Paralegal At Relief International

Department: Legal & Awards Management

Location: Washington, DC

Reporting to: General Counsel

Direct reports: Not Applicable

Budget responsibility: Not Applicable

* This role is classified as requiring advanced pre-employment checks

ABOUT Relief International

Relief International (RI) is a leading non-profit organization working in 16 countries globally to relieve poverty, ensure well-being and advance dignity. We specialize in fragile settings, responding to natural disasters, humanitarian crises, and chronic poverty.

RI combines humanitarian and development approaches to provide immediate services while laying the groundwork for long-term impact and resilience. We focus on health/nutrition, education, economic opportunity, and water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) programming while integrating protection, environment/climate change, and conflict mitigation in partnership with the communities we serve. We empower communities to find, design and implement the solutions that work best for them.

RI includes the three corporate members of the RI Alliance: RI-US, RI-UK, and MRCA/RI-France. Under our alliance agreement, we operate as a single, shared management structure.

About our Programs

RI is active in 16 countries around the world, including some of the most fragile: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen. Often, RI is the only organization providing assistance to communities in situations of vulnerability.

RI employs about 5,000 staff and auxiliary workers

97% of staff are local nationals and there are about 90 international (expat) staff.

2021 programs budget is about $125M.

RI receives funding from a broad range of institutional donors – US, UK, Europe, and the UN, to delivery lifesaving and resilience building programming with communities and local and international partners. RI supports solutions that reinforce and improve upon existing in-country systems. Where such systems do not exist or are chronically underperforming, RI’s crisis response lays the foundation for long-term, sustainable change.

Position Summary

This is a newly created role; the paralegal supports the General Counsel in providing critical legal expertise to the RI Alliance

RI’s Legal Compliance Function is made up of the General Counsel and Awards Management Unit, which primarily focuses on meeting RI’s regulatory and other legal requirements around reporting of serious incidents and RI Alliance Governance.

As paralegal you will engage with a range of internal and external stakeholders, including different RI reporting and monitoring functions (such as global assurance, fraud, safeguarding, safety, and security), RI’s Board, and other entities/counterparts within the RI Alliance’s network.

Your role will also contribute to other areas of compliance work, assisting the team with conducting legal research, updating policies, and supporting the team’s project work on compliance topics such as:

• safeguarding,
• fraud, bribery and corruption,
• sanctions,
• terrorism financing,
• data protection,
• modern slavery,
• export controls and anti-money laundering.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

Legal Compliance, Research, and Awareness Building

• Stay up to date on legal, regulatory and policy issues related to data security, privacy and protection; IRS non-profit law compliance (e.g., program-related investments; charitable giving); procurement regulations; and other corporate compliance matters.
• Conduct legal research on topics such as safeguarding, fraud, bribery and corruption, sanctions, terrorism financing, data protection, modern slavery, export controls and anti-money laundering.
• Maintain and develop legal compliance pages on RI’s Intranet.
• Contribute to the development and delivery of training and awareness resources.

Policy Management

• Working with the General Counsel and Policy Owners, coordinate the review and updating/development of organizational policies.
• Ensure organizational policies are tracked and up to date.

Coordination and Administration

• Improve and maintain RI’s databases of powers of attorneys, delegations of authority, entity and country registrations, and other legal documents.
• Own and organize legal department files on RI’s Intranet/Box
• Support governance efforts, including drafting Board resolutions, compiling of Board/Committee books; and drafting meeting minutes.
• Provide day-to-day administrative support to the General Counsel in the management of department priorities; scheduling of and preparation for meetings; and other tasks as needed.

Safeguarding and culture

• Ensure that your behaviour inside and outside of work promotes the values outlined with RI’s code of conduct and safeguarding policies
• Consistent with RI’s safeguarding and protection policies, contribute to all those who encounter Relief International staff and the communities we serve can be trusted to work safely with them
• Support systems that create and maintain an environment that prevents sexual exploitation and abuse and promotes the implementation of the Code of Conduct and safeguarding policies
• Ability to demonstrate sensitivity and understanding of diversity and cultural differences, gender issues and the commitment to equal opportunities
• Ability to uphold RI’s values and ethics

Role requirements

Experience and skills required for the role

• Track record of achievement in a previous paralegal role
• Certification or associate’s degree in paralegal studies
• Demonstrated proficiency with legal, regulatory and policy issues related to data security, privacy and protection; IRS non-profit law compliance (e.g., program-related investments; charitable giving); procurement regulations; and other corporate compliance matters
• Strong research, organisational, analytical, and administrative skills, including a strong ability to focus on detail and quality assurance
• Ability to work under pressure and to meet challenging deadlines
• Excellent relationship management skills and ability to communicate in all forms (superior written and verbal skills required)

RI Values

Guided by the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, as well as “Do No Harm,” Relief International Values:

We value:

• Integrity
• Adaptability
• Collaboration
• Inclusivity
• Sustainability