Senior Legal Programmes Advisor

Senior Legal Programmes Advisor, TrustLaw, Thomson Reuters Foundation

Job type: Full-time (1 yr FTC)

Location: London, United Kingdom or Nairobi, Kenya

About Thomson Reuters Foundation

The is the corporate foundation of Thomson Reuters, the global news and information services company. As an independent charity, registered in the UK and the USA, we work to advance media freedom, foster more inclusive economies, and promote human rights. Through news, media development, free legal assistance and convening initiatives, we combine our unique media and legal services to drive systemic change.

We use the combined power of journalism and the law to build global awareness of critical issues faced by humanity, inspire collective leadership and help shape a prosperous world where no one is left behind.

TrustLaw

 is the global pro bono service of the Thomson Reuters Foundation. As the world’s leading pro bono legal service, TrustLaw helps 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 and corporate legal teams around the world. We also deliver groundbreaking legal research on key social and policy issues that our partners use to support their advocacy and law reform efforts, and we deliver innovative capacity-building workshops on legal issues across the globe.

In recent years, TrustLaw has also expanded to facilitate access to legal support for journalists and independent media organizations in need, to help protect and defend them from the growing legal threats used to silence or punish their reporting on matters of public interest.

Leveraging our pro bono service and global legal network, TrustLaw increasingly contributes to TRF’s programmes portfolio through the delivery of innovative legal support, research and capacity-building as part of dynamic and impactful funded projects that combine TRF’s unique media and legal offerings. We are now looking for an experienced leader, with a legal background and extensive experience in project management to join our fantastic team and help us strengthen, streamline and scale TrustLaw’s funded project activities.

About the role  

The Senior Legal Programmes Advisor , TrustLaw reports into the Director of TrustLaw and will work closely with the TrustLaw team and the Foundation’s Programmes team to strengthen, streamline and scale the delivery of legal programming as part of TRF’s growing portfolio of funded projects, and to oversee and support the implementation of TrustLaw’s current funded project activities.

Based in London or Nairobi , the Senior Legal Programmes Advisor, TrustLaw will: 

Work with TrustLaw’s Director and the Programmes team to design and implement a framework for improved integration and management of legal programming in TRF’s growing portfolio of funded projects.  Ensure that funded projects that leverage the TrustLaw service, team or network are strategically aligned and delivered to time, cost and quality. Co-develop creative and innovative project design, risk management and MEAL processes for our legal programming, working closely with the TrustLaw and Programmes teams. Ensure the progress of TrustLaw’s funded project activities is monitored and reported effectively, and risks are identified, mitigated and escalated in a timely way, as required. Work closely with Finance and Global Development colleagues to ensure adequate and efficient resourcing for legal programming is included in funded projects. Work with the Foundation’s Global Development team to develop new opportunities and partnerships that increase TrustLaw’s and TRF’s reach and impact.  Manage one or more managers and/or officers delivering funded projects to ensure they have the right support to do their jobs effectively, and provide them with constructive guidance as needed. In collaboration with the Programmes team, develop and deliver project management trainings for the TrustLaw team that enhance management and delivery of funded project activities. Cultivate a high-performing, healthy team ethic, with strong communication and an enabling environment including for learning and developing knowledge and expertise on the key areas of focus for the Foundation.

About You

You're a fit for the role of Senior Legal Programmes Advisor if your background includes:

Extensive senior experience (7+ years) in project management and design, gained through managing large and complex international development projects and programmes. Proven track record in overseeing and managing multiple concurrent projects and programmes. A legal background and/or experience in pro bono is highly desirable. Experience of working with a diverse range of stakeholders, including institutional and corporate donors. Proven ability to manage and drive high quality client facing relationships and communicate effectively in verbal and written form. Strong leadership and people management skills. Experience in managing diverse teams across different time-zones and cultures. Experience in managing consultants and other types of suppliers. Excellent communication, presentation and facilitation skills. Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to persuade and showcase the Foundation’s programming. Fluent English, other languages highly desirable. Willingness to travel internationally.

How to apply

The deadline for applications is 23:59 BST on Tues day, 10 November 2023 . Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

The salary is relative to the local charitable sector and commensurate with experience. 

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK or Kenya, as applicable.

What’s in it For You

At the Thomson Reuters Foundation, our people are our greatest assets. Here are some of the benefits we offer for your personal and professional growth:

Global Perspective and Impact : Interested in working for a dynamic global organization with a focus on social impact? With hubs all over the world from Bangkok to Madrid to Rio de Janeiro, join a truly international team with a shared goal of helping to build societies around the world that are free, fair and informed. A Unique Approach : Our expertise in media and the law is world class; we combine the power of both to address the critical issues faced by humanity. Our Relevance : With a focus on advancing media freedom, fostering more inclusive economies and promoting human rights, our work has never been more needed than right now. Benefits : We offer competitive salary packages and market-leading benefits. Learning & Development : We are dedicated to the continual professional development of our employees and offer access to both in-house and external training opportunities.

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Do you want to be part of a team helping re-invent the way knowledge professionals work? How about a team that works every day to create a more transparent, just and inclusive future? At Thomson Reuters, we’ve been doing just that for almost 160 years. Our industry-leading products and services include highly specialized information-enabled software and tools for legal, tax, accounting and compliance professionals combined with the world’s most global news services – Reuters. We help these professionals do their jobs better, creating more time for them to focus on the things that matter most: advising, advocating, negotiating, governing and informing.

We are powered by the talents of 26,000 employees across more than 70 countries, where everyone has a chance to contribute and grow professionally in flexible work environments that celebrate diversity and inclusion. At a time when objectivity, accuracy, fairness and transparency are under attack, we consider it our duty to pursue them. Sound exciting? Join us and help shape the industries that move society forward. 

Accessibility 

As a global business, we rely on diversity of culture and thought to deliver on our goals. To ensure we can do that, we seek talented, qualified employees in all our operations around the world regardless of race, color, sex/gender, including pregnancy, gender identity and expression, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, citizen status, veteran status, or any other protected classification under applicable law. Thomson Reuters is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer providing a drug-free workplace.