The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) is seeking a dynamic and organized intellectual property (IP) and legal assistant–junior lawyer to strengthen its IP and Legal Unit, which provides IP management and legal services to CIMMYT scientific and administrative personnel in developing countries around the world. CIMMYT’s mission is to sustainably increase the productivity of maize and wheat systems to ensure global food security and reduce poverty. The IP and Legal Unit help by ensuring that intellectual property assets acquired, used, and generated for the improvement of maize and wheat cropping systems are as free as possible from encumbrances to their distribution and use by researchers and small-to-intermediate-scale farmers and agricultural enterprises in the developing world.
The selected candidate will engage in the following activities:
1. Liaise with CIMMYT research and management staff to provide legal advice in contractual and transactional matters.
2. Draft and analyze contractual agreements.
3. Assess the freedom to operate for access and use of third party information and technologies by CIMMYT projects.
4. Compile and assess information on the legal environment (seed, biosafety, IP laws, and regulations) in which CIMMYT information, seed, and agricultural technologies are deployed.
5. Assist in devising legal/commercial strategies to disseminate and deploy CIMMYT information, seed, and agricultural technologies.
6. Contribute to the organization and maintenance of an electronic database of CIMMYT agreements, contracts, and licenses.
7. Help in implementing and updating legal regulatory policies and procedures.
8. Contribute to the dissemination among CIMMYT staff of information on IP and legal and regulatory policies and procedures.
We are seeking candidates with the following qualifications/skills:
1. A bachelor's degree in law, with an emphasis on commercial/corporate/business law.
2. At least two-years' experience in contracts and transactions in commercial/corporate law.
3. Sound skills in computing and database management.
4. Excellent spoken and written English, at a professional level.
5. Good knowledge (spoken and written) of another language, such as Spanish and/or Mandarin, would be a significant advantage.
6. Capacity to communicate legal matters to non-legal people.
7. Demonstrated ability to work collegially and collaboratively in a diverse, multi-professional and multicultural environment.
7. Knowledge or experience in an additional technical field (informatics, biology, agriculture) would be an advantage.
The position is based at CIMMYT headquarters near Mexico City. It is for an initial period of two years, with the possibility of periodic renewals, subject to performance and availability of funding. CIMMYT offers an attractive remuneration package including housing allowance, life and health insurance, education allowance (up to grade 12), home leave, retirement fund