Global Legal Advisor

Near East Foundation•City of Syracuse, NY

18d•Onsite

About The Position

NEF is recruiting a Global Legal Advisor to play a central advisory role in strengthening, coordinating, and supporting legal matters across the organization as well as ensuring alignment and compliance across all locations. The Global Legal Advisor provides strategic, high-level legal advice and oversight across NEF’s global operations, ensuring that the organization operates within applicable legal and regulatory frameworks while supporting sound decision-making. This role is strictly advisory in nature and does not hold operational or managerial authority over programs or country operations. The position is designed to provide clear, practical, and risk-informed legal guidance to leadership, without responsibilities in day-to-day implementation. Based at NEF’s US headquarters, the role covers legal matters across all NEF entities (US, UK, Belgium) and all countries of operation, working closely with senior leadership, compliance, HR, and operations teams. The position focuses on risk identification, legal clarity, and institutional protection, enabling NEF to operate confidently in complex and high-risk environments. Ensures all offices meet legal operating requirements at the local and HQ level.

Requirements

Qualified lawyer with 8–12+ years of experience in international law, NGO law, or corporate/international advisory.
Strong experience working across multiple jurisdictions (US, Europe, and/or fragile contexts).
Proven ability to provide practical, solution-oriented legal advice (not purely theoretical).
Strong judgment, discretion, and ability to operate at senior leadership level.
Ability to balance risk management with operational realities.
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate legal concepts into clear guidance.
Possess the right to work in the United States (Syracuse, HQ).

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting donor-funded programs and international operations is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary legal advisor to the COO, CEO, and senior leadership.
Provide clear, practical, and risk-based legal advice on organizational, operational, and programmatic matters.
Support decision-making by outlining legal implications, risks, and mitigation options, without taking operational ownership.
Ensure advice remains proportionate, enabling, and aligned with NEF’s operational realities.
Identify and assess legal and regulatory risks across NEF’s global operations.
Advise on mitigation measures in coordination with Compliance and Operations.
Support the development and review of institutional legal frameworks, policies, and governance documents.
Ensure NEF maintains a defensible legal position across its activities.
Review and advise on donor agreements, partnership agreements, service contracts, MoUs with governments or institutions.
Highlight key risks, liabilities, and non-standard clauses, and propose mitigation options.
Provide guidance templates and standards, while allowing teams to manage negotiations operationally.
Provide legal guidance across NEF entities: United States (HQ), United Kingdom, Belgium, all countries of operation.
Ensure legal compliance of all NEF entities in new and existing countries, including registration, legal presence, and regulatory requirements. This includes establishing and maintaining a master calendar of registrations, legal presence, filings, and statutory obligations, and ensuring that all responsible parties -particularly Country Directors- implement the required actions on time.
Coordinate with external legal counsel where specialized local advice is required.
Provide legal input on compliance cases, internal reviews, fraud or misconduct allegations.
Ensure processes are aligned with due process, legal defensibility, and risk mitigation.
Maintain clear boundaries; not leading investigations but advising as needed.
Advise on data protection frameworks, including GDPR-related matters.
Review legal implications of data sharing, safeguarding, and duty of care obligations.
Ensure NEF’s legal exposure is minimized in sensitive areas.
Identify when external legal expertise is required.
Support selection and engagement of external law firms across jurisdictions.
Ensure external advice is cost-effective, relevant, and actionable.
Provide targeted legal guidance and awareness sessions for staff (e.g. contracts, risk, compliance basics).
Promote a preventive legal culture across NEF.
Translate complex legal concepts into simple, actionable guidance.