Associate Legal Counsel

Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research

About Us

The Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research was established in 2009 to aid in the social, cultural, and economic development of Ras Al Khaimah, a northern emirate in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Established through Emiri decree by His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, the Foundation is considered a non-profit, quasi-governmental organization.

As a valued part of our team, you will work alongside talented people from a large variety of personal and professional backgrounds. We are strong believers in investing in our people and strive to help each person achieve their best through development of skill sets and training.

About the Role

Associate Legal Counsel

• Hours of Work - Monday – Thursday: 8.25am – 5pm, Friday: 8.25 am – 4pm
• Flexibility is required as occasional late evenings and weekend work may be necessary to fulfil the Foundation's requirements.
• Location - RAK Gas Building, Ras Al Khaimah
• Contract Type - Full time, permanent (2-year renewable contract)
• Reporting to - Executive Director
• Sponsorship - 2-year renewable sponsorship
• Minimum Requirement - Law degree from a reputable university and at least 3 years’ experience in common/civil law jurisdiction.

As this is a brand-new role for the Foundation, it is a wonderful opportunity to assist with building up the in-house legal department at the Foundation.

The Associate Legal Counsel will oversee all legal aspects of governance and compliance, grant and scholarship contracts, employment contracts, service agreements, and vendor contracts within the Foundation.

Reporting to the Executive Director and working alongside the senior management team, the Associate Legal Counsel will serve as an advisor to the Foundation's executives and senior management team. It is essential that you have previous UAE and Middle East legal experience, either in-house or within a law firm.

International experience is crucial for this role as the Foundation has strong working relationships with various countries such as the UK, USA, China, and others.

Managing relationships with external legal counsels and remaining competent and updated on relevant market trends and regulatory changes within Ras Al Khaimah and other jurisdictions will all fall under the responsibilities of this new position.

This position is key to the success of the ever-growing Foundation, and as such, you will be heavily relied upon to provide information, training, and easily digestible explanations to non-legal executives in the team at all levels.

You will be an excellent communicator and able to collaborate across all levels of seniority with ease to share your legal expertise.

Fostering an environment of continuous improvement, identifying and mitigating risks through the development of internal legal policies and procedures, you will also manage relationships with external legal advisors to ensure they are both cost-effective and providing high-quality and compliant work.

Key Responsibilities

General Legal Support

• Preparing, drafting, negotiating, and reviewing all Foundation contracts, which include but are not limited to employment, vendors, grants, scholarships, and service agreements.
• Providing legal and practical advice on various issues within the Foundation.
• Ensuring the Foundation complies with all relevant laws and regulations and advising on internal policies and procedures.
• Providing training to the Foundation management team on legal and compliance matters.
• Participation in relevant committees.
• Developing and maintaining a legal framework and standards to ensure effective legal support on governance and compliance.
• Taking responsibility for the legal budget.
• Ensuring quality management of contract templates for projects, service contracts, and other agreements with external parties.
• Managing and maintaining relationships with members of the legal departments in other entities locally, regionally, and internationally.
• Proactively creating and maintaining awareness among employees regarding compliance with relevant laws and regulations.

Scholarships and Grants

• Work closely with the grants and scholarship departments in drafting and executing grant/scholarship agreements, including tailoring agreements specifically to meet the needs of the Foundation.
• Ensure compliance with legal issues related to grants and scholarships in support of Foundation goals.

Employment

• Reviewing and amending all employment contracts at all levels.
• Providing legal advice and support to the HR department on employment matters.
• Ensuring UAE employment & labor law requirements are being met in employment contracts.

Service Agreements & Vendors

• Draft, review, and negotiate contracts and other agreements with Foundation vendors and service providers while ensuring compliance with the Foundation’s standards and policies.
• Oversee the development and implementation of contract management processes with vendors and service providers.

Skills/Experience/Knowledge:

• LLB or JD qualified lawyer with a minimum of 3 years’ experience in civil/common law jurisdiction.
• Experience in dealing with large international organizations such as universities and non-profit organizations is essential.
• Experience in contract review and issuance is essential, ideally in the following fields: partnerships, grants, scholarships, employment, service agreements, and vendor contracts.
• Strong legal experience and solid knowledge in UAE issues, including nonprofit organizations, employment law, litigation, and regulatory frameworks.
• Confidence to independently respond to legal queries and represent the Foundation in public offices as required.
• Strong communication (verbal & written), interpersonal, and negotiation skills.
• Fluency in MS Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint) and general internet navigation and research skills.
• Experience in conducting research and providing advice on recently enacted laws, regulations, and sub-regulatory guidance, insurance supervisory, health insurance laws, outsourcing, and data protection rules in the relevant jurisdictions, as well as determining business impacts and working with the business to devise and implement solutions.

Personal Attributes

• Hardworking, proactive, solution-oriented, and innovative.
• Willingness to attend or work at, where necessary, commitments outside of “normal” working hours.
• Energetic and enthusiastic.
• Strong ability to display empathy, patience, and the ability to cultivate strong relationships with various teams.
• Ability to deliver high-quality work under tight deadlines.
• Ability to adapt to change, meet the changing demands of the work environment, and manage delays or other unexpected demands.
• Ability to work on own initiative or as part of departmental and cross-departmental teams.

How to Apply

We appreciate your interest in working with us. We are committed to recruiting great people who want to make a difference. To find out more about the role and submit your application, please visit our website: https://www.alqasimifoundation.com/career

We look forward to hearing from you.