Global Legal Advisor

Title: Global Legal Advisor

Location: Syracuse, New York (USA), London, (UK), or Brussels, (Belgium)

Reports to: Chief Operating Officer

Type: Full-time (or part-time – flexible depending on profile)

Travel: Limited (as required)

About NEF

Since 1915, NEF has supported community-led economic and social development in Middle East, Africa, and Caucasus. As a non-profit international development organization, NEF draws on local teams, experience, and partnerships in these regions to create community-led solutions to reduce poverty, create economic opportunity, increase resilience, and empower conflict, climate- and crisis-affected people to improve their outlook and wellbeing.

NEF works through a network of country offices and with local partners, with current or recent operations in Armenia, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Mali, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan, and Syria. Our global headquarters are based in Syracuse, NY, London, UK, and Brussels, Belgium.

Position Overview

NEF is recruiting a Global Legal Advisor to play a central advisory role in strengthening, coordinating, and supporting legal matters across the organization as well as ensuring alignment and compliance across all locations.

The Global Legal Advisor provides strategic, high-level legal advice and oversight across NEF’s global operations, ensuring that the organization operates within applicable legal and regulatory frameworks while supporting sound decision-making.

This role is strictly advisory in nature and does not hold operational or managerial authority over programs or country operations. The position is designed to provide clear, practical, and risk-informed legal guidance to leadership, without responsibilities in day-to-day implementation.

This position, may be based within one of NEF's headquarters offices in Syracuse, London or Brussels and supports legal matters across all NEF entities (US, UK, Belgium) and countries of operation, working closely with senior leadership, compliance, HR, and operations teams.

The position focuses on risk identification, legal clarity, and institutional protection, enabling NEF to operate confidently in complex and high-risk environments. Ensures all offices meet legal operating requirements at the local and HQ level.

Core Responsibilities

• Legal Advisory & Institutional Support

Provide legal input on:

• compliance cases,
• internal reviews,
• fraud or misconduct allegations.

Ensure processes are aligned with due process, legal defensibility, and risk mitigation.

Maintain clear boundaries; not leading investigations but advising as needed.

Data Protection, Liability & Safeguarding (Legal Aspects)

Advise on data protection frameworks, including GDPR-related matters.

Review legal implications of data sharing, safeguarding, and duty of care obligations.

Ensure NEF’s legal exposure is minimized in sensitive areas

External Counsel Management

Identify when external legal expertise is required.

Support selection and engagement of external law firms across jurisdictions.

Ensure external advice is cost-effective, relevant, and actionable.

Training & Preventive Legal Awareness

Provide targeted legal guidance and awareness sessions for staff (e.g. contracts, risk, compliance basics).

Promote a preventive legal culture across NEF.

Translate complex legal concepts into simple, actionable guidance.

Key Interfaces

• COO
• CEO and Executive Leadership Team
• UK and Belgium Executive Directors
• Compliance, HR, and Finance
• Country Directors and Operations Teams
• External legal counsel
  
  

Profile & Experience

• Qualified lawyer with 8–12+ years of experience in international law, NGO law, or corporate/international advisory.
• Strong experience working across multiple jurisdictions (US, Europe, and/or fragile contexts).
• Proven ability to provide practical, solution-oriented legal advice (not purely theoretical).
• Experience supporting donor-funded programs and international operations is highly desirable.
• Strong judgment, discretion, and ability to operate at senior leadership level.

Ability to balance risk management with operational realities.

Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate legal concepts into clear guidance.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates must possess the legal right to work in the location for which they are applying. NEF is currently considering candidates based in Syracuse (USA), London (UK), or Brussels (Belgium).

NEF will accept a rolling application until the position is filled. Review of application will begin on May 25, 2026. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

To apply:

Please apply by submitting the following documents to the Near East Foundation’s careers page at https://neareast.org/current-opportunities/:

• Cover letter outlining all relevant experience, how you meet the essential criteria.
• Curriculum Vitae.
• List of three references (including one from current, or most recent, employer). You will be given further notice prior to us contacting references.
  
  

Please note only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Near East Foundation by visiting the NEF website at www.neareast.org

The Near East Foundation promotes Equal Employment Opportunities for all applicants seeking employment and NEF employees.

Pre-employment Checks

Any Employment with the Near East Foundation will be subject to the following checks prior to start date:

• A satisfactory Restricted Party Screening; 
• Receipt of satisfactory references;
• Proof of eligibility to work in the national location for this role.