Legal Manager

Job Description

Program Brief

Founded in 1933, International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of the world’s leading agencies working in post-conflict and development contexts, supporting communities in over 40 fragile, failed and developing states. In this capacity, we work to restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted, struggling to endure and wishing to advance on a path of development.

IRC has been present in Bangladesh since 2017 and obtained registration with the NGOAB in March 2018. Since IRC obtained registration in March 2018, it has moved quickly to expand its integrated emergency health and protection response through both direct and partner-based programming focused on primary healthcare, women’s protection and empowerment, sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence and child protection. Through 2018, the IRC’s response strategy will primarily target Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, while meeting the significant needs in both refugee and host populations, as already existing vulnerabilities are compounded with cyclical monsoon and cyclone seasons that impose additional threats to the lives and protection of those refugees as well as vulnerable host populations. IRC is growing its programming to cover education and livelihoods/DRR, as well as its geographic footprint in the host community and to other parts of the country.

Purpose of the Role

The Legal Manager will be responsible for provision of technical guidance and oversight of the legal services component of IRC’s PROL programming across the camp and Host community. This will include leadership of internal and external legal capacity building activities, and the identification and analysis of legal trends and issues of concern. S/he will also be in charge of ensuring coordination with IRC Partner in Host community. The Legal Manager will undertake coordination with other legal actors at camp and host community, as well as supporting local-level coordination with legal actors, as needed.

Highlights of Key Responsibilities

Technical Guidance:

- Provide technical support to Legal partners to ensure quality of Legal services delivered.

- Develop training manuals, capacity building, introduce peer coaching and build their practice around supervision and support to frontline protection staff, with the aim of strengthening their technical capacity, exchanging knowledge, and providing professional development guidance at field level in line with IRC technical best practices and standards. - Ensure partner staff capacity need assessment and capacitate in coordination with Partnership department. - Support to develop guidance notes and TOR and follow up of quality benchmark for ensuring the program quality related to legal intervention. - Support to PRoL Coordinator and Senior Protection Manager for liaising with government officials and other stakeholders to ensure support for the program and coordination including project need assessment, CIC/government approval, - Support to PRoL Coordinator and Senior Protection Manager to ensure that protection-related internal and external reporting programmatic including project completion report, 5W report, Sitrep, and protection monitoring report for IRC and Protection Sector. Undergo regular visits to the field offices to provide technical support to IRC Partners to ensure adherence to standards. - Lead the development of legal information training materials for legal officer and provides follow up support and guidance to them. - In cooperation with the PRoL Coordinator devises broader legal services programming strategy. - In cooperation with the PRoL Coordinator ensure mainstreaming of legal information within the IRC PROL program and support integration of programming. - Provide inputs for donor reporting. Track and regularly report on program deliverables and targets per donor requirements to the PRoL Coordinator - Review donors’ and legal reports produced related to the provision of legal services to ensure technical accuracy achievement of indicators and legal analysis/trends. - Serve as PROL liaison person with IRC implementing Partner in Host community. - Leads on the development of documents informing of latest legal development and impact at the national level to streamline access to justice services. - Maintain up-to-date familiarity with all relevant provisions of National laws and regulations. - Clearly define the training needs of the Partner legal team and ensure they are able to access training and professional development resources appropriate to their skill gaps/needs.

- Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions including staff development plans.

Representation, Coordination & Advocacy:

- Forge connections with counterparts including District legal aid committee (DLAC), Union legal aid committee (ULAC), protection sector, UNHCR legal unit, INGO, Local NGO, governmental and other non-governmental partners.

- Collaborate closely with other program departments in order to ensure that linkages between programs are made and programs gain from training best practice. - All other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

- At least five (5) years of prior professional experience as a practicing lawyer or in a position where legal advice, counseling and assistance was frequently provided to vulnerable clients. - Experience working for an international organization is preferred. - Experience providing legal counseling and assistance on issues including HLP, employment law, civil status and criminal issues. - Experience interacting with judicial, security and administrative authorities. - Good protection background and knowledge of refugee context, as well as demonstrated ability to identify and refer vulnerable cases, is desirable.

- Experience in external representation and coordination. - Experience in delivering trainings and capacity building.

Competencies: Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

- Strong knowledge in International Law (Refugee law, Human Rights, IHL). - Strong management and organizational skills. - Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team, as well as independently. - Excellent ability to interpret, analyze and synthesize information in a fast-paced environment. - Excellent knowledge of the Bangladesh legal system, its external partners and processes is strongly preferred. - Excellent organizational skills, timeliness, ability to determine priorities and great attention to detail.

- Proactive, flexible, team spirited and willing to learn. - Good computer skills including proficiency in MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint. - Language Preference - Excellent drafting and verbal communication skills in both English and Local Chittagonian.

Specific Educational Qualification

- Bachelor of Laws (LLB)/ Master of Laws (LLM)

Standard of Professional Conduct

IRC and IRC employees are required to abide by the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Code of Conduct which are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons and several others.

Gender Equality & Equal Opportunity

We are committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer generous benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances. We welcome and strongly encourage qualified female professionals to apply. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Are you ready to join the most dynamic team?