Regional Offices Legal Assistant- CIMMYT
Legal
Nairobi, Kenya
Posted on Jul 15, 2026
About Us
CIFOR & ICRAF in action
Landscape Alliance transforms science into action, unlocking the power of trees, forests and agroforestry landscapes to advance planetary health and human well-being. It is the shared operating name of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), two independent International Organizations and CGIAR Research Centers working together through a common strategy, governance and leadership structure.
CIFOR and ICRAF bring together decades of scientific leadership in forests, trees, agroforestry, biodiversity, climate, food systems and livelihoods. CIFOR, headquartered in Bogor, Indonesia, advances research on forests and landscape management to inform policies and practices that improve human well-being, protect the environment and increase equity. ICRAF, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, harnesses the benefits of trees for people and the environment, generating knowledge that helps governments, development partners and farmers make farming and livelihoods more sustainable.
Overview
About our organization: CIMMYT is a cutting edge, non-profit, international organization dedicated to solving tomorrow's problems today. It is entrusted with fostering improved quantity, quality, and dependability of production systems and basic cereals such as maize, wheat, triticale, sorghum, millets, and associated crops through applied agricultural science, particularly in the Global South, through building strong partnerships. This combination enhances the livelihood trajectories and resilience of millions of resource-poor farmers, while working towards a more productive, inclusive, and resilient agrifood system within planetary boundaries. For more information, visit: cimmyt.org CIMMYT is hosted by World Agroforestry (ICRAF), a member of the CGIAR that is headquartered on United Nations Avenue, Nairobi, Kenya. We invite you to learn more about CIMMYT and World Agroforestry by accessing our web sites: www.cimmyt.org and www.worldagroforestry.org CIMMYT is looking for a: Regional Offices Legal Assistant The Regional Offices Legal Assistant is an in-house lawyer who provides legal support for CIMMYT operations in the regional offices. This role shall ensure the effective application and implementation of standardization initiatives, ensuring coherence between global policies and regional operation.
Job Description
1. Contract Management Lifecycle.
- Support the contract lifecycle, assisting with drafting from approved templates, formatting, version control, amendment, release, and quality control for agreements entered into by CIMMYT with national and international public and private entities, under the direction of the Regional Legal Counsel and in coordination with the Operations Legal Counsel at HQ Legal.
- Perform contract management activities (intake, verification, follow-up of documents, signature preparation, and processing (Cover Sheet Preparation and Adobe Sign process) and execution tracking through the CLM.
2. Regional Legal Control Desk.
- Maintain matter files, records of regional agreements and host country instruments, and version histories, observing the Department's confidentiality and need-to-know protocols.
- Operate the regional legal control desk assigning, following up, and processing tickets and requests through the Department's systems.
- Support the updating, creation, and implementation of processes, practices, guidelines, procedures, and workflow optimization that improve the day-to-day efficiency of the legal function and advance the Regional Legal Operating Model.
- Support the rollout and adoption of Legal Department tools (Ticketing System, CLM, Adobe Sign, D365) within the region and among internal clients, including workflow automation.
- Support the maintenance of processes, KPIs, and dashboards that enable accurate and timely service and the continuous improvement of CLM processes, including automation and reporting.
3. Regional Legal administrative Tasks.
- Provide administrative and document support to the Regional Legal Counsel across the regional portfolio.
- Assist with coordination of external counsel: assembling instruction packages, collecting documents, tracking deadlines, and monitoring invoices and fee follow-up, under the direction of the Regional Legal Counsel.
- Maintain trackers of regional deadlines, renewals, and obligations, and provide timely reminders.
- Prepare agendas, attend meetings, take minutes, capture and follow up on action items, and prepare briefing materials for participants, coordinating across time zones with HQ Legal.
- Maintain lists, status charts, and matter/agreement data integral to the Department; curate agreement and document databases.
- Track and report a high volume of tasks daily through the Department's dashboards and KPI tools to support progress updates to relevant areas.
- Carry out administrative tasks including expense reports, payment processing, travel arrangements, advances, accommodation, and documentation; liaise with Procurement on services, purchases, equipment, and supplies for the Department.
- Provide other support as directed by the supervisor.
Requirements
- A law degree from a reputable university.
- Minimum of 3 years' experience in a legal support, paralegal, or contract administration role in a company, law firm, or international organization.
- Full professional proficiency in English (minimum C1 CEFR; test administered).
- Proficient computer skills (at a minimum Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat); familiarity with CLM systems (ICERTIS an advantage) and willingness to learn and master new tools.
Education, Experience and Technical skills
•A law degree from a reputable university. •Minimum of 3 years' experience in a legal support, paralegal, or contract administration role in a company, law firm, or international organization. •Full professional proficiency in English (minimum C1 CEFR; test administered). •Proficient computer skills (at a minimum Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat); familiarity with CLM systems (ICERTIS an advantage) and willingness to learn and master new tools.
Personal Attributes and Competencies
•Excellent organizational, writing, research, and communication skills, including the ability to handle legal documentation accurately and to communicate clearly with non-legal stakeholders. •Ability to maintain the highest level of confidentiality and discretion. •A demonstrated sense of urgency and commitment to responsibilities and deadlines. •Competencies: Proactivity, Communication, Problem Solving, Achievement Orientation, Flexibility/Adaptability, Multicultural Awareness/Sensitivity, Teamwork, Time Management, and Collaboration
Terms and conditions
•This is a Locally Recruited Staff (LRS) position. CIFOR-ICRAF offers a competitive remuneration package commensurate with experience and qualifications. In Kenya, employment contracts are issued under ICRAF in compliance with Kenyan labour law. Locally recruited staff are eligible for a non-contributory pension scheme, comprehensive medical insurance, paid annual and statutory leave, and learning and development opportunities in line with CIFOR-ICRAF policies. •The appointment will be for a period of two (2) years, inclusive of a six-month probationary period, with the possibility of extension contingent upon performance, continued relevance of the position and available resources. •The duty station will be in Nairobi, Kenya. •We will acknowledge all applications but will only contact short-listed candidates.
