Legal Associate
Description
Job Description
Legal Associate
Job title:
Work Location:
Department:
Report to:
Freetown with travel to Kono
Executive Leadership
Executive Director
No
Line Management
Organisation Profile
Partners In Health (PIH) is an international health organization relentlessly committed to improving the health
of the poor and marginalized. PIH partners with local governments to build local capacity and work closely with
impoverished communities to deliver high-quality health care, address the root causes of illness, train
providers, advance research, and advocate for global policy change. Our delivered services in the field are
based in our partnership with the Governments and Ministries of Health and the support to education, training
and mentorship to Health care workers and students is one of our pillars for the health care system
strengthening.
PIH currently has implementation programs in Haiti, Rwanda, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Peru, Mexico, Russia,
Sierra Leone and Navajo Nation. Through our partnership with Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and
Women’s Hospital, we support a wide range of programs in dozens of other countries around the world.
Our Work In Sierra Leone:
Partners In Health (PIH) began supporting the government of Sierra Leone in response to the Ebola epidemic
in October 2014. Recognizing the large need for continued investments in the health system after Ebola, PIH is
committed to long-term health system strengthening in support of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation
(MOHS), guided by the same principles as our emergency response and our work around the world: public
sector accompaniment, integrated and comprehensive services, social justice, nimbleness and flexibility,
partnership, community ownership, and evidence-based interventions. In the aftermath of the epidemic, PIH
is committed to supporting the delivery of comprehensive health services in Sierra Leone, from the community
level to the health centre and to referral hospitals.
Position Overview
Partners In Health Sierra Leone, LLC (PIH-SL), is seeking to recruit an experienced in-house Legal Associate to
support the delivery of high-quality healthcare. Reporting to the Executive Director of PIH-SL with a dotted
line to the PIH General Counsel, the Legal Associate will provide collaborative, timely and solutions-oriented
legal support on a wide range of issues to PIH-SL, in close coordination with the Partners In Health Legal
Department in the United States. Responsibilities include drafting, reviewing and negotiating transactional
agreements, developing systems for contract management, advising human resources department on
employment issues, drafting and reviewing policies and procedures.
The Legal Associate will have deep legal experience and a demonstrated track record as a strong leader and
manager who values teamwork, cross-functional collaboration, and a positive work environment.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Transactional work
Draft, review and negotiate a wide range of agreements, including vendor agreements, construction
agreements, and MOUs with government ministries and other NGOs
Work closely with the PIH Legal Department on review of grant agreements and other agreements
where joint review is required by PIH policy.
Manage and assist with the creation of templates and forms for standard transactional agreements.
Employment
Provide advice on full range of employment issues, including hiring, discipline, termination,
compensation, taxation and regulatory compliance.
Provide legal support to the PIH-SL HR department.
Review and provide guidance on drafting and development of HR manuals, policies and procedures.
Assist HR in reviewing and implementing compliance training programs.
Lead or provide assistance with internal investigations.
Other Responsibilities
Develop and implement system for effective contract management at PIH-SL including tracking
contracts for signature
Assist with corporate and regulatory compliance for PIH-SL, including INGO and corporate filings
Keep PIH Legal Department informed about legal risks to PIH-SL and coordinate communications
between PIH-SL leadership and PIH Legal Department concerning potential new and ongoing legal
risks
Assist with reviewing and updating organizational policies
Manage use of outside counsel for PIH-SL to ensure effective and cost-efficient representation
Represent PIH-SL on internal coordination and cross-site working groups.
Manage special projects for PIH-SL and the PIH Legal Department.
Other duties as assigned.
REQUIRED SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
Bachelor of Law degree (LLB) required, Master of Law (LLM) degree preferred; license to practice
law in Sierra Leone required
At least eight years of experience practicing law in Sierra Leone, with experience at a top-tier law
firm and/or prior in-house experience preferred
Prior experience advising NGOs in the healthcare sector preferred
Knowledge of laws and regulations in the Sierra Leone NGO and healthcare sectors
Prior experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating complex transactional agreements, including
vendor agreements
Prior experience advising human resources departments on Sierra Leone employment laws and
regulation, and strong knowledge of Sierra Leone employment laws and regulations
Prior experience drafting and reviewing organizational policies and procedures
Strong analytical and communication skills and attention to detail.
Demonstrated ability to understand complex legal concepts and offer succinct and understandable
explanations and counsel to colleagues.
Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently under deadline pressure and changing priorities
in a fast-paced environment.
Exemplary interpersonal and leadership skills; ability to collaborate effectively with culturally
diverse staff across departments and countries.
Ability and willingness to travel when needed.
English fluency, including strong written and spoken English, is required.
Computer literate, including use of Microsoft Office
Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
At Partners In Health, we are committed to ensuring that those who benefit from our work- including our
patients, families and community members – as well as our staff are treated with dignity and respect and
protected from sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment. A range of pre-employment checks will be
undertaken in conformity with Partner In Health’s PSEAH policy. Partner In Health will request information
from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual
harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By
submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.
Social Justice
We are a global health and social justice organization that responds to the moral imperative to provide high-
quality health care globally to those who need it most. We strive to ease suffering by placing patients at the
center of all care, bringing the benefits of modern medicine to all.
“We refuse to accept that any life is worth less than another”.
Disclaimer
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.