Legal Counsel (Program Delivery)

Description:

Save the Children International has an exciting opportunity for a Legal Counsel (Program Delivery) to join our global team.

Team and Role Purpose

• The role holder will be part of SCI's Legal team, which is responsible for providing high quality, strategic legal advice and support to SCI's Global Teams and across SCI's 54 Country Offices, on legal issues across SCI and the wider Save the Children movement. In this role, the successful candidate will primarily support SCI's international programme delivery.
• This is a fantastic opportunity to join our brilliant, dynamic team of lawyers, where you you'll have the opportunity to be involved in fascinating, challenging and meaningful work as part of an innovative and ambitious organization whose mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.

Role Purpose:
The role holder will be expected, depending on experience and business needs, to:

• Advise on SCI's international programming operations (including legal risk) by supporting SCI's Country Offices across its five regions (Asia; East and Southern Africa; Latin America and the Caribbean; Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe; West and Central Africa) in their corporate or contractual enquiries (including in areas such as procurement, programming, awards and finance), and supporting Legal Business Partners responsible for covering those regions;
• Provide legal advice relating to SCI Global Teams operations in matters of global scope or implication (such as global policy changes or discussions in the areas of transformation delivery, HR, awards, partnerships, procurement, finance, treasury and fundraising);
• Advise on governance requirements of a global organisation;
• Support a more senior member of the team with managing certain contractual and legal risk matters/projects and relationships with certain SCI Global Teams; and
• Be involved with supporting other aspects of the legal team, for example internal team training 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 role-holder will be expected to work outside the normal job description and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

Job Title: Legal Counsel (Program Delivery)

• Reports To: Deputy General Counsel or another senior member of the Legal Team (Program Delivery) as appropriate
• Work Pattern:Hybrid/Remote with flexible working options available
• Location: Any approved Save the Children International office location. For a full list of locations that Save the Children International can hire in, please visit: SCI Careers
• Required Time Zone: GMT +/- 3 hours
• Contract Length: Permanent
• Right to Work: The successful candidate must have the right to work in the country where the role is based, for the duration of employment.
• Language Requirements: English
• Remit: Global

Principal Accountabilities:
Delivering high quality and professional advice and support to SCI Country Offices and Global Teams on a diverse range of legal issues, including:

• Working with Regional Legal Business Partners to support SCI's Country Offices in one or more of its five regions, providing timely, pragmatic and solutions-oriented legal support.
• Advising Global Teams and senior stakeholders on matters of global scope or implication, including on legal risk and governance-related matters;
• Advising on the legal aspects of scaling up programming operations, in particular, in a humanitarian crisis;
• Advising on issues arising under Save the Children's own internal framework;
• Managing advice from and relationships with SCI's external legal advisors and helping SCI stakeholders to interpret and apply such advice;
• Draft, review and negotiate a wide range of contracts (including partnership agreements, goods and services contracts, and other legal frameworks with Governments, multi-lateral agencies, United Nations agencies, private sector and other NGOs), including providing advice and legal support to other Global Teams Business Partners, Country Office and Global Teams stakeholders and wider Save the Children constituents;
• Identifying opportunities for training and new legal tools to manage and mitigate organisational risk, developing and delivering such training and tools; and
• Advising on legal compliance areas such as fraud, sanctions and anti-terrorism, either working in conjunction with SCI's legal compliance team or independently (as required and as appropriate).

Experience and Skills:
Essential:

• Some post-qualification experience gained in a reputable private practice or in-house legal team in one or more of the following areas of law: general corporate/commercial, charity/not-for profit, dispute resolution, regulatory.
• Skilled at applying technical expertise to solving problems in a practical way.
• Strong time management / prioritisation skills and ability to work efficiently to tight deadlines.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Strong inter-personal skills and proven ability to communicate technical and complex information and ideas effectively to different audiences and across different cultures.
• Ability to work independently, requesting support where needed and using initiative to tackle new areas of law with confidence.
• Excellent spoken and written communication skills in English.
• Calm disposition, constructive approach and positive outlook, particularly when working under pressure.
• Team player, with a full appreciation of the value of collaboration.
• Commitment to the mission, vision and values of Save the Children.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of the international development / humanitarian and/or charity sectors.
• Experience operating in a range of jurisdictions, including instructing overseas counsel.
• Experience working in an in-house legal team.
• Ability to work in another of SCI's core languages, aside from English (French, Arabic or Spanish) desirable but not essential.

Education and Qualifications:

• UK or common law qualified lawyer or barrister; strong candidates who are qualified lawyers in non-common law jurisdictions will be considered.
• Junior level post-qualification experience years (PQE)

---