Legal Director
Global Health Advocacy Incubator

Job Announcement

The Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), an initiative of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK), draws on decades of work on tobacco control campaigns and its growing experience on other public health issues to drive policy change campaigns around the globe to improve health. To date, these issues have included road safety, food policy, cardiovascular health, drowning prevention, civil registration & vital statistics, preventing epidemics, and maternal and reproductive health, among others.

Position Overview

Legal and policy analysis, along with strategic litigation, play a key role in GHAI’s policy advocacy efforts. GHAI is looking for a team leader for our excellent staff of public health lawyers whose work supports live saving policy change advocacy initiatives around the world.

The Legal Director will oversee all GHAI legal work and supervise GHAI legal staff and consultants. (S)he will provide leadership, strategic planning, and technical advice to the  GHAI legal and program teams to support in-country advocacy campaigns and strategic litigation through: review of legal contexts for policy reform; drafting and review of pending legislation or regulations; and providing guidance for litigation that advances effective health policy reform. This includes working with the GHAI lawyers and program teams to identify in-country lawyers and coordinate with local and global partners to achieve policy goals.

The Legal Director will provide leadership, management, and mentoring to the GHAI legal team and facilitate coordination on legal issues and approaches across programs as necessary and helpful. The Legal Director will also provide guidance in developing high-quality, tailored training and technical assistance frameworks to build the capacity of lawyers on staff and at partner organizations.

This position is based in Washington, DC and is open to U.S. citizens and other applicants who already possess authorization to work in the U.S. on a permanent basis. Currently all staff are working remotely. Reentry to the Washington, D.C office is projected for September, 2021.

Responsibilities

As head of the GHAI Legal Team, the Legal Director will have overall responsibility for the Legal Team’s efforts, providing strategic direction and supervision of the legal team, most of whom are assigned full-time to specific GHAI programs and have content expertise in those program areas. The Legal Director will work with legal staff, consultants, and partners/grantees to develop and implement legal strategies as an integrated part of the program teams’ overall advocacy strategies for policy change. This includes:

Legal analysis and legislative reviews

• Provide and ensure high quality legal analyses of legislation, regulations, and other initiatives at the global, national and/or subnational level to ensure that they reflect best public health and legal practice.
• Identify gaps in legislation to inform the setting of policy change priorities on public health and safety issues.
• Assist with the drafting of legislation or regulations and providing continuing assistance as the draft is modified or changed by the government.
• Support development and maintenance of legislative drafting tools for those considering legislation for the first time or for comparing weaknesses in specific provisions.
• Work with global tobacco legal team to develop appropriate synergies and to learn from the decades of work advanced there.
• Provide oversight for GHAI legal team’s development of resource materials and tools relevant to advancing policy.

Litigation

When strategic or necessary, offensive and defensive litigation may be part of advocacy efforts – defending laws/regulations, efforts to affect government or corporate action/inaction, etc.   The Legal Director will provide oversight and guidance to the legal team and these efforts, including the following:

• Review legal context in priority countries to determine what litigation approaches might further overall program efforts.
• Work closely with staff attorneys and local legal counsel to manage caseload of pending legal actions.
• Review work products of local counsel, including pleadings and briefs, discovery and motion practice, and documents for evidentiary hearings and oral arguments.
• Identify and work with outside lawyers and litigation counsels to support legal efforts.
• Provide technical assistance and expert legal advice to cooperating attorneys.

GHAI Management

The Director of the GHAI legal team will serve on the GHAI Management Team to contribute to the management and strategic direction of the organization, including plans for growth and ensure high quality legal support for all GHAI programs. S/he will work to increase the visibility of GHAI legal efforts in the policy areas where we work. This will include:

• Develop overall strategic vision for the GHAI legal work and promote links with international and in country legal partners.
• Contribute to strategic advocacy planning and ensuring that legal efforts are an integrated part of policy change campaigns.
• Supervise and support GHAI lawyers and work with them to develop appropriate professional development and other capacity building opportunities.
• Capture best practices and document success stories resulting from the work of the GHAI legal team and partners.
• Represent the legal team and its work to current and potential funders.
• Conceptualize and pursue opportunities for organizational growth.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor Degree (or equivalent) or LL.M required.
• Experience providing leadership, management, and mentoring to legal staff and building a team.
• A minimum of ten years of relevant legal, legislative, and litigation experience working on public health or broader development issues, on a global basis; at least three to five years of litigation experience desired; experience with corporate accountability issues highly desirable.
• Proven track record and a minimum of five years of experience managing multi-faceted and complex projects related to policy change in global health, including ability to lead teams, mentor staff, solve problems, balance competing priorities and provide strategic direction.
• Experience in legal analysis of public health issues, particularly in the areas of nutrition and non-communicable diseases, a plus. Experience in related areas such as consumer protection, corporate accountability, human rights, and transparency in government also a plus.
• Experience with developing training seminars and programs for government lawyers and local advocates on public health legal issues.
• Excellent analytical skills and legal writing and research ability.
• Demonstrated excellence in communication and in working with peoples from diverse cultures and countries; strong interpersonal and diplomatic skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment while juggling and coordinating multiple projects and deadlines.
• Ability to take initiative and work independently with only minimal supervision.
• Ability to travel internationally up to 25% (when travel is deemed safe for staff and partners).
• Fluency in English is required; foreign language proficiency in Spanish highly desirable.

TO APPLY
To apply for this position, please email a cover letter, resume and salary requirement to: jobs@advocacyincubator.org. Please reference the position code: LD/GHAI in the subject line of your email.  Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. No phone calls please.

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes applications from individuals who will contribute to its diversity.

The Global Health Advocacy Incubator, a program of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, advances public health policies to build a healthier and safer world. Drawing on our extensive global experience, we offer strategic support to in-country partners to develop and execute advocacy campaigns to pass laws and policies that save lives. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is a leader in the fight to reduce tobacco use in the United States and around the world. A non-profit organization established in 1996, the Campaign works with more than 130 organizational partners, including public health, medical, education, civic, corporate, youth and religious organizations. The Campaign does not accept any government or tobacco industry funding.
   

Job Email id: jobs(at)advocacyincubator.org