Senior Legal Adviser for Europe

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network, with 191-member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. IFRC uses the Triple R – response, resilience and respect – to deliver on Strategy 2030. IFRC responds to disasters and crises, ensuring timely, coordinated and locally led humanitarian action. IFRC supports its members in building community resilience in the areas of climate and environment, health and wellbeing, and migration and displacement. IFRC promotes respect for our fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality, including in our work on values, power and inclusion. The IFRC focuses throughout on our core mandate – our raison d’être – of strategic and operational coordination, humanitarian diplomacy, National Society development, and accountability. IFRC is led by its Secretary General and has its Headquarters in Geneva and five regional offices in Africa (Nairobi); the Americas (Panama); Asia Pacific (Kuala Lumpur); Europe (Budapest); and MENA (Beirut) as well as representation offices, service centres and delegations across the globe.

The IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.
 
The Office of the General Counsel comprises the Legal Department and Data Protection Office in Geneva, as well as the other legal advisors of the Global Legal Team, strategically posted in the regional offices, the delegations and the Legal Unit in Budapest. The Office of the General Counsel is led by the General Counsel and Director of the Legal Department and Data Protection Office, who reports to the Secretary General. 

The Office of the General Counsel supports the Federation globally in the following areas:

•   Management of legal risks;
•   Compliance with applicable legal and regulatory framework; and 
•   Support to national societies in their own legal risk management.

The position of Senior Legal Adviser for Europe sits within the Global Legal Team structure and is based in the Europe Regional Office in Budapest, Hungary. The Senior Legal Adviser for Europe reports to the Deputy General Counsel within the dual matrix management also with reporting responsibility to the Regional Director.

The Senior Legal Adviser for Europe will primarily provide legal services to the regional delegation, country delegations, country cluster support delegations (CCST) and operations throughout the Europe region.
The position requires travel in Europe as the files dictate. 

The Senior Legal Adviser for Europe is responsible under the supervision of the Deputy General Counsel for:

• Advising on and providing legal services regarding the organization’s activities and operations in the Europe region, including to the regional delegation, country and CCST delegations at the technical and managerial levels, in relation to the management of legal risks in the areas of expertise mentioned below;
• Providing legal advice principally on contracts, diplomatic law, employment law, administrative law of international organisations, public international law, and in general on all legal claims, commitments and liabilities of the organisation in the Europe region;
• Supporting the development and use of the contract management system in the Europe region; and
• Proactively contributing to the development of the organization’s broader policy and legal services to its membership in the Europe region.

The Senior Legal Adviser for Europe is responsible under the supervision of the Deputy General Counsel for:

General advice and management of compliance obligations and legal risks for the Europe region:

• Provide expert legal advice regarding the management of the legal risk for the organisation in the Europe region in a broad range of general legal issues and complex and sensitive legal matters;
• Provide expert legal advice and guidance in the following areas, including in relation to the development and implementation of the Federation’s wide systems, procedures, policies and tools, which have an impact on the legal obligations and risks of the organization in the Europe region:

(1) Programmes and Operations - Emergencies

• Provide legal advice and oversee the negotiation of a broad range of agreements and projects in particular in relation to Health and Care, Migration, and Cash programmes;
• Provide legal advice on the legal structuring of deployment mechanisms of the IFRC;

(2) Movement Coordination

• Provide legal advice on Movement Coordination matters;

(3) Global Humanitarian Services & Supply Chain Management

• Provide legal advice to the Global Humanitarian Services & Supply Chain Management Department in the Europe region, including for the fleet, for ensuring compliance with the Procurement policies, rules and regulations;

(4) Security matters

• Provide legal advice to the Security team in the Europe region in relation to the duty of care owed to staff and related liabilities;

(5) Legal Status of the Federation

• Provide legal advice in relation to the IFRC’s legal status in the Europe region and negotiation and drafting of status agreements, including enforcement of privileges, immunities and obligations of said agreements;

(6) Partnerships

• Provide legal advice on the structuring of IFRC’s activities, including complex grants or other relationships such as joint-ventures, partnerships coordination structures, and/or delegated functions;
• Liaise with UN Agencies, other components of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, governmental and nongovernmental organizations and collaborate with them on legal matters;

(7) Emblem and Logo

• Provide legal advice on the rules and regulations pertaining to the Emblems and use of the Federation’s name and logo;

