Legal Advisor Specialised In Commercial Law

Lcation: Any MSF office* (an Operational Center preferred)

Contract: fixed term contract, full time

**Starting date:**16th December 2024

End date: 15th June 2025

Deadline for applications: 15th September 2024

Reporting to: International Legal Department / Legal Project Manager

*By default, the successful candidate will be offered a contract in the MSF office of their country of residence at the time of application.

In the context of a maternity leave, we are looking for a temporary position of HQ/GPU (Global Procurement Unit) LEGAL ADVISOR.

I. MSF INTERNATIONAL

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, healthcare exclusion and natural disasters. MSF offers assistance to people based only on need and irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation.

Based in Geneva, MSF International provides coordination, information and support to the MSF Movement, as well as implements international projects and initiatives as requested.

II. POSITION WITHIN THE ORGANISATION

The Intersection Legal Department (ILD) is currently the only intersectional department in the MSF Movement; its members are based in the various Operational Centers. Its mission is to provide legal support and analyses to the MSF Movement (Operational Centers, sections and offices and MSF International). The position is part of the ILD and reports to the Unit 4 Deputy Manager in charge of the HQ/Global legal support to the operations;

It is also integrated in the Global Procurement Unit (GPU) team. The GPU aims to coordinate procurement effort in the organization and support the development of the procurement function across all MSF entities to efficiently contribute to the accomplishment of MSF’s social mission.

The HQ/GPU legal advisor also collaborates closely the other lawyers of the ILD and the members of the GPU, but also the various departments of the MSF sections and MSF International.

III. OBJECTIVES OF THE POSITION

The position’s objective is to provide advice and legal support to contractual activities and more specifically those in link with the Global Procurement Unit (GPU) team, and the headquarters of the different MSF sections of MSF International.

It ensures the coordination and consistency of the legal framework of all these different areas of activity and participates in the development of legal policies relating to these areas.

This position involves regular travel within the different MSF sections and occasionally in the field.

IV. MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

1. GPU

• Negotiation, drafting and review of intersection commercial contracts carried out by the GPU team, and support in the formulation of calls for tenders,
• Creation of legal tools, common policies, memos to improve the procurement policy in MSF movement,
• Ad hoc legal advice to partner sections and on request.

2. Headquarters contracts

• Negotiation, drafting and review of commercial contracts for the headquarters of MSF France, MSF Belgium, MSF Switzerland and MSF International, according to the support strategy defined with the Unit Deputy Manager,
• Management and optimization of the use of pro-bono lawyers
• Support to the 4 entities during headquarters commercial disputes

3. Finance

• Legal support on request for MSF movement projects (cash pooling, cash netting)
• Legal support on specific requests from banking partners
• Legal support on request for financing agreements signed by and within the MSF movement

4. Training

• Development and updating of training content related to its activities
• Animation of training modules for operational teams
• Implementation, adaptation and distribution of practical guides, legal notes and files on all subjects relating to its activities, with the aim of empowering the operational teams (MSF and MSF International section) on the management of legal risks

5. Ad-hoc files

• Support to the Unit Deputy Manager on ad-hoc files (research, drafting, legal analysis, constitution of files)

VI. JOB REQUIREMENT

• Legal advisor / Lawyer, holder of a higher education (Master 2) in Commercial/Business Law
• At least 5 years’ experience as a legal advisor/lawyer, ideally acquired within an international organization or in an international law firm.
• Very good level of legal English and French is compulsory
• Very good command of contract drafting techniques as well as good experience in contract negotiation
• Strong abilities to:

1. analyze/synthesize/write/communicate,
2. adapt to atypical situations and different cultural contexts,
3. integrate and work with multidisciplinary and multicultural teams,
4. organize priorities

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

At MSF, we are committed to an inclusive culture that encourages and supports the diverse voices of our employees. We welcome applications from individuals of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, nationalities, races, religions, beliefs, ability status, and all other diversity characteristics.