Habitat for Humanity International: Legal Counsellor

S/he will provide legal counsel to Area Vice President and the Area Management Team regarding contracts, employment, microfinance, risk management, transactional and general corporate matters, as well as interpretation and guidance in establishment and practice of HFHI policies.

Responsibilities:

• Manage and supervise HFHI's enterprise risk management system in the AME region
• Develop and provide compliance training to strengthen governance and ethical practices by Habitat's branded partners and entities in the AME region, such national organisations and branches, to reduce risk to the organisation's brand and further HFHI's strategic initiative of enterprise risk management
• Work with outside counsel, insurance companies, and government agencies to manage HFHI's enterprise risk management and insurance programme
• Interface with other departments, including Internal Audit, in investigations of claims of wrongdoing made against any Habitat branded entities in the AME region
• Develop and enhance the availability of legal and compliance resources on a day-to-day and local basis represent and promote strategic alignment of NO programmes and operations with HFHI's strategic initiative
• Develop and expand training to improve compliance and strengthen governance and ethical practices by Habitat’s branded partners and entities in the AME region
• Liaise and work with the HFHI legal department to make sure that practices by Habitat branded entities in the AME region are in compliance with the requirements and standards of HFHI
• Manage outside counsel used by AME office and NOs to ensure excellent and cost-effective services and reduce outside counsel fees by provide legal counsel (for matters including commercial, corporate, real estate and employment law, contracts and regulatory compliance) developing, enhancing, and training internal clients
• Create self-lawyering tools by preparing checklists, form documents, etc. and consistently documenting legal advice provided by legal counsel
• Support, develop, manage, and monitor partnerships with strategic allies including the review of donor agreements and government grant agreements including USAID government contracts
• Support dissolution of branch offices
• Ensure compliance and registration with national laws
• Facilitate cooperation between local Habitat for Humanity entities and respective authorities on legal and administrative matters
• Act as key field link between HFHI's AME office and the legal department
• Provide legal support for NOs as it relates to legal agreements that regulate HFHI's relationship with affiliated organisation and all issues related to them (legal enforceability, challenges with registration including financial and construction regulations, cultural challenges, etc.)
• Provide legal support as it relates to lending practices in AME programmes and related issues and challenges, registration and regulation, tax issues, legal relationships with borrowers, legal aspects of portfolio management
• Provide legal support with respects to corporate governance in AME programmes, types of boards, and HFHI control levels, HFHI staff involvement in NO governance and possible legal risks
• Provide legal support as it relates to health and safety regulations and compliance – construction, security, staff, volunteers, etc
• Serve as internal legal consultant for other departments and AO on strategic country decisions making for the AME region
• Work with AME staff in structuring and monitoring of financing and lending programmes
• Educate and work with programme staff at AME Area Office on legal matters in order to ensure that programme management complies with local legal requirements
• Provide legal support for priority areas for AME office

Requirements:

• J.D. or bachelor's degree in Law and license to practice law in any jurisdiction
• 8-10 years’ experience in private practice or in-house
• Demonstrated ability to resolve complex legal problems
• Experience in risk management and compliance work
• Minimum of one to three years in a managing or coaching organisational compliance programme added bonus
• Worked and lived for more than two years in more than two nations is an advantage
• South African nationals will be given first priority

Apply online, click here.

Please quote the source of this advertisement in your application - Women'sNet website.

HFHI is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to employ and assign the best qualified personnel for all its positions in a manner that does not unlawfully discriminate against any person because of race, colour, religion, gender, marital status, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, veteran/reserve national guard status, or any other status or characteristic protected by law.

If you have not received a response within six weeks after the closing date for applications, accept that your application has been unsuccessful.

For more about Habitat for Humanity International, refer to www.habitat.org.