Legal Counsel

Team and Job Purpose

The role holder will be part of SCI’s legal team, comprising fourteen lawyers and two paralegals, who are responsible for providing legal advice and support to SCI’s Global Teams and across SCI’s 54 Country Offices.

We’re looking for a junior to mid level lawyer to join our brilliant, dynamic team of lawyers, where you you’ll have the opportunity to be involved in fascinating, challenging and meaningful work as part of an innovative and ambitious organization whose mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. 
 

Role purpose

The Legal Counsel will be responsible for providing legal support across the team to the General Counsel and Company Secretary, as well as both the program delivery and legal compliance lawyers, including:

• overseeing the drafting and submission of serious incident reports to SCI’s regulator the Charity Commission and SCI’s Trustees;
• providing corporate governance support to the SCI/SCA boards; and 
• advising on general legal issues arising from SCI’s Country Offices and Global Teams in areas such as procurement, programming, awards, legal and regulatory compliance and finance. 

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the post-holder will be expected to work outside the normal job description and be able to vary working hours accordingly. This is a fantastic opportunity for a junior to mid-level lawyer to move into or to build upon existing expertise in the NGO sector and do interesting, challenging and meaningful work as part of a dynamic team.

Job Title: Legal Counsel

Reports To: Legal Counsel 

Work Pattern: Hybrid/Remote with flexible working options available 

Contract Length: Permanent Contract 

Grade: P6

Location: UK

Time Zone (that the role holder must be available to work in): GMT

Salary: For candidates based in the UK, we can offer circa £62,000 per annum. In accordance with our global compensation and benefits framework, location-specific salary scales and benefits will apply. 

Right to Work: The successful candidate must possess the unrestricted right to work in their current or preferred location for the duration of employment.

Language Requirements: English

International Travel Requirements: No

Budget Responsibility: No direct budget responsibilities.

People Management Responsibility: None

Principal Accountabilities

Providing high quality, professional advice and support in relation to SCI’s regulatory requirements. This includes:

• Ensuring the timely reporting of Serious Incidents to the Charity Commission and the Board 
• More generally, advising stakeholders across the organisation on legal, regulatory and compliance matters
• Managing advice from and relationships with SCI’s external pro-bono law firms and helping SCI stakeholders to interpret and apply such advice. 
• Providing advice to stakeholders across the organisation including on legal, regulatory and updating key legal compliance policies

Providing legal corporate and charity governance support to the General Counsel/Company Secretary: 

• Under the leadership of the General Counsel/Company Secretary, provide support and guidance to the SCI/SCA boards of trustees, committees and senior leadership team on legal and governance matters relating to UK charity and company law.
• Assist in the preparation and coordination of trustee meetings, filings and governance documentation.

Delivering high quality and professional advice and support to SCI Country Offices and Global Teams on a diverse range of legal issues, including:

• Advising country offices on legal issues and risks relating to the establishment and running of local programme operations, including review and negotiation of supplier and partner contracts.
• Advising Global Teams on matters of global scope or implication (such as global policy changes or global transformation projects).

Experience and Skills

Essential

1. Post-qualification experience gained in a reputable private practice or in-house legal team in one or more of the following areas of law: general corporate/commercial, charity/not-for profit, dispute resolution, regulatory
2. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
3. Strong prioritisation skills.
4. Ability to work independently, requesting support where needed and using initiative to tackle new areas of law with confidence.
5. Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate with people at all levels and across different cultures.
6. Calm disposition, constructive approach and positive outlook, particularly when working under pressure.
7. Team player, with a full appreciation of the value of collaboration. 
8. Commitment to the mission, vision and values of Save the Children. 

Desirable

1. Experience in one or more of the following areas of law: employment, finance, data protection, intellectual property or dispute resolution.
2. Experience operating in a range of jurisdictions, including instructing overseas counsel.
3. Experience in the international development / humanitarian and/or charity sectors.
4. Proficiency in spoken and written Spanish, French and/or Arabic.

Education and Qualifications

• UK qualified lawyer or barrister, 
• 2-5 years PQE preferred but strong candidates outside this PQE range will be considered. 

Working at Save the Children International

Save the Children is the world's leading organisation for children, employing ~25,000 staff. We save children's lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Through our work in 116 countries, we put the most deprived and marginalised children first.

We know that great people make a great organisation, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive environment where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

The work here is challenging but is also immensely rewarding. At Save the Children, you will be in good company, working with talented, like-minded individuals who are determined to ensure that all children survive, learn, and are protected. Your contribution will help ensure children's voices are heard at the highest levels, and that we achieve our global strategy, Ambition for Children 2030, and reach every last child.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

DEI is core to our vision, values and global strategy. Save the Children is committed to creating a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive organisation, and one which will support us in our vision to ensure every child attains the right to survival, protection, development, and participation.

We are committed to equal employment opportunities, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, colour, ethnic origin, nationality, disability, marital or civil partnership status, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, caring or parental responsibilities, age, or beliefs and religion. We are committed to diversifying our staff to better represent the communities we serve and actively welcome underrepresented groups to apply.

Reasonable adjustments will be made should any candidate invited to interview require this.

Application Information

Please attach a copy of your CV and Cover Letter with your application. A full copy of the role profile can be found here via the job listing. It is recommended that you save a copy of the role profile as it will no longer be available after the advert closes.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the job advert may be closed earlier than advertised subject to the volume of suitable applicants. Please submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.

Our recruitment process:

1. Application review by our recruiting team based on your CV and Cover Letter
2. Two-stage competency-based interviews with the hiring team
3. Some recruitment may include an additional assessment or case study stage, or a third stage interview
4. If successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment, followed by your contract subject to passing background checks

We need to keep children and adults safe so our selection process includes rigorous background checks and reflects our commitment to the protection of children and adults from abuse. All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our Code of Conduct and all policies and procedures relating to Anti-harassment, Health and Safety, Safeguarding, and DEI and Equal Opportunities.

Save the Children does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.