legal

Being a Legal expert on the field

The legal expert analyses administrative constraints on MSF’s operations in the field, and coordinates implementation of legal and political solutions.

You will use your skills to reduce the administrative, financial and political obstacles to MSF's day-to-day activities, in areas such as

    tax and financial law
    contract law and procurement procedures
    employment law
    immigration law
    regulation of medical practices

You will use your organisational and management skills to coordinate the implementation of identified strategies and legal tools by the teams in the field.

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Responsibilities

The field legal advisor applies their legal skills to reduce administrative, financial and political blockages to MSF’s day-to-day activities, in areas typically including, among others:

  • tax and finance law
  • supply and contract law
  • employment law
  • immigration law
  • regulation of medical practice

The field legal advisor uses their organizational and management skills to coordinate implementation of identified strategies and legal tools by field teams.

In collaboration with legal advisors in the headquarters, the field legal advisor may be responsible for any of the following tasks:

  • Identify and analyze the legal obligations applicable to MSF under the national legal framework and monitor changes to the framework
  • Identify and analyze legal, financial and administrative risks arising from the practices of each MSF section in the field
  • Coordinate consultation by local lawyers to obtain specialized advice on local laws and adapt external advice to MSF’s objects and practices
  • Identify and determine the best legal and political options and strategies to improve the legal and administrative framework of MSF field missions
  • Design an action plan for the implementation of recommended strategies  
  • Develop, and keep updated, internal guidelines and policies to support MSF field teams to implement identified solutions
  • Coordinate unified implementation of defined strategies by all MSF sections, including by leading intersectional meetings  
  • Provide training to MSF Coordination teams (including staff responsible for logistics and supply, finance and human resources) in relevant areas of law
  • Set up intersectional platforms to facilitate effective communication and unified approaches by all sections
  • Oversee administrative steps to secure MSF’s registration with local authorities and maintain up-to-date registration documentation
  • Ensure effective archiving procedures for all documentation
  • Monitor compliance with reporting and other obligations under the local regulatory framework and applicable agreement
  • Identify key political actors and persons of influence and design a networking strategy to enhance MSF’s operational space
  • Alongside other MSF representatives, build coalitions and undertake negotiations with key actors to secure MSF’s operational objectives

Requirements

  • Advanced knowledge of English (written and spoken) is mandatory
  • 2 years of professional experience including at least 1 year of legal practice
  • Excellent legal analysis
  • Interpretation of legal texts
  • Ability to prioritize and organize
  • Ability to manage a team
  • Strong written and verbal communication
  • Ability to reach negotiated outcomes
  • Ability to work with multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams
  • Adhere to the MSF Charter and to our managerial values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust and Empowerment
  • Adhere to our Behavioral Commitments
  • Willingness to leave on mission without your partner and/or family and to work in an unstable environment
  • availability  9-12 months

General skills

  • Commitment to MSF’s work and values
  • Strong team player
  • Willingness to work in all kinds of contexts worldwide, including unstable areas
  • Adaptable and able to work in a multicultural team
  • Flexible and able to manage stress
  • Self-driven with a solution-orientated approach
  • Ability to train others

Assets

  • French is an asset
  • In-house experience managing financial and administrative risk is a plus
  • Some missions may require specialisation, in: tax law / corporate law / litigations / international humanitarian law / medico-legal issues
Diversité

Depending on our activities and needs, your responsibilities may be adapted and evolve. You will not face these challenges alone; other MSF team members (both international and locally hired staff) will support you.

We encourage applications from people of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, backgrounds, religions, beliefs, abilities and all other characteristics of diversity.

MSF does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo reference and criminal record checks.

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