UNPAID VOLUNTEER - Legal Advisors (Principal, Senior and Legal Assistants)

Overview

Unpaid volunteer positions are available for Legal Advisors across multiple appointment levels (Principal Legal Advisor, Senior Legal Advisor, and Legal Assistant). This role is home-based / remote and reports to the General Counsel within the Director-General’s Office – Legal Advisory & Governance.

Responsibilities

Depending on appointment level, responsibilities may include support across the organization’s international operations, including:

• Providing legal research, advice, and guidance to divisions and senior leadership
• Drafting and reviewing contracts, agreements, memoranda, policies, and other legal documentation
• Conducting legal research on regulatory, governance, and organizational matters
• Supporting the identification, assessment, and management of legal risks
• Advising on corporate and nonprofit governance requirements
• Supporting employment, volunteer, and organizational policy matters
• Advising on privacy, data protection, and confidentiality requirements
• Supporting intellectual property, copyright, trademark, and related matters
• Reviewing partnership, consultancy, confidentiality, and other institutional agreements
• Monitoring relevant legislative and regulatory developments
• Preparing legal opinions, briefing notes, and recommendations
• Supporting dispute prevention and resolution where required
• Contributing to the development and review of policies, procedures, and governance frameworks
• Providing legal input into projects involving artificial intelligence, blockchain, and emerging digital technologies
• Working collaboratively with colleagues to provide practical and proportionate legal solutions
• Maintaining appropriate legal records and supporting knowledge management within the legal function

Principal Legal Advisor (senior strategic level)

May include:

• Providing complex legal advice to the General Counsel, Director-General, and senior leadership
• Leading or overseeing significant legal matters and institutional agreements
• Advising on legal risk, governance, compliance, and strategic organizational issues
• Reviewing and approving complex contracts and legal documentation
• Providing guidance to Senior Legal Advisors and Legal Assistants
• Supporting development of legal strategies, policies, and governance frameworks
• Leading legal workstreams relating to complex projects, partnerships, or organizational initiatives
• Representing the legal function in senior-level internal or external discussions where appropriate

Senior Legal Advisor (independent management of matters)

May include:

• Providing legal advice across assigned subject areas
• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts and agreements
• Preparing legal opinions, memoranda, and briefing documents
• Conducting complex legal research and regulatory analysis
• Advising teams on legal risks and compliance requirements
• Supporting policy and governance development
• Providing guidance and support to Legal Assistants
• Escalating significant legal or reputational risks to the General Counsel

Legal Assistant (support focused)

Supports the Legal Advisory & Governance function through:

• Conducting legal and regulatory research
• Preparing first drafts of legal documents and briefing notes
• Supporting contract and policy reviews
• Maintaining legal records, trackers, and document repositories
• Assisting with legal due diligence and background research
• Monitoring relevant legal and regulatory developments
• Supporting preparation for meetings and legal reviews
• Assisting Principal and Senior Legal Advisors with assigned legal matters
• Supporting administration and organization of the legal function

Skills and Abilities

Candidates should demonstrate:

• Excellent written and spoken English
• Strong legal research and analytical skills
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving ability
• Ability to interpret legal and regulatory information
• Ability to communicate legal issues clearly to non-legal colleagues
• Strong organizational and time-management skills
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines
• High standards of professional integrity and confidentiality
• Ability to exercise sound professional judgment
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder-management skills
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with others
• Ability to work effectively within a remote and internationally distributed organization
• A proactive, practical, solutions-focused approach

General and Specialist Knowledge

Knowledge or experience in one or more of the following areas is expected:

• Corporate law
• Nonprofit and charity governance
• Commercial and contract law
• Employment law
• Data protection and privacy
• Intellectual property
• Regulatory compliance
• Corporate governance
• Organizational policies and procedures
• Dispute resolution
• Competition law
• International commercial arrangements
• Technology law
• Artificial intelligence governance
• Blockchain and digital technology regulation

Candidates are not expected to be specialists in every area. The legal team is intended to include complementary expertise.

Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and OneDrive) is expected.

Knowledge of climate change, sustainability, international development, or emerging technologies would be advantageous.

Education and Training

Principal Legal Advisor (preferred)

• Qualified lawyer admitted to practise in a recognised jurisdiction
• Hold an LLB, JD, or equivalent recognised law degree
• Approximately 7 or more years of relevant post-qualification experience
• A postgraduate legal qualification or specialist professional certification would be advantageous

Senior Legal Advisor (preferred)

• Qualified lawyer admitted to practise in a recognised jurisdiction
• Hold an LLB, JD, or equivalent recognised law degree
• Approximately 3 or more years of relevant post-qualification experience

Legal Assistant

• A recognised degree in Law or equivalent legal qualification
• Candidates currently completing professional legal qualification requirements may also be considered if they demonstrate strong legal research, drafting, and analytical capability

Professional proficiency in English is required for all appointment levels.

Knowledge of an additional international language would be advantageous.

Experience

Depending on appointment level, candidates should demonstrate relevant experience in areas such as:

• Legal research and analysis
• Contract drafting and review
• Legal advisory work
• Corporate or nonprofit governance
• Employment or organizational law
• Privacy and data protection
• Regulatory compliance
• Policy development
• Intellectual property
• Commercial transactions
• Legal risk management
• Working with internal or external stakeholders

Additional expectations:

• Principal Legal Advisor: substantial experience managing complex legal matters and providing strategic advice to senior decision-makers
• Senior Legal Advisor: ability to independently manage legal matters and provide practical legal advice
• Legal Assistant: previous professional legal experience is desirable but may not be essential where the candidate demonstrates strong legal research, drafting, and analytical capability

Experience within an international organization, nonprofit organization, technology organization, research institution, public-sector organization, or multinational environment would be advantageous.

Compensation & Benefits

• Unpaid volunteer role.

Location

• Home-based / Remote

Reporting Line

• General Counsel

Selection Process

The selection process normally includes:

• Application screening
• Written or legal assessment
• Interview and/or technical legal discussion for shortlisted candidates
• Final selection and onboarding

Candidates who successfully complete the written or legal assessment will be invited to progress to the next stage of the recruitment process.

Candidates may be considered for a different appointment level than the one initially applied for where qualifications and experience indicate a more appropriate level.

Important Notice

These are unpaid volunteer positions.