Legal Associate

About the role

Partners In Health Sierra Leone, LLC (PIH-SL) is recruiting an experienced in-house Legal Associate to support the delivery of high-quality healthcare. The role reports to the Executive Director of PIH-SL with a dotted line to the PIH General Counsel, and works closely with the Partners In Health Legal Department in the United States. It is based in Freetown with travel to Kono.

Key responsibilities

• Draft, review and negotiate agreements such as vendor agreements, construction agreements and MOUs with government ministries and other NGOs, and help create templates and forms for standard transactions
• Advise on employment issues including hiring, discipline, termination, compensation, taxation and regulatory compliance, and support the HR department with HR manuals, policies, compliance training and internal investigations
• Build a contract management system, including tracking contracts for signature, and assist with corporate and regulatory compliance and INGO filings
• Keep the Legal Department informed of legal risks and coordinate communications between PIH-SL leadership and the Legal Department
• Help review and update organizational policies, manage the use of outside counsel, represent PIH-SL on working groups and manage special projects

Required profile

• Bachelor of Law (LLB) required; Master of Law (LLM) preferred; license to practice law in Sierra Leone required
• At least eight years of experience practicing law in Sierra Leone, preferably at a top-tier firm or in an in-house role, and preferably advising NGOs in the healthcare sector
• Experience advising HR departments on Sierra Leone employment law and drafting and reviewing policies and procedures
• Fluent English, computer literacy including Microsoft Office, and willingness to travel

Required skills

• Knowledge of the laws and regulations governing Sierra Leone's NGO and healthcare sectors
• Experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating complex transactional agreements
• Strong analytical and communication skills, attention to detail and ability to explain complex legal concepts clearly
• Ability to manage several projects at once under deadline pressure