Job Title: Legal Manager (Tax & Fiscal Reform)
Salary Range: Competitive, depending on experience and location
Responsible/Reports to: Executive Director
Contract type: Permanent
Location: Office premises located in central London. Flexibility on location could be arranged with the right candidate, particularly if located in Sub-Saharan Africa, including possibility of location in partner office in Nairobi.
Hours: Full time. 25 days’ holiday. Flexible working available.
We are looking to recruit an experienced individual with a background in economics, public finance and/or tax law to join our small but dynamic team. The role focuses on promoting fairer and more effective economics, fiscal policy tools and taxation policies to help meet development goals, including enhanced rule of law and sustainability, with a particular focus on countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, and increasingly in Latin America.
You will develop projects with a range of clients and partners, including governments and government bodies (such as revenue authorities), as well as international agencies, NGOs and CSOs who focus on public finance, debt and taxation reform, to promote sustainable economic development. Projects are likely to include advising and supporting developing countries and civil society to develop strategies to meet the challenges of the international tax system and to support debt reform; assisting governments to combat tax avoidance and evasion, including implementation of the OECD Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) programme; and drafting and reviewing tax policies, legislation and regulations, including fiscal measures aimed at addressing climate change and relevant ESG reporting standards. The successful candidate should also have the flexibility to work on contemporary emerging issues in fiscal reform.
The role encompasses the full project cycle, so will also involve fundraising and project management, fulfilling compliance obligations (including providing information for budgets, donor reports and board reporting), and evaluating and learning from projects.
Key Responsibilities:
● Build and maintain ILP’s tax and fiscal reform programme, including engaging in outreach and pitching to pro bono clients to build the project pipeline;
● Develop an understanding of the most effective fiscal policy tools and legal interventions to deliver the programme’s objectives, through engagement with volunteer lawyers, ILP partners, ILP’s Tax Advisory Group and others;
● Liaise with government representatives and civil society to identify legal/policy needs and offer potential legal and/or policy reform solutions, including through conducting legal analysis;
● Map and develop relationships with regional and international development entities and other technical assistance providers to identify potential partners, needs and focus countries;
● Lead fundraising efforts to support both the programme and organisational overheads;
● Deepen ILP’s knowledge and understanding of the situation in developing economies, including engaging in relevant research alongside ILP partners (pro bono lawyers, NGOs, CSOs and others) and sharing findings via written reports and output;
● Identify, seek out and build strong relationships with highly experienced volunteer lawyers;
● Ensure effective project delivery and evaluation of impact including:
○ Managing & coordinating project implementation through the full project cycle;
○ Delivering financial management for assignments including accurate budgeting, forecasting, accounting and reporting;
○ Supporting the development and maintenance of strong programme management and knowledge management systems and processes.
● Share in the necessary operational activities of the organisation. This includes some administration, line management of legal fellow(s), and contributions to website and social media communications.
Candidate Profile
We are especially interested in candidates with the following skills and experience:
• Significant, relevant experience and knowledge relating to tax and fiscal policy in an international development context;
• A qualified lawyer or a good understanding of how law is useful to achieving reform on the above;
• Strong interpersonal and team working skills;
• Demonstrable project management skills and experience;
• Ability to develop and manage relationships with a range of stakeholders, including donors, NGOs and civil society organisations, and government representatives, on an international basis;
● Experience or demonstrable ability in donor management, both in managing existing relationships and in raising funds for future projects and activities;
● Familiarity with, or understanding and enthusiasm for the concept and practice of, pro bono legal assistance;
● Deep understanding (either from previous work experience or study) of key issues in sustainable international development, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals;
● Very high level of fluency in spoken and written English (necessary) and another language used in Sub-Saharan Africa such as French, Portuguese, Swahili (desirable).
● Comfortable working independently and proactively and as part of a small team;
● Strong administration and coordination experience;
● Experience in developing countries and transitional economies.
Key details about the position
● Visa sponsorship: we are open to sponsoring a UK visa application for an extraordinary candidate.
● Travel: candidates must be willing and able to travel internationally, including fulfilling vaccination and other requirements.
● Our genuine support for diversity and disabilities is illustrated by our current team.
How to apply
Applications should be submitted to contact@internationallawyersproject.org by 2 April 2023.
Interviews are likely to take place during the week of 10 April 2023.
To be considered applications must include the following:
1. An updated CV of no more than three pages;
2. A cover letter of no more than two pages which concisely explains why you are interested in the role and how you meet all the requirements set out in the Candidate Profile.
ILP is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes the opportunity to discuss possible modifications to make the interview process and job accessible to all qualified candidates.
The International Lawyers Project is a network of talented and passionate pro bono lawyers drawn from diverse countries and cultures across the globe. We mobilise teams of legal experts to support the policy and legal needs of poor communities and reform movements. Our client-partners are civil society organisations, parliamentarians, community groups and investigative journalists.
Founded in the UK in 2005, we are staffed by a group of lawyers dedicated to using the law to achieve economic and environmental justice through strategic pro bono legal support. Since then we have supported partner clients in more than 100 countries.
We are proud to have a diverse staff and volunteer team reflective of the communities we support, from Africa, Asia, Europe, the UK, and the USA, with extensive expertise in our focus areas as well as law and international development. We work primarily in the Global South, with active projects across Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Asia. As a charity, our ultimate aim is to help our clients to create long-lasting change in some of the world’s poorest regions.
Our vision is a just and sustainable world in which the law serves as a tool for those who need it most.
How we use the law
Law is essential to challenging injustice and creating socially and environmentally just societies. Conversely, failing or imbalanced legal systems maintain and expand privilege, sustain impunity of powerful and malign actors, and, through corruption, illicit financial flows and environmental degradation, rob the world’s poorest of democratic accountability and the resources they need to lead flourishing lives. Through supporting strategic litigation, policy development, legislative reform, capacity training and measures for enforcement of the law, we help civic actors and movements to secure positive changes for communities and the environment.
Our Impact
For every £1 donated we provide £15 worth of pro bono legal support. This is expert advice which would otherwise be beyond the financial reach of our clients. By mobilising our global pro bono support networks we’re able to achieve an impressive impact with a relatively small but highly nimble team.