Job description
Médecins Sans Frontières, an international medical and humanitarian association founded in 1971, provides medical assistance to communities faced with crises endangering their survival. These crises typically take the form of armed conflict but also include epidemics, natural catastrophes and even exclusion from healthcare. The French section of MSF is present in some thirty countries worldwide.
For our projects, we are looking for:
Field Legal Advisors M/F
Opportunities are available throughout 2025 to support our missions in Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Niger, and Haiti.
The field legal advisor analyses administrative constraints on MSF’s operations in the field, and coordinates implementation of legal and political solutions.
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:
1. Evaluate the applicable legal framework and practices of MSF field teams
- 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.
2. Recommend legal and political solutions and develop implementation tools
- 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.
3. Coordinate harmonized responses by different MSF sections
- 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.
4. Manage compliance with administrative procedures
- 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 agreements.
5. Carry out networking and negotiations with local authorities
- 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.
Profile
Education : Law degree, ideally with a specialization in Labor Law; knowledge of tax and/or commercial law is an asset.
Experiences:
- 2 years of professional experience including at least 1 year of legal practice.
- In-house experience managing financial and administrative risk is a plus.
- Some missions may require specialization in tax law, contract law and commercial litigation.
- Previous experience in countries within the ECOWAS region is highly valued.
Languages : Advanced English (C1 level); Advanced French (C1 level).
Skills:
- Excellent legal analysis and 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
- Strong interest in humanitarian work and MSF’s mission.
Availability : 9 to 12 months.
Working Conditions :
- Contract: Fixed term contract (9 to 12 months); unaccompanied position.
- Location: Based in coordination offices (capital cities)
- Salary: according to the MSF salary grid and your previous experience in international NGOs if any.
Benefits: Fully covered transportation, accommodation and a monthly per diem for living expenses. Complete medical care: medical health coverage, vaccines, repatriation if necessary. Pension contribution
Only selected candidates will be contacted.
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