organisation preferable.

Education and Qualifications
Qualified as a solicitor or barrister in England or a common law jurisdiction from a minimum of 5 years+ PQE. Strong candidates who are qualified lawyers in non-common law jurisdictions will be considered.