(8) Labour, disciplinary and ethics matters

• Provide legal advice on labour law, disciplinary and ethics matters including in particular to HR and senior management on individual case management, such as recruitment, performance reviews, misconducts, termination of contracts and other issues with potential legal implications;

(9) Fraud and investigation

• Provide legal advice on general and specific requests regarding fraud, sexual exploitation and abuse and other types of allegations, investigations and their legal implications in the Region in liaison with the Office of Internal Audit and Investigations and the Managing Legal Counsel for Institutional Matters;

(10) Case management: Handling of disputes (mediation, arbitration, litigation etc.) in which the Federation or its employees are a party in the Europe region

• Oversee all legal disputes in which the Federation or its employees are a party, including before national courts; Oversee all settlements;
• Provide legal advice on referral of cases to national authorities and requests for information and/or cooperation from national authorities;
• Provide legal advice on the waiver of privileges and immunities of the Federation and its staff;

(11) Coordination of local counsels

• Lead, select and coordinate the engagement and utilization of external legal counsel in the Europe region;
• Coordinate with local legal counsel in the Europe region, ensuring conformity with applicable laws and alignment throughout the region with IFRC’s legal framework and approach; and
• Map and track all potential and ongoing cases within the region.

Systems, policies and procedures:

• Proactively identify areas of improvement and provide legal advice in relation to the development and implementation of the IFRC’s systems, procedures, policies and tools, which have an impact on the legal obligations and risks of the organization; and
• Lead and oversee the compliance with all legal policies, procedures, tools and systems, including the eContract system, the Federation contracting policy and the Contract Approval Matrix (CAM) in the Europe region and ensure the dissemination of compliance and legal risks management good practices throughout the Europe region.

Project management and change management:

• Manage legal projects as needed.

Training:

• Contribute to the development of training material and provide trainings to IFRC staff and national societies legal advisers in the Europe region on legal risks and compliance.

Support to Membership:

• Develop webinars, legal tools and legal services for National Societies in the Europe region in coordination with the Global Legal Team;
• Support the network of National Society legal advisers in the Europe region; and
• Manage projects related to legal risk management and compliance for the National Societies in the Europe region.

Other tasks:

• Monitor legal information and developments that are or may be applicable to the Federation and 54 National Societies in the Europe region; and
• Perform any other job-related tasks as assigned by the Deputy General Counsel.

Duties applicable to all staff

1. Actively work towards the achievement of the Federation Secretariat’s goals
2. Abide by and work in accordance with the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
3. Perform any other work-related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager

Required:

• University degree in law (LLB, JD, or equivalent)
• Bar membership or equivalent

Preferred:

• Specialized studies in public international law, international organization law, and/or contract and corporate law would be an asset.

Required:

• At least 7 years of of relevant professional experience in a legal environment (law firm, in-house legal department, government, non-governmental organization or international organization).
• Demonstrated experience in contract law, including drafting, review and negotiation of agreements and a variety of legal documents.
• Experience with contract management systems.

Preferred:

• Experience working in, or exposure to, multi-cultural and international environments.
• Experience within an international organization or in the non-profit/humanitarian sector.
• Experience within the private sector or working on commercial contracts and partnerships with corporate partners.
• Experience in labor law and employment matters.
• Exposure to international law, privilege and immunities or regulatory/compliance matters.
• Experience in working in a team environment, with remote team members.
• Experience in dealing with outside counsel.

Required:

• Strong legal research, analytical, drafting and problem-solving skills.
• Service-oriented approach and strong interpersonal skills.
• Negotiation skills and solution-oriented mindset.
• Sound organizational skills and attention to details.
• Ability to manage multiple assignments and priorities under tight deadlines and with a high workload.
• Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues at all levels, and with external stakeholders.
• High level of discretion and ability to handle confidential information.
• Good judgment, tact and diplomacy.
• Training and coaching skills.
• Understanding of and commitment to IFRC’s mission and values.
• Demonstrated core proficiency in (a) digital communication & collaboration, (b) basic digital content creation, (c) digital safety & security, (d) data literacy, and (e) problem solving with technology (including responsible use of AI assistants).
• Fluently spoken and written English.

Preferred:

• Familiarity with legal issues commonly arising in international organizations.
• Fluently spoken and written Arabic, French, Russian or Spanish.

Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability
Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and Teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National Society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust

Comments: This is a national staff position open to Hungarian nationals and others who are legally eligible to work in Hungary. Candidates must be able to provide proof of their eligibility to work in Hungary.