The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a not-for-profit institution that generates agricultural innovations to meet Africa’s most pressing challenges of hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource degradation. Working with various partners across sub-Saharan Africa, we improve livelihoods, enhance food and nutrition security, increase employment, and preserve natural resource integrity. IITA is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Head, Legal Services

Ref: DDG-CS/H/LS/11/22
Location: Ibadan, Oyo

Background

• We are looking for an experienced Legal Professional with excellent people skills, experience in Legal Advocacy & Advisory, Contract and Agreement Administration, Project Management, Due Diligence and Compliance.
• The candidate should have relevant work experience in an international, multicultural organization or company, with experience in Africa, ideally with Nigeria experience. Reporting to the Deputy Director General, Corporate Services, the Head of Legal Services will be responsible for leading IITA’s legal unit to provide legal services and advice to IITA.
• This includes High quality legal advice to IITA’s Board of Trustees, Senior Management Team, Directorates, and work units on all operational matter, covering areas relating to project documents, regulatory compliance, legal risk assessment and mitigation, legal implications of policy development and implementation and legal HR issues.

Position Responsibilities

• Lead the Legal Unit of IITA.
• Offer expert and strategic legal advice/ opinion to IITA’s Board of Trustees, Senior Management team, Directorates, and work units.
• Review the legal risk involved in various institutional collaborative arrangements/ partnerships, identify existing and emerging institutional legal and regulatory issues, including sanction regimes, national and international laws and ethics regulations, which may affect IITA’s operations and advice IITA on the likely impact of such and on strategies to mitigate risks.
• Deliver comprehensive review of legal documentation and provide legal documentation and interpretation when needed.
• Provide templates for and support the drafting, negotiation and finalization of all institute’s agreement and legal documents, including, but not limited to, Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs); Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs); contract agreements and sub-contract agreements (including work plans and budgets) and No Cost Extensions (NCEs) for both donors and partners; Host Country Agreements; Hosting Agreements; Tenancy Agreement; Licensing and other Commercial Agreements, and Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs).
• Advice management on legal implications of policies and procedures within IITA.
• Represent IITA, or participate in delegations, before relevant government agencies or forums where legal issues are contemplated.
• Contact person with IITA’s Nigeria retained external law firm and where needed assist staff in IITA’s Hubs and Station in their relations with retained lawyers.
• Manage and provide support across the institute in IP-related and other legal issues.
• Manage IP related issues and work related to the CGIAR Intellectual Assets (IA) policies and regulations, including the maintenance of an IA register.
• Support Open Access (OA) related issues, reporting, and related policies.
• Monitor policies, programs, or procedures to ensure compliance with internal policies, licensing requirements, and other government or donor requirements, policies, and directives.
• Motivate team members, communicate career, and job expectations; plan, monitor, evaluate and review job contributions of legal Service Unit staff.
• Ensure capacity development of IITA’s legal professionals.
• Facilitate the education of IITA staff on best practices and procedures around compliance with legal documents, policies and procedures and create awareness amongst relevant IITA staff, on IP, OA, and legal risks.
• Develop the budget for the Legal Services Unit’s operations and implement an efficient and effective cost spending.
• Work together with CGIAR Governance and Corporate Affairs Department staff and other relevant staff of the CGIAR on Legal Services related matters, policies, and regulations.
• Perform any other job-related duties as may be assigned by the supervisor.

Educational Qualifications

• The candidate should have a Bachelor of Laws LL.B from a recognized university, with a B.L Qualifying Bar Exam and Certificate of Call to Bar from a recognized Bar Association.

Core Competencies:

• Relevant work experience of at least 15 years, with at least 6 years in a management function in an international, multicultural organization or company, with experience in Africa, ideally with Nigeria experience.
• Good grasps of relevant laws, including, but not limited to, laws governing international organizations, Intellectual property (IP) laws, international laws and treaties, labor laws and corporate government laws.
• Excellent communication and people skills.
• Excellent negotiation and diplomatic skills.
• Committed and dependable, having high ethical standards, and having the ability to remain calm under pressure.
• Good organizational skills with high attention to detail.
• Excellent critical / analytical thinking and decision-making skills.
• Excellent leadership and people management skills, with Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion (GDI) awareness and understanding, and strong cultural awareness.
• Fluency in English with excellent verbal and written communication skills; working knowledge of French would be an advantage. Duty Station: IITA-Headquarters, Ibadan, Nigeria with requirement to travel to other stations in Africa.

General information

• The contract will be for an initial period of three years. IITA offers an internationally competitive remuneration package paid in U.S. Dollars.

Application Closing Date
18th November, 2022.