Legal Officer

Emirates Nature is a UAE environmental non-governmental charity, established in 2001 under the Honorary Founder and President H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan as a legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed’s vision for the United Arab Emirates. HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the Ruler’s representative in the Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of Environmental Agency – Abu Dhabi(EAD) Board of Directors.

We operate with offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah and are governed by a local board of directors.

Emirates Nature works in association with WWF, one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations. Emirates Nature-WWF has been active in the UAE for two decades and is renowned for its commitment to biodiversity conservation, habitat protection, sustainable development, and community engagement. Some of our flagship projects include marine conservation initiatives to protect coral reefs and marine species, wildlife conservation programs focusing on endangered species such as Arabian oryx and sea turtles, habitat restoration projects in critical ecosystems, and sustainable development initiatives aimed at mitigating climate change impacts and promoting eco-friendly practices across various sectors.

It is our organizational objective to ensure a high performing workforce within our offices with highly efficient, skilled members all of whom will be unilaterally focused on supporting and delivering conservation activities to our stakeholders within the UAE.

As the Legal Officer to the organization, you will be placed within the Operations Unit, directly reporting to the Associate Head – Legal Counsel. In as such, you will be working with all employees, project staff and consultants within the organization, as well as partners, stakeholders, Legal Service Providers, and other entities out of the organization, in which you shall support Legal Counsel, always keeping and protecting the organizations best interests, encompassing all of our values, and ensuring ethical acts upon the way. It is essential that the individual has problem solving skills, is adaptative, and enacts quick turnaround for requests. In as such, do find the roles and responsibilities seen below, divided into percentages of work allocation that will best aid you in achieving your deliverables in line with the organization’s vision, mission, goals, and objectives. The individual is also recommended to join the WWF legal working groups should time be available.

1.Legal Research (25%)

• Update Legal Counsel on any new laws, decrees, rules and regulations that affect the organization’s business needs (including MOCD, DCD, IACAD) and providing key summary facts on how such laws impact the organization
• Thoroughly research airtight standard clauses favorable to the organization and standardizing them to be embedded within the templates
• Thoroughly research WWF standard clauses on ethical, humanitarian and environmental policies and practices, and draft suitable standard clauses tailored around the organization’s business needs to form part of the templates

2.Templates (20%)

a. Assisting Legal Counsel in updating all current ENWWF templates

b. Assisting Legal Counsel in creating new templates that did not exist prior

  The templates that the individual is expected to assist on updating or creating during his/her tenure is as follows:

• Memorandum of Understanding
• Letter of Intent
• NDAs : mutual, unilateral & service provider
• Partnership/collaboration
• Pro bono agreement for in-kind services
• Merchandise Manufacturing agreement
• Merchandise Sales Agreement
• Ticketing Agreement
• Donation letter agreement
• Service Provider Agreement
• Grant Agreement
• Barter Agreement
• Membership for volunteering agreement
• Campaign agreement
• Event Sponsorship Agreement
• Licensing Agreement
• Freelance agreement
• Any other agreement templates required for business operations
• Liability Waiver for volunteers
• Photo Release for volunteers
• Terms & Conditions for websites & mobile app
• Privacy Policy for websites & mobile app
• Update of DOAs and POAs

3.Administrative (20%)

• Create and manage all documents related to any legal workshops required and assisting Legal Counsel during such workshops along with taking minutes
• Joining internal & external meetings requested by Legal Counsel and taking minutes
• Coordinating with external legal counsel with Legal Counsel’s involvement and taking minutes
• Create or update a digital storage framework for all legal documents
• Storing the old and new legal documents in the right digital locations
• Identifying legal documents that are missing, lost and/or needs updating
• Putting in place mechanisms in time for agreement renewals
• Creating standardized agreement template attachments for relevant team members to complete
• Responsible for the operations of the overall digital process on the legal SOPs with support from IT
• Draft a key summary details check list document for all agreements

4.Legal Documents Updates, Drafting & Reviews (15%)

• Assisting Legal counsel in drafting, reviewing and amending legal documents (in various forms) and drafting any amendments requested by Legal Counsel
• Comparing agreements

5.External Legal Service Providers & translators (5%)

• Searching for new pro bono Legal Service Providers
• Translate or outsource legal translators when approved by Legal Counsel and liaising directly with newly onboarded legal translator

6.Legal Due Diligence & Compliance (5%)

• Research WWF network governance policies and create key findings that affect the organization’s business operations
• support Legal Counsel in cross checking external stakeholder’s legal registrations and authorized signatories for agreements and communicating the same to Legal Counsel

7.Policies (5%)

• Create and/or update policies that affect legal with Legal Counsel’s oversight

8.Standard Operating Procedures – with support from administration (5%)

• Process update pertaining the above
• Process creation pertaining the above

Emirates Nature-WWF Focus: Acts as a member of Emirates Nature-WWF, placing higher priority on Emirates Nature-WWF goals than own goals and anticipating the effects of own area’s actions on others to ensure holistic Emirates Nature-WWF outcomes.

External Orientation: Looks outwards ensuring WWF stays relevant, continues to anticipate and adapt to external environmental and global trends.

Delivering Quality Outcomes: Establishes stretch goals, plans, using best judgment and takes responsibility for planning to and delivering on outcomes.

Building Working Relationships: Builds collaborative relationships through the understanding and development of other’s and own ideas.

Communicating Effectively: Uses appropriate means of communication to convey messages, seeks input from others and ensures understanding.

Leading Change: Encourages and seeks out innovative solutions and brings people on a journey constructively and empathetically.

Managing Resources: Makes the right judgments based on financial and resource availability.

Establishing Strategic Direction: Generates options to achieve long-range goals, selects the best strategies for success and delivers on strategic goals.

• Degree in Law
• 3+ years of experience in legal firms
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite and digital applications/tools.
• Fluency in Arabic and English.
• High level of cultural sensitivity and awareness with ability to work in a multi-cultural setting.
• Proven knowledge and or experience in the non for-profit sector, preferably of environmental non-government organizations.

• Previous relative experience with a proven track record of leading a professional, efficient, high quality, service-oriented operation
• Friendly and approachable as well as proven acumen of written and oral communication skills
• Ability to work at an incredibly fast pace
• Ability to work effectively under time constraints and deadlines
• High level of cultural sensitivity and awareness with ability to work in a multi-cultural setting
• Strong communication skills
• Proactive nature
• Good use of initiative
• Efficient problem solver
• High attention to detail
• Proficient in MS Office

Internal -   Works with all Units

External -   Works with external Stakeholders such as, but not limited to, Government entities, international and local Corporates, Individual Donors

Emirates Nature-WWF is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome diversity in the workplace and offer a flexible and diverse place of employment.

Emirates Nature-WWF staff participate wholeheartedly in general activities and events that require the full support and participation of all staff members, whether the focus of any particular event or activity has any bearing on the job description and assigned project objectives and activities.

Please send your application consisting of a cover letter explaining why you are the right candidate to work with EN-WWF and your CV with the subject ‘Application for Officer - Legal’ to the attention of Ms Magdalena Tayoun on [email protected] before 29th February 2024.

Emirates Nature reserves the right to appoint a candidate prior this date.