Africa Legal Programme Manager

Africa Legal Programme Manager (Nairobi - Kenya) 

Thomson Reuters Foundation

The Thomson Reuters Foundation stands for free, independent journalism, human rights, women’s empowerment, and the rule of law. We expose corruption worldwide and play a leading role in the global fight against human trafficking. We use the skills, values, and expertise of Thomson Reuters to run programmes that trigger real change and empower people around the world, including free legal assistance, journalism and media training, coverage of the world’s under-reported stories, and the Trust Women Conference.

The Foundation is recruiting an Africa Legal Programme Manager for TrustLaw. The position will be based in the Nairobi Thomson Reuters’ office, and would lead TrustLaw’s work throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

TrustLaw is the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s global pro bono program. Our mission is to spread the practice of pro bono worldwide to drive social change. We help high-impact NGOs and social enterprises to grow, streamline their operations and navigate complex laws and regulations by connecting them with free legal assistance from the best law firms around the world. We also deliver groundbreaking legal research on key social and policy issues that our members use to support their advocacy and law reform efforts.

Launched in 2010, TrustLaw has grown to include over 3,000 members in 170 countries, including over 580 law firms and in-house legal teams and over 2,600 NGO and social enterprise members.

The Foundation is seeking a highly skilled and dynamic lawyer to expand our award-winning TrustLaw programme across sub-Saharan Africa and support us with scoping legal projects and research programmes. We have a growing presence in the region already but recognise a huge potential for expansion of our services there and plan to run a number of high profile programmes and events in the region. We are looking for the ideal candidate to lead these efforts.

Responsibilities

Based in Nairobi, the successful candidate will be responsible for supporting our service across sub-Saharan Africa and expanding the TrustLaw programme in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as representing the Thomson Reuters Foundation in the region. This will include:

• Scoping legal pro bono requests from our community of NGOs and social enterprises so that the requests clearly explain the legal needs.
• Managing pro bono requests, including connecting the pro bono client with lawyers and follow up with the parties involved.
• Designing, scoping and managing of multiple cross-border research programmes that address the most critical social and policy needs facing our NGO and social enterprise members.
• Mapping and implementing strategies to expand the TrustLaw membership by recruiting and engaging the best NGOs and social enterprises, as well as the strongest law firms and corporate in-house legal teams in the region.
• Relationship management of key TrustLaw members and facilitating their engagement with the service, through hosting events and managing regular communications, marketing and PR.
• Representing TrustLaw and the Thomson Reuters Foundation by speaking publicly on our work at panels, conferences, or other speaking engagements.
• Support the team on thought leadership projects including the TrustLaw Index of Pro Bono and TrustLaw training courses.

The candidate

• An experienced lawyer with strong legal skills. You will have at least 5 years post-degree working experience (ideally with at least two of those years as corporate counsel or in private practice).
• Experience, or a demonstrated interest, in the pro bono sector, with knowledge of key global pro bono trends and/or experience working with the charitable, philanthropic or social enterprise sector
• Extensive experience working with a diverse range of stakeholders, from senior corporate executives and partners of top law firms to social entrepreneurs, NGOs and any other beneficiaries of our services.
• Strong understanding of the sub-Saharan African region, and experience working in the region.
• Fluent in English, with excellent written and spoken communication skills and an ability to adapt messages to different audiences.
• Fluency in French is highly desirable.
• A confident public speaker and networker who can confidently present the Foundation and our work at high level meetings.
• Ability to work quickly under pressure, to prioritise work and meet deadlines to drive projects to completion.
• An independent self-starter with an ability to design their own agenda and take responsibility to advance and complete projects.
• The candidate must be a strong team player, able to work remotely and communicate effectively with a global team.
• Experience using Salesforce would be favourable
• This role will include a significant amount of travel across the region and occasionally to London. 

This is a one-year contract with the potential to extend, based in Nairobi. The salary is commensurate with experience.

Deadline for applications: 22 July 2016.

To apply for this position, send your CV and covering letter describing how you meet the specifications for this role and what you bring to it to trustlaw@thomsonreuters.com with subject line “Africa Legal Programme Manager”.