Associate Manager

Unit: Operations

Directly reports to: Associate Head - Legal Counsel

Location: Abu Dhabi/ Dubai office, with a Hybrid work model

Direct reports: None

Employee Type: Full-Time

Commencement Date: Q1 2025

Background

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.

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.

Job Summary

As the Associate Manager - Legal, you will be placed within the Operations Unit, directly reporting to the Associate Head – Legal Counsel. You will work with all employees, project staff, consultants, partners, stakeholders, Legal Service Providers, and other entities, supporting Legal Counsel while protecting the organization's best interests and ensuring ethical conduct.

The individual must possess problem-solving skills, adaptability, and the ability to enact quick turnaround for requests. Below are the roles and responsibilities divided into percentages of work allocation that will aid you in achieving your deliverables in line with the organization's vision, mission, goals, and objectives.

Scope Of Work and Deliverables

• Administrative and Digital Filing (25%)
  • Digital Storage Framework
    • Create or update a digital storage framework for all legal documents.
    • Develop and maintain an organized digital repository accessible to authorized personnel.
    • Ensure the repository is robust by implementing necessary updates and improvements as needed.
  • Document Management
    • Store old and new legal documents in appropriate digital locations.
    • Organize and store legal agreements for efficient retrieval according to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
    • Draft a key summary details checklist document for all agreements.
  • Maintenance and Compliance
    • Identify legal documents that are missing, lost, or need updating.
    • Implement mechanisms for timely agreement renewals.
    • Create standardized agreement template attachments for relevant team members to complete, with Legal Counsel's oversight.
    • Oversee the operations of the overall digital process on the legal SOPs with support from IT.
• Know Your Customer (KYC) Processes, Due Diligence & Compliance (20%)
  • KYC Procedures
    • Oversee and strengthen Legal KYC procedures to ensure compliance.
    • Integrate requirements from the organization's policies, lawful, and regulatory requirements.
  • KYC Systems Management
    • Update KYC tracking systems using platforms like Monday.com and Excel.
  • Governance and Policy Research
    • Research WWF network governance policies and create key findings that affect the organization's business operations.
• Legal Documents Management (25%)
  • Drafting and Reviewing
    • Assist Legal Counsel or lead (with Legal Counsel's oversight) in drafting, reviewing, and amending legal documents in various forms.
    • Compare agreements to ensure consistency and compliance.
  • Agreement Templates Development
    • Assist Legal Counsel or lead (with Legal Counsel's oversight) in updating all current ENWWF templates.
    • Create new templates that did not exist prior.
    • Revise and introduce standard clauses in all agreement templates with Legal Counsel's oversight.
• Legal Research and Compliance (15%)
  • Legal Updates
    • Update Legal Counsel on any new laws, decrees, rules, and regulations that affect the organization's business needs.
    • Provide key summary facts on how such laws impact the organization.
  • Standard Clauses Research
    • Thoroughly research airtight standard clauses favorable to the organization and standardize them to be embedded within the templates.

Required Qualifications

• Degree and Experience
  • Degree in Law
  • 3+ years of experience in a legal role, preferably within the non-profit sector
  • Fluency in Arabic and English
  • High level of cultural sensitivity and awareness with the ability to work in a multi-cultural setting
  • Proven knowledge and/or experience in the non-profit sector, preferably environmental non-government organizations
• Technical Skills
  • Proficient in MS Office Suite such as Word, Excel, and Outlook for creating, managing, and communicating legal documents and reports
  • Familiarity with platforms like Monday.com for tracking tasks, managing agreements, and collaborating with teams
  • Knowledge of online document storage solutions such as Box or SharePoint for organizing and securing legal documents
  • Skilled in drafting, reviewing, and amending various legal documents, including agreements and policies
  • Experience with tools that facilitate the lifecycle management of contracts, ensuring efficient tracking and renewal processes
• Soft Skills
  • Exceptional accuracy in managing and reviewing legal documents to ensure compliance and minimize errors
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • Strong capability to manage multiple tasks, prioritize effectively, and maintain an organized workflow under tight deadlines
  • Demonstrates initiative in identifying areas for improvement and implementing solutions to enhance processes and operations

Experience and Skills Required

• Previous relative experience with a proven track record of leading a professional, efficient, high-quality, service-oriented operation
• Friendly and approachable with proven acumen in 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 the ability to work in a multi-cultural setting
• Proactive nature
• Good use of initiative
• Efficient problem solver
• High attention to detail
• Proficient in MS Office
• 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 UAE and global best practices.
• 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.

Working Relationships

• Internal: Works with all units within the organization.
• External: Works with external stakeholders such as Government entities, international and local Corporates, Individual Donors.

Additional Information

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.

How To Apply

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 Associate Manager - Legal' to the attention of Ms. Magdalena Tayoun at before 31st January 2025.

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

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