Global Legal Advisor

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

Salary: $100000 - $125000 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 NEFs 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 NEFs 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 NEFs operational realities.

2. Legal Risk Management & Governance

• Identify and assess legal and regulatory risks across NEFs 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 NEFs 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 812 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 onApril 20 2026. Interestedcandidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

To apply:

Please apply by submitting the following documents to the Near East Foundations careers page at letter outlining all relevant experience how you meet the essential criteria.

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

Applicants are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Near East Foundation by visiting theNEF website at

TheNear East Foundation promotes Equal Employment Opportunities for all applicants seekingemployment and NEF employees.

Pre-employment Checks

Any Employment with theNear EastFoundation 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.

Required Experience:

Senior IC