Job summary:
The
ideal candidate should be a qualified lawyer with a minimum of 10 years’ legal
experience, the first 3-4 years should preferably have been gleaned in private
practice in a well – established law firm. A strong background in intellectual
property rights and research is desired to provide the necessary legal and
technical support required to steer the university in its quest to become a
teaching and research institution.
This
position will report to the Director, Legal Services and Governance, and the
primary emphasis will be on legal aspects of the university’s sponsored
research programs, including compliance with legal and regulatory requirements
as well as intellectual property and technology transfer matters.
Key Responsibilities/Tasks/Duties:
The
selected candidate will have responsibility for providing support to the
Director-Legal Services, research administrators, and for recommending and
working with external counsel when needed. Key requirements for this position
include experience in the management of:-
- Sponsored projects compliance, including
administrative requirements, cost principles, audit requirements, special
terms and conditions, contracts, and sponsor audits;
- Substantive research compliance areas,
including human subjects’ research, animal care and use, research
misconduct, and export controls;
- Conflicts of interest in the research
context;
- Research-related agreements, such as
sponsored research agreements, non-disclosure agreements, teaming
agreements, research collaboration agreements, data use agreements,
material transfer agreements, and sub-awards, including negotiations with
sponsoring agencies;
- Procurement issues related to sponsored
projects;
- Intellectual property and technology
transfer and licensing matters, including familiarity with the negotiation
and review of intellectual property terms in sponsored research.
The
selected candidate will also work with the Partnerships & External Linkages
Department, respective Schools and the Research office on the following
matters: –
- Review of legal templates for SLAs, MoUs
and sub-awards.
- Corporate sponsored research, joint
ventures, and strategic alliances;
- Start-ups, start-up equity, government
commercialization funding;
- Conflicts of interest.
The
ideal candidate will also have experience in the following areas: –
- Privacy, including access to data and
other legal requirements for research purposes, and protection of data
collected in the course of performing research;
- Familiarity with copyright law, including
drafting and negotiating copyright licenses and assignment agreements,
advising on fair use and other copyright law exceptions; understanding of
copyright law issues with respect to the online environment; &
- Familiarity with trademark law, including
trademark clearance and prior art searches and the ability to assist with
trademark applications and renewals.
- Familiarity with Budgeting, including
assisting with development of long-term integrated and cross-functional
operational plans.
- Familiarity with Strategic Planning with
ability to operationalize strategy into action for the Legal Function.
- Familiarity with company secretarial
work, including advising Boards on Strategy, Compliance and Governance
issues.
Academic & Professional Qualifications
- A Bachelor’s Degree in law (LLB) and a
CPS (K).
- An Advocate of the High Court of Kenya
with a valid Practising Certificate and a member in good standing with the
Law Society of Kenya;
- A certified Public Secretary with a valid
Practising certificate and a member in good standing with the Institute of
Certified Secretaries (ICS).
- Experience working in-house and
additional qualifications in Organisational Development and/or Strategic
Planning will be an added advantage.
Key Competencies
- Have proven interpersonal skills;
- Executive disposition;
- Management and leadership qualities;
- Possess excellent oral and written
communication skills;
- Computer literate;
- Good organizational skills;
- Discretion for working with confidential
information; &
- Ability to work independently within
established procedures and policies.
How To Apply
If
you have the requisite qualifications and experience and desire to work as a
team member in a modern, progressive, international, and multicultural
institution where you can make a difference, please apply indicating in the
subject line “Principal
Legal Counsel“. Interested applicants must provide a cover
letter and a current CV, certified copies of educational certificates and
transcripts, names and addresses of three referees, current salary and
benefits, telephone and e-mail contacts by 5.00pm, Sunday, May 19, 2024 to:
Director
Administration, United States International University – Africa,
P. O. Box 14634-00800, Nairobi, Kenya
Email: jobs-legal@usiu.ac.ke