Legal Consultant

This is a short-term contract for 4-6 weeks only.

Background

Emirates Nature is a UAE environmental non-governmental charity, established in 2001 under the Honorary Founder and President H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan as a legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed's vision for the United Arab Emirates. We operate with offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah and are governed by a local board of directors.

Emirates Nature works in association with WWF, one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations. Emirates Nature-WWF has been active in the UAE for two decades and is renowned for its commitment to biodiversity conservation, habitat protection, sustainable development, and community engagement.

Job Summary

The organization is seeking a short-term legal consultant with 5-7 years of UAE legal experience in corporate law and KYC processes. The consultant will develop a Legal Delegation of Authority framework aligned with UAE laws and policies; assist in creating the Legal Strategy 2025; review and create agreement templates per Legal SOPs; conduct UAE legislation research and prepare presentations; oversee KYC procedures and update tracking systems; and manage document storage and sharing according to SOPs.

Scope of Work and Deliverables

1. Review of Agreements and Template Creation:
   • Analyze current agreements to ensure compliance and efficiency.
   • Develop standardized agreement templates tailored to the organization's needs when required.
   • Quality reviews of existing agreements with recommended revisions.
   • Documentation of processes in adherence to Legal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
2. Lead and Handle Know Your Customer (KYC) Processes:
   • Oversee and strengthen Legal KYC procedures to ensure full compliance with internal policies and UAE regulations.
   • Update and implement the Legal KYC tracking system using platforms like Monday.com, Excel, and email where applicable.
   • Regular updates and reports on KYC activities and compliance status.
3. Document Management and Sharing:
   • Organize and store legal agreements for efficient retrieval in accordance with Legal Agreements SOPs.
   • An organized digital repository of legal agreements accessible to authorized personnel.
4. Communication and Reporting:
   • Schedule and conduct weekly meetings with Chief Operating Officer to provide updates on progress, discuss challenges, and plan next steps.
   • Weekly Meeting Agendas: Prepare and share agendas before each meeting to outline discussion points.
   • Weekly Progress Reports: Summarize activities completed, ongoing tasks, and any issues requiring attention.
   • Meeting Minutes: Document key discussions, decisions, and action items from each meeting, and distribute to relevant internal stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in civil law from a UAE-accredited university.
• Master's degree in civil law (LLM) or related field is advantageous.

Experience and Skills

• Fluency in English and Arabic (both written and spoken).
• Minimum of 5-7 years of legal experience in the UAE.
• Demonstrated expertise in corporate law, contract management, and legal strategy development.
• Experience with Legal KYC processes.

Personal Attributes

• High level of professionalism and ethical standards.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within the organization.
• Adaptable to changing priorities and deadlines.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

Working Relationships

Internal - Works with all Units

External - Works with external Stakeholders such as, but not limited to, Government entities, international and local Corporates, Individual Donors

Additional Information

Emirates Nature-WWF is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome diversity in the workplace and offer a flexible and diverse place of employment.

How to Apply

Please send your application consisting of a cover letter explaining why you are the right candidate to work with EN-WWF and your CV with the subject Application for short time Consultant - Legal to the attention of Ms. Magdalena Tayoun before 21st January 2025.

Emirates Nature reserves the right to appoint a candidate prior to this date.