Senior Legal Officer

ABOUT THE WHITE HELMETS

The Stichting White Helmets Foundation (SWHF) is an independent, international not for profit organisation that aims to provide aid to communities and persons recovering from conflicts and disasters; provide support and orientation to refugees and communities in hosting countries; and support justice and human rights efforts. The SWHF works in partnership with WH offices in Syria, Turkey and Canada. The Visual Documentation Team (VDT) is based in The Netherlands. The VDT project is a justice and accountability project that addresses relevant issues in Syria and aims at assisting transitional justice mechanisms and other research processes.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Senior Legal Officer supports the work of the White Helmets (WH) Justice & Accountability Program. The two main responsibilities of the Legal Officer are: coordinate with legal consultants on legal research and support and advise the Archive Manager with requests for access and judicial cooperation.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

• Duty station: The Hague, Netherlands
• Line manager: Justice & Accountability Program Manager
• Line management Responsibility: N/A
• Full-time/Part-time: Full-time

Tasks and activities:

• Provide strategic advice on cooperation strategies with States, investigative authorities, international organizations, civil society entities and any other relevant stakeholders;
• Develop, maintain and facilitate key relationships with all the above entities and organizations to maximize international and local support for investigations and prosecutions and to facilitate the effective execution of the team’s cooperation requests;
• Develop, update and implement the overall cooperation and access policies;
• Ensure that internal stakeholders are aware of, and comply with, the WH cooperation and access policy;
• Coordinate the drafting, transmission and follow-up of all requests for cooperation and access;
• Maintain records of the team’s outgoing and incoming requests for access and related follow-up;
• Contribute to the drafting and finalization of cooperation agreements;
• In consultation with the Archive Manager, coordinate the team’s response to requests from States and international organizations;
• Provide a risk assessment and legal advice to the WH in relation to access and cooperation requests.
• Provide and interpret legal information, conduct awareness sessions and disseminate appropriate legal requirements to J&A team.
• Liaise and coordinate with consultants and partners on legal research related to the J&A Program.
• Provide direct support by conducting research on international legal issues.
• Participate in seminars, conferences and meetings as relevant.

Required qualifications: Education, Experience and Competencies:

• Advanced university degree in Law preferred; or Bachelor’s degree in Law in combination with Advanced degree in international relations, political science, social sciences or related field.
• At least three years of experience in legal sector, preferably in international cooperation or judicial assistance.
• Native or native-level of English (spoken and written) is required.
• Working knowledge of French or Spanish required. Knowledge of Arabic is desirable.
• Ability to summarise complex information and legal jargon for non-technical individuals.
• Must be familiar with relevant legal issues and international affairs.
• Interest in human rights and transitional justice and have a demonstrated commitment to the field.
• Strong organisational skills and keen eye for detail.
• Excellent creative-problem solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Superb drafting and presentation skills, including the ability to prepare and present information in a clear and concise manner.
• High standards of confidentiality, reliability and discretion.
• Integrity by sharing the SWHF’s values and ethical standards.