Senior Manager for Africa, Pro Bono Services at International Center for Reproductive Rights

The Role: Reporting directly the Senior Manager for Africa, Pro Bono and within region supervision by the Africa Head of Legal Strategies the Senior Manager, Pro Bono Services and will assist in deepening and leading the Center's initiative to develop and expand its African network of pro bono resources, raise the Center's profile in the legal community, and collaboratively work with Center staff, regional Africa NGOs, legal aid organizations, the local bar, and the private law firm sector to institutionalize pro bono in the Africa region. The Senior Manager will collaboratively develop and advance a proactive pro bono agenda to support the Center's strategy to build, defend, and enforce reproductive rights through an expansive pro bono network and the development of pro bono partnership models to increase and optimize the Center's litigation and advocacy capacity. In collaboration with colleagues in the Center's Pro Bono Program, and the Regional Africa Program, the Senior Manager will ensure the Center's visibility and leadership on issues related to pro bono and connect the regional pro bono engagement to the Center's pro bono efforts in other regions.

The Senior Manager for Africa, Pro Bono will be based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Assist in conceptualizing, designing, and implementing a pro bono agenda to expand and deepen the network of pro bono law firms and attorneys in Africa.
• Lead the recruitment and management of the Africa regional pro bono and advocacy network through cultivation meetings, Center presentations, and collaboration with Center staff [ specify relevant units].
• In collaboration with the pro bono team, manage the referral of pro bono projects, including the facilitation of the pro bono relationship with the Center liaison for the project.
• Work with the Africa team to fully integrate pro bono into all aspects of the region's litigation and advocacy strategy to advance reproductive rights.
• Collaborate with staff to develop pro bono projects and models to address specific regional challenges.
• Assist in building, managing, and cultivating clearinghouses for legal representation for clients and other partners who may face common legal issues or litigation.
• Build the capacity of regional partners through the engagement of pro bono resources and act as the liaison for the relationships between the Center's partners and pro bono law firms.
• Assist in the development of onboarding and capacity building programs for new pro bono partners.
• Participate in regional, national, and local pro bono working groups, committees, professional associations, coalitions, and networks to ensure the Center's visibility and solidify its leadership in advancing a pro bono culture in the region.
• ,In collaboration with other members of the pro bono and program teams, develop proposals for national and international pro bono conferences.
• Develop externally facing materials and publications that highlight the Center's pro bono work in region.
• Any other relevant duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• A degree in Law (LLM) and an LLM preferably in Human rights law
• Be a practicing lawyer eligible to work as an Advocate in the High Court of Kenya and within the Africa Jurisdiction .
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience such as involvement with a pro bono practice at a human rights non-profit, law firm or bar association.
• Experience living and working in Africa.
• Experience in cultivating relationships with members of the private bar, convening meetings and events, and building partnerships.
• Highly innovative, creative, and collaborative; ability to thrive in a start-up project environment.
• Strong writing skills, including an ability to convey complicated matters to broad audiences; comfort with public speaking and presenting.
• Ability to develop and implement a strategic, multi-pronged advocacy strategy with short and long-term objectives.
• Strong inter-personal skills and ability to build relationships with stakeholders from a variety of sectors.
• Project management experience, including experience in planning and executing a variety of events and of leading projects or specific efforts.
• Ability to travel, mostly regionally and occasionally to New York, London, or Europe
• Ability to work well with competing priorities, meet deadlines, and manage workflow processes involving multiple people.
• Demonstrated experience and judgment working both collaboratively and independently.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office; experience with webinar management, Salesforce, Convio, or other CRMs, and FiscalNote a plus; and
• Bachelor's degree required; JD or other advanced degree preferred.

Critical Competencies:

• Strategic thinking: Applies big-picture thinking while also focusing on the details of implementation.
• Decisiveness: Consistently makes sound decisions in a timely manner supportive of the Center's mission, core values, and strategic objectives. Blends vision and judgment.
• Collaboration: Brings a track record of working effectively with various and diverse individuals and groups, and a willingness to actively listen and invite different views and opinions across all levels of the institution to build alignment in support of a common goal.
• Receives and Provides Direct Feedback: Actively gives and requests feedback to and from peers, supervisors and direct reports (if applicable) about work products, behaviors, values, style and approaches with a view on how this impacts self, other individuals and teams.
• Transparency: Consistently applies openness and honesty in communicating decisions and plans to team members.
• Commitment to learn: Applies a growth mentality to their own and their team's (if applicable) development. Promotes a culture of learning by modeling inquisitiveness and an openness to viewing mistakes as an opportunity to learn and improve.
• Passion for Coaching, and Mentoring Staff: Empowers and motivates employees and creates opportunities for learning, development, and leadership, with a focus on harnessing skills for the future development of team members. (if applicable)
• Accountability: Follows through on each commitment made to individual contributors, teams and partners and proactively informs others of any delays that occur along the way. Holds team members accountable.
• Integrity: Possesses impeccable integrity and personal and professional values that are consistent with the Center's high standards and mission.
• Empathy: Serves as an empathetic, approachable leader who engenders trust and confidence. (if applicable)
• Adaptability/Flexibility: Demonstrates comfort with ambiguity and calculated risk.