BACKGROUND
The Hans Foundation (THF), established in 2009, is a Public Charitable Trust that works towards creating an equitable society to enhance quality of life for all through the empowerment of marginalized and underprivileged communities in India. The Hans Foundation works for the Health and Wellbeing of remote and under-served groups, with an additional focus on children, persons with disabilities and women. THF also works for holistic Education and Livelihood development of our communities. Our Two-Fold Strategy involves identifying and working within Aspirational Districts and high poverty index in the North, North-East and East regions within specific states, as well as catering to lower-income and migratory populations in cities, through urban programs.
Over its 15 years of existence, THF has reached more than 57 million beneficiaries through its programs. THF works with communities through direct implementation of projects on the ground in addition to providing local management and monitoring support to not-for-profit organizations in India funded through THF USA and RIST.
1. General Information
Location: Gurugram
Type of Employment: Permanent
No. of position: 1
Reporting to: Director – Finance and Accounts
2. Job Purpose
Manager – Legal will head the Legal function at The Hans Foundation, ensuring the organization's adherence to all applicable legal requirements and independently managing legal matters, including litigation, across regions. The incumbent will apply their legal expertise to reduce blockages to day-to-day activities and provide strategic legal direction in areas typically including:
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Regulatory law
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Employment and Labour law
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Contract law
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Regulation of medical practices
The role requires providing legal counsel, independently managing cases and litigation across jurisdictions, monitoring legal compliance, and effectively communicating legal matters to internal and external stakeholders, including management, donors, regulatory bodies and external parties.
3. Key Accountabilities
Legal Compliance & Regulatory Advisory
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Identify and apply legal obligations applicable to THF under the relevant legal framework, including labour law and regulatory law.
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Keep up to date with changes in relevant laws, including labour laws and administrative/regulatory law, and contribute to enhancing THF's internal legal knowledge base.
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Support THF's compliance on any regulatory matters concerning ongoing projects in liaising with THF`s Legal Advisors
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Ensure compliance with internal controls, statutory regulations and formalities across all regions of operation.
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Maintain working knowledge of the POSH Act, 2013, and provide legal advisory support on POSH-related matters including inquiries & submission of POSH Annual Report, when required.
Litigation & Representation
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Independently manage and handle legal cases – including civil, criminal, labour and other proceedings – arising in any region/jurisdiction, representing THF before the appropriate courts, tribunals and authorities wherever required.
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Liaise independently with labour courts, labour commissioners and other statutory/regulatory authorities across states on employment and labour-related matters.
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Represent THF as an authorized representative in legal, regulatory and quasi-judicial matters.
Title & Due Diligence
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Conduct title search and due diligence on land/property matters, and prepare title search reports for THF's acquisitions, leases and land-related transactions.
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Flag title defects, encumbrances or risks and recommend mitigation before transactions proceed.
Internal Investigations
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Conduct or support internal investigations into matters flagged within the organization, including evidence/document review and interviews as needed.
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Prepare investigation reports and recommend corrective/disciplinary action in coordination with HR and senior management, liaising with THF's Legal Advisor where required.
Contracts & Documentation
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Draft and negotiate agreements, leases, legal forms, contracts, MoUs, statements and other official documents on behalf of the organization, liaising with THF's Legal Advisor from the initial stage where required.
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Independently draft responses to legal notices, queries and show-cause matters and escalating to senior team members as needed.
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Clarify legal language, positions and specifications for personnel across the organization.
Policy Formation & Training
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Draft new organizational policies as & when required and periodically review/update existing policies to reflect legal and regulatory changes & liaising with THF's Legal Advisor wherever required.
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Design and deliver training sessions to employees and regional teams on organizational policies and their legal implications whenever required.
Risk & Governance
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Identify and analyse legal and administrative risks arising from organizational practices, and independently drive resolution of the same.
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Design and implement action plans for recommended legal and compliance strategies in liaising with THF's Legal Advisor.
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Assess and manage risk in operational processes and assist senior management in decision-making.
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Provide strategic legal inputs on operational matters to support organizational decision-making liaising with THF's Legal Advisor.
Records, Reporting & Team
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Maintain records and periodically update the status of all litigation through THF`s legal Advisor, and legal cases handled across regions.
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Develop and maintain a centralized legal case dashboard/tracker across all regions, providing periodic status reports to senior management.
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Ensure effective archiving and documentation procedures across all legal matters.
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Guide and mentor team members in case handling and compliance matters.
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Perform any other duties assigned by management.
4. Other Indicative Requirements
Educational Qualification
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LL.B. from a university recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Bar Council of India (BCI).
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LL.M. from a university recognized by the UGC and BCI will be an added advantage.
Functional / Technical Skills and Relevant Experience & Other requirements (Behavioural, Language, Certifications etc.)
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Minimum 8–10 years of relevant experience in Legal, with demonstrated ability to independently manage legal cases and litigation; experience in the development sector preferred
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Strong hands-on experience in Labour law, including independently liaising with and appearing before regional/state labour courts, labour commissioners and industrial tribunals
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Proven track record of independently handling legal cases across multiple regions/jurisdictions without close supervision
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Excellent legal analysis and drafting skills.
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Ability to work with multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams.
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Strong organizational, prioritization and time-management skills.
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Proficiency in arbitration and mediation skills.
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High degree of professional ethics and integrity.
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Excellent communication, presentation, interpersonal and stakeholder-management skills
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Willingness to travel extensively across regions for case management and litigation matters
THF is an equal opportunity employer that encourages women, people with disabilities and those from economically and socially excluded communities with the requisite skills and qualifications to apply for positions. We do not discriminate in employment on the basis of caste, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other such matter.
