The Regional Legal Counsel serves as an in-house attorney, delivering comprehensive legal guidance to support all CIMMYT operations across the region. This role involves advising on contract management, legal transactions, risk evaluation, regulatory adherence, and other pertinent legal matters for the department. By ensuring thorough legal oversight throughout the region, the position plays a key role in maintaining effective legal services within CIMMYT’s regional framework.
Execute and oversee the complete contract lifecycle process, encompassing the preparation, examination, negotiation, modification, quality assurance, and storage of legal agreements—including grants, contracts, NDAs, leases, and other relevant documents—throughout the designated Region.
Deliver strategic legal guidance tailored to business needs across diverse jurisdictions, encompassing corporate governance, regulatory compliance, labor and employment law, taxation, administrative procedures, criminal defense, and dispute resolution.
Support compliance and case management initiatives by leveraging dashboards and key performance indicator (KPI) tools to monitor progress, maintain accurate documentation, generate comprehensive reports, and ensure cases are resolved efficiently and within established timelines.
Provide guidance to internal teams—including Research, Finance, Human Resources, Procurement, and Operations—on routine legal concerns to uphold compliance standards, minimize risks, and enhance operational effectiveness.
Engage in the development and oversight of compliance initiatives, ensuring policies are aligned with regulatory standards, facilitating training sessions, and managing internal communications to foster awareness and adherence.
Serve as the primary legal liaison between regional teams and headquarters, maintaining uniform policy interpretation and enhancing the visibility of legal risks.
Conduct comprehensive investigations and evaluations of relevant laws, treaties, and regulations, then prepare legal opinions, memoranda, and other critical documents to maintain compliance across multiple jurisdictions.
Ensure the diligent monitoring and follow-up of legal requests and service tickets, delivering timely updates and guaranteeing their punctual completion.
Facilitate corporate governance initiatives by managing powers of attorney, preparing and maintaining meeting minutes, and ensuring adherence to statutory compliance requirements.
Partner with various departments to establish and execute policies and procedures that uphold regulatory standards and promote ethical conduct.
Deliver targeted legal guidance to business activities and collaborate with senior counsel on intricate legal issues as needed.
You serve as the primary liaison for the Legal Department, engaging with both internal teams and external parties to foster productive stakeholder relationships.
Design and implement training programs and educational resources to enhance comprehension of institutional policies, procedures, and compliance requirements.
Requirements
A master’s degree or an LL.M. is mandatory for this position.
A minimum of eight years of specialized experience as in-house legal counsel, ideally gained in comparable positions within multijurisdictional or regional frameworks, is required. Expertise in regulatory and compliance-related issues is particularly advantageous.
Proficiency in international non-profit, development, research, or agricultural research organizations is highly desirable.
Possesses an in-depth understanding of applicable regional legal frameworks and adeptly operates within intricate multi-jurisdictional settings.
Demonstrates a strong capacity to deliver effective and prompt legal guidance at every organizational tier, adeptly aligning legal considerations with operational imperatives.
Proven track record in overseeing substantial caseloads of legal matters while maintaining composure, efficiently organizing priorities, and consistently delivering results within stringent time constraints.
The candidate must possess strong organizational abilities, exceptional writing proficiency, and effective communication skills, with a proven capacity to articulate legal concepts in a manner accessible to non-legal stakeholders.
Experienced proficiency in key software applications, including Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat, coupled with a proactive attitude toward mastering emerging technologies.
Maintaining unwavering ethical integrity, you will handle sensitive information with the highest level of confidentiality and discretion.
The ideal candidate must demonstrate meticulous attention to detail, a proactive approach to meeting deadlines, and a commitment to delivering precise outcomes through systematic follow-through.
Proven ability to communicate clearly and effectively with both internal teams and external partners to facilitate successful collaboration and relationships.
Fluency in English at a C2 competency level is mandatory and will be evaluated as part of the selection process.
Demonstrates unwavering commitment to safeguarding sensitive information and exercising sound professional judgment.
Proven expertise in managing time efficiently, adapting to changing circumstances, collaborating effectively within teams, prioritizing customer needs, taking initiative, resolving challenges, and fostering multicultural inclusivity.
Qualifications
MBA/MSc/MA
Experience Required
8 years
