Global Legal Advisor

Title: Global Legal Advisor
Location: United States (HQ-based only)

Salary: $100,000 - $125,000 annum
Reports to: Chief Operating Officer
Type: Full-time (or part-time – flexible depending on profile)
Travel: Limited (as required)

About NEF

Since 1915, NEF has supported community-led economic and social development in Middle East, Africa, and Caucasus. As a non-profit international development organization, NEF draws on local teams, experience, and partnerships in these regions to create community-led solutions to reduce poverty, create economic opportunity, increase resilience, and empower conflict, climate- and crisis-affected people to improve their outlook and wellbeing.

NEF works through a network of country offices and with local partners, with current or recent operations in Armenia, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Mali, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan, and Syria. Our global headquarters are based in Syracuse, NY, London, UK, and Brussels, Belgium.

Position Overview

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.

Core Responsibilities

1. Legal Advisory & Institutional Support

• 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.

2. Legal Risk Management & Governance

• 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.

3. Contracts & Agreements (Advisory Role)

• 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.

4. Multi-Jurisdiction Legal Oversight

• 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.

 5. Support to Compliance & Investigations (Advisory Only)

• 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.

6. Data Protection, Liability & Safeguarding (Legal Aspects)

• 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

7. External Counsel Management

• 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.

8. Training & Preventive Legal Awareness

• 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.

Key Interfaces

• COO


• CEO and Executive Leadership Team


• UK and Belgium Executive Directors


• Compliance, HR, and Finance


• Country Directors and Operations Teams


• External legal counsel

Profile & Experience

• 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).


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


• 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.

Eligibility Criteria

This position will be based in the United States (Syracuse, HQ). Candidates should possess the right to work in the location where they are applying.

NEF will accept a rolling application until the position is filled. Review of application will begin on April 20, 2026. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. 

To apply:

Please apply by submitting the following documents to the Near East Foundation’s careers page at https://neareast.org/current-opportunities/:

1. Cover letter outlining all relevant experience, how you meet the essential criteria.


2. Curriculum Vitae.


3. List of three references (including one from current, or most recent, employer). You will be given further notice prior to us contacting references.

Please note only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Near East Foundation by visiting the NEF website at www.neareast.org

The Near East Foundation promotes Equal Employment Opportunities for all applicants seeking employment and NEF employees.

Pre-employment Checks 

Any Employment with the Near East Foundation will be subject to the following checks prior to start date: 

• A satisfactory Restricted Party Screening; 


• Receipt of satisfactory references;


• Proof of eligibility to work in the national location for this role.