Legal Affairs Associate at Crest Research and Development Institute (CRADI)

Crest Research and Development Institute (CRADI) is an independent, non-profit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition through evidence-based research and developmental aid. The Institute uses a multidisciplinary, community-friendly, and ethic-driven approach to support independent, high-quality research with an impact on business development, the public sector and civil society. CRADI partners with appropriate research, technology, development, communications, and governance institutions. Team members include people drawn from the academia, civil society, public and private sectors, as well as practitioners in various fields of endeavor who are concerned about the socio-political and economic problems of Africa.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Legal Affairs Associate

Locations: Jos, Plateau

Position Summary

• The Legal Affairs Associate is to play the sole role providing legal leadership across the organisation.
• The Legal Affairs Associate is expected to provide proactive leadership, in-depth, legal -focused advice as well as implement initiatives and processes in order to set standards and reinforce a culture of integrity, quality, ethical behaviour and responsibility across the organisation.
• The Legal Affairs Associate is tasked with the duty of analysing and identifying the legal risks and implications of all of the organisation’s activities and engagements, keeping the senior management in all departments informed of developments in laws and regulations that can potentially positively or negatively impact on the activities of the organisation.

Position Responsibilities

• Legal Lead of CRADI.
• Offer expert and strategic legal advice/opinion to CRADI’s Board of Trustees, Senior Management team, Directorates, and work units.
• Review the legal risk involved in various institutional collaborative arrangements/ partnerships, identify existing and emerging institutional legal and regulatory issues, including sanction regimes, national and international laws and ethics regulations, which may affect CRADI’s operations and advice CRADI on the likely impact of such and on strategies to mitigate risks.
• Deliver comprehensive review of legal documentation and provide legal documentation and interpretation when needed. 
• Provide templates for and support the drafting, negotiation and finalization of all institute’s agreement and legal documents, including, but not limited to,  Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs); Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs); contract agreements and sub-contract agreements (including work plans and budgets) and No Cost Extensions (NCEs) for both donors and partners; Host Country Agreements; Hosting Agreements; Tenancy Agreement; Licensing and other Commercial Agreements, and Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs).
• Advice management on legal implications of policies and procedures within CRADI.
• Represent CRADI, or participate in delegations, before relevant government agencies or forums where legal issues are contemplated.
• Monitor policies, programs, or procedures to ensure compliance with internal policies, licensing requirements, and other government or donor requirements, policies, and directives.
• Motivate team members, communicate career, and job expectations; plan, monitor, evaluate and review job contributions of legal Service Unit staff.
• Ensure capacity development of CRADI legal professionals.
• Facilitate the sensitization of CRADI staff on best practices and procedures around compliance with legal documents, policies and procedures and create awareness amongst relevant CRADI staff and its partners.
• Develop the budget for the Legal Services Unit’s operations and implement an efficient and effective cost spending.
• Perform any other job-related duties as may be assigned by the supervisor.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's of Laws LL.M from a recognized university
• B.L Qualifying Bar Exam and Certificate of Call to Bar from a recognized Bar Association in Nigeria.
• At least 3 year of experience in a Legal position. 
• Experience in conducting literature reviews of documents to generate data to inform decision makers. 
• Ability to write reports in English and communicate results clearly using graphs, charts, and other visuals.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including patience, diplomacy, willingness to listen and respect for diversity.
• Proficiency with MS office software required (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.)
• Excellent ability to communicate and maintain diplomatic and productive relations with the team; resourcefulness, flexibility and ability to work in a changing and challenging environment.
• Possess positive attitude, Self-motivated, independent, can deliver results under stress and timely manner, team worker, confident in dealing with people. 
• Good grasps of relevant laws, including, but not limited to, laws governing international organizations, Intellectual property (IP) laws, international laws and treaties, labor laws and corporate government laws.
• Excellent critical/analytical thinking and decision-making skills.
• Excellent leadership and people management skills, with Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity (DEI) awareness and understanding, and strong cultural awareness.
• Fluency in English with excellent verbal and written communication skills; working knowledge of Igbo, Hausa and or Yoruba would be an advantage.

Application Closing Date
30th November, 2022.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• Will be required to travel to work points within and outside Nigeria.
• Kindly note that only one upload is allowed, hence the document should contain both cover letter and CV.
• Being that we are seeking to fill this position immediately, interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis till a suitable candidate is found for the position.
• Equal Opportunity: CRADI is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, etc.
• Qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.
• CRADI recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.