Legal Advisor

Médecins Sans Frontières; Australia; On-site; AUD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Médecins Sans Frontières in Australia is seeking a legal advisor to analyse administrative constraints on program operations and coordinate the implementation of legal solutions to reduce hurdles in day-to-day activities.

The role requires a law degree with a current or eligible Australian/NZ practising certificate and at least five years as an in-house lawyer, preferably with NGO or UN experience. Fluency in French is expected; other languages are assets.

Qualifications

• Law degree and current Australian or New Zealand practising certificate (or eligible for practising certificate).
• At least five years as an in-house lawyer or as an attorney.
• Experience with international NGOs, UN agencies or human rights organisations.
• Specialisation in HR/labour law, tax law, corporate law, international humanitarian law or medico-legal matters.
• Excellent legal analysis and ability to interpret legal texts.
• Available to work for a minimum of 12 months.
• Fluency in French; other languages such as Spanish, Arabic and Portuguese are assets.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate the applicable legal framework and practices of MSF project teams
• Recommend legal and political solutions and develop implementation tools
• Coordinate harmonised responses by different MSF sections
• Manage compliance with administrative procedures
• Carry out networking and negotiations with local authorities

Skills

Law degree

In-house lawyer

NGO experience

Languages

Legal analysis

Education

Law degree

Australian/NZ practising certificate

Job description

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land upon which we create and meet, the Gadigal of the Eora Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land.

The legal advisor analyses administrative constraints on Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) program operations, and coordinates the implementation of legal solutions to reduce administrative, financial and political hurdles relating to MSF’s day-to-day activities. This typically includes areas of law such as: tax and finance; supply and contract; employment; immigration; regulation of medical practice.

ACTIVITIES

• Evaluate the applicable legal framework and practices of MSF project teams
• Recommend legal and political solutions and develop implementation tools
• Coordinate harmonised responses by different MSF sections
• Manage compliance with administrative procedures
• Carry out networking and negotiations with local authorities
• Law degree and current Australian or New Zealand practising certificate (or eligible for practising certificate)
• At least five years as an in-house lawyer or as an attorney
• Previous legal experience working with international NGOs, UN agencies, human rights organisations
• Legal specialisation in at least one of the following:
  • HR and labour law
  • Tax and fiscal law
  • Corporate law
  • International humanitarian law
  • Medico-legal matters
• Excellent legal analysis and capacity to effectively interpret legal texts
• Availability to work for a minimum of 12 months
• Fluency in French, other languages such as Spanish, Arabic and Portuguese are an asset
• Knowledge of a foreign administrative context and familiarity with governmental structures including legal frameworks, bureaucratic processes, cultural practices, political environment
• CV

Note: Please see MSF CV Guide for guidance on how to write a CV for MSF purposes.

Learn about MSF's approach to safe abortion care and why it is an essential part of comprehensive reproductive healthcare in many of our projects. More details on the Safe Abortion Care information sheet.

MSF Medical-Operational Guidelines

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) develops medical-operational guidelines for use in resource-limited environments. These guidelines draw from practical experience and scientific data collected in MSF’s projects, as well as evidence published by the World Health Organization and other leading medical institutions and scientific literature.