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Legal Advisors

Non-Medical

About MSF USA | Doctors Without Borders

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent international organization that provides medical care to the people who need it most. The organization cares for people affected by conflict, disease outbreaks, disasters, and social exclusion in more than 70 countries. MSF offers medical humanitarian assistance solely based on need, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or politics. Our international project teams include medical, logistical, and administrative staff, most of them hired locally and working with their own communities. Our actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of independence, impartiality, and neutrality. We also bear witness and speak out about the experiences of our colleagues and patients. 

MSF USA is one of 24 sections supporting the global movement, primarily through staff recruitment, fundraising, advocacy, and communications. We welcome candidates who bring a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences to join us in working toward MSF’s social mission.

Legal Advisors

Legal advisors provide technical legal expertise in support of the mission, identify the legal constraints and obligations applicable to MSF, assess the risks and provide recommendations in order to support MSF activities in the country.

Responsibilities

As a legal advisor working with Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), responsibilities include:

  • Centralizing legal issues and providing legal advice
  • Providing reasoned legal opinions – and practical solutions, adapted to MSF specificities, particularly in the areas of social law, contract law, fiscal law and administrative law applicable to NGOs.

  • Referring request related to legal areas not covered by the Intersectional Legal Advisor to the relevant ILD advisor.

  • Drafting/ Revising Mission’s HR Documents, Contracts and Correspondence

  • Promoting and when necessary adapting the templates developed by the ILD according to the applicable local requirements.

  • Ensuring the Follow-Up of Litigation Files

  • Ensuring that the proposed strategy is in the best interest of MSF, assesses the risks and proposes alternatives solutions

  • Reporting to his/her superiors and to the HR or Finance teams on the progress of the cases

  • Managing Individual Risk (ILD Unit 3)

  • Providing legal support to HR teams and providing updates to the coordination teams

  • Coordinating the liaison among sections or directly liaises with relevant authorities like Labor Office/Ministry of Labor, MOH partner and Medical Order

  • Managing Legal and Administrative Framework Related Risks (ILD Unit 4)

  • appropriate support to follow-up registration/operational licenses of all MSF sections and providing legal advice on framework and project MOU

  • Providing legal support to ensure the facilitation of administrative procedures, ensuring consistency between sections present in the country

  • Preparing a risk analysis including all the legal and administrative blockages that MSF could face

  • Training / Project Visits

  • Reporting

  • Providing regular activity reports to superiors

  • Providing a complete end of mission report

  • Management (when applicable): Responsible for the recruitment and supervision of legal officers and legal assistants, when applicable

Requirements

  • At least 4 years’ experience as an in-house lawyer or as an attorney, including an experience in an NGO.
  • Experience with MSF or other international NGOs in lower-income countries
  • Lawyer (law degree), ideally with a specialization in Labor Law; knowledge of tax and/or commercial law is an asset.
  • Fluent in English and French (MSF working languages)
  • Commitment to MSF’s guiding principles and values
  • Able to cope with high levels of stress/able to work in stressful environments
  • Strong team player
  • Ability to work within a diverse team

Before you apply

As you consider applying to undertake an MSF assignment, it is essential that you have a well-informed and realistic personal reflection. Assignments often mean long hours with a heavy workload, basic living conditions, and working and living in often chaotic and volatile environments.

Security and Safety

Because Doctors Without Borders’ purpose is to bring medical assistance to people in distress, the work may occur in settings of active conflict, or in post-conflict environments, in which there are inherent risks, potential danger and ongoing threats to safety and security. MSF acknowledges that it is impossible to exclude all risks, but it does its utmost as an organization to mitigate and manage these risks through strict and comprehensive security protocols.

International staff will be fully informed of the risk associated with a potential assignment before accepting a particular posting. Working for MSF is a deeply personal choice; individuals must determine for themselves the level of risk and the circumstances in which they feel comfortable, based on a full and transparent understanding of the possibilities they may face. Once in the assignment, all MSF staff must strictly observe security rules and regulations; failure to do so may result in dismissal.

Terms of Employment

MSF staff are employees with a salary and benefits. 

MSF encourages the completion of multiple assignments. There are many possibilities for professional growth within the organization, into the medical, non-medical and coordination streams.

Final Thoughts

As you consider applying to undertake an MSF assignment, is it essential that you have a well-informed and realistic personal reflection. Assignments often mean long hours with a heavy workload, basic living conditions, and working and living in often chaotic and volatile environments.

Despite such challenges, thousands of people have worked with MSF over the years and found their experiences on assignment to be deeply rewarding, even life-changing. More than anything else, being an MSF international worker means acting in solidarity with people facing unimaginable medical challenges. Your presence alongside people in times of need sends a profoundly meaningful and human message: “You are not forgotten.”

 

Equal Opportunity and Accommodations Statement:
MSF-USA is dedicated to creating a diverse, impartial, and inclusive workforce. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy status, veteran status, genetic information, or any other differences as per applicable laws.

We also provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities or religious beliefs and practices. If you require accommodations during the application process, please contact us at recruitment@newyork.msf.org.

We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented communities in the Humanitarian Aid sector to apply.

 

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