Legal Drafting Senior Coordinator (English/Spanish)

Heifer International (“Heifer”) is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with some form of disability.

About Heifer International

In 1944, Heifer International’s founder, Dan West, began outlining a simple but groundbreaking plan to tackle hunger around the world. West, a farmer from the Midwest and Church of the Brethren member, had recently returned from feeding weary refugees during volunteer service in the Spanish Civil War.

He had seen firsthand that giving people food was a short-term solution, whereas providing them with animals offered a steady supply of nutritious food for an entire family. His philosophy still inspires Heifer’s work today. Partnering with farmers across a range of different livestock and crops, we create unique solutions to local challenges.

Today, Heifer International has operations in 19 countries around the world, working alongside local farmers, business owners and their communities, as they mobilize and envision their futures. Together, we build inclusive, resilient economies, so communities can develop effective ways to end global hunger and poverty in a sustainable way.

To date, we have supported more than 42 million farming families across Africa, Asia and the Americas and in the past five years alone. We have worked alongside 2.7 million families to close the living income gap or set them on a path to doing so. Between now and 2030, we will support an additional 10 million people to reach a living income by scaling up our signature programs. To achieve this, Heifer International relies on its passionate, committed, and highly skilled staff.

ROLE FUNCTION

The Legal Drafting Senior Coordinator supports Heifer’s Legal Services department by drafting, reviewing, revising, and improving contracts, grant agreements, policies, procedures, training materials, and other transactional documents used in the jurisdictions where Heifer operates. Working under the direction and supervision of a licensed attorney, the Legal Drafting Senior Coordinator applies approved templates and standards, identifies issues for escalation, coordinates with internal stakeholders and local counsel, and supports negotiation, approval, and execution. The Legal Drafting Manager will collaborate with all of Heifer’s areas in this role, including the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Asia. Professional fluency in English and Spanish, including the ability to read, write, and discuss complex contractual and business matters in both languages, is required.

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE

The Legal Drafting Senior Coordinator must lead and own assigned areas of responsibility and exercise sound judgment, accountability, adaptability, timeliness, attention to detail, and responsiveness.

RESPONSIBILITIES & DELIVERABLES

Drafting, Reviewing, and Improving Legal Documents (70%)

• Drafting, reviewing, and improving various contracts, grant agreements, and transactional documents, under the direction and supervision of a licensed attorney, to be utilized in jurisdictions in which Heifer carries out its work. This may require coordinating with local counsel in countries where Heifer carries out its work. Deliverables include:
• Independent Contractor Agreements
• Grant and Project-related Agreements
• Memoranda of Understanding
• Confidentiality Agreements
• Employment/Separation Agreements
• License Agreements
• Software/SaaS Agreements
• Cooperation Agreements
• Lease Agreements
• Loan Agreements
• Promissory Notes
• Construction Agreements
• Powers of Attorney
• Waivers
• Policies and Procedures
• Training Materials
• Best Practices
• Various other agreements and legal documents

Training on Legal Contracts and Grants (20%)

• Prepare and provide staff trainings, under the direction and supervision of a licensed attorney, on grant and contract drafting, review, and negotiation.
• Train Contract Specialists and other staff in matters related to contracts and grant agreements
• Create, implement, and conduct other various grant and contract trainings

Miscellaneous Legal Tasks (10%)

• Assist in maintaining legal templates
• Assist in developing best practices
• Review and verify invoices
• May perform other job-related duties as assigned

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree related to writing, business, and/or the legal field.
• Minimum 6-7 years of substantive experience in drafting, reviewing, and improving contracts and grant agreements, including experience handling increasingly complex agreements with substantial independence.
• Professional fluency in English and Spanish, including the ability to read, write, and discuss complex contractual and business matters in both languages.
• Ability to draft, review, and improve contracts and grant agreements in a dynamic, demanding environment.
• Preferred Requirements:
• Experience in the legal field is preferred. Admission to practice law is not required for this non-attorney position.
• Experience working or volunteering with nonprofit or mission-driven organizations.
• General understanding of 501(c)(3) charities.
• Previous nonprofit experience.

Most Critical Proficiencies:

• Exceptional drafting, editing, proofreading, and plain-language communication skills.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Word and experience using organization-approved AI-assisted drafting and document-review tools.
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to manage administrative matters, including grant/contract workflow and database.

Essential Job Functions and Physical Demands:

• Frequent in-person, telephonic, and electronic communication (both in the US and internationally).
• Relate to, and communicate professionally and effectively with, a diverse group of individuals from various cultures.
• Maintain a flexible schedule to accommodate time zone differences existing in an international organization.
• Work under pressure, perform multiple tasks, and manage consistently competing priorities in a rapidly changing environment.
• Work well independently and in teams.
• Manage a large number of projects involving numerous parties.
• Work with sensitive information and maintain confidentiality and discretion.
• Produce and present documents in a well-designed and attractive format.
• May require working at a computer for extended periods.
• Willingness to travel locally and internationally.

Salary Information:

• The U.S. salary range for this position is $82,000 to 92,000. Placement within the range will be based on the experience and competency level of the candidate. Please submit a technical writing sample which demonstrates your expertise in legal drafting.
• This is a regional position, accepting candidates from the United States, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Mexico. The expected range for candidates outside of the U.S. will align to Heifer’s pay scales for the individual country the candidate resides in. Please share your salary expectations in your application.

What We Offer:

• Heifer International offers a variety of benefits for U.S. based employees working 30 or more hours per week.
• Health and wellness benefits including Flexible Spending Account and/or Health Saving Account
• Employee assistance program
• 403(b) retirement plan (match 1% employee to 2% employer up to a maximum of 4% match +3% employer discretionary contribution regardless of employee contribution)
• 22 vacation days in addition to 12 statutory and discretionary holidays, and 10 sick days per year
• Employer-paid life insurance and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D)
• Professional development and annual merit increase opportunities
• Optional critical illness insurance, legal assistance plan and pet protection
• And more!

Heifer is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with some form of disability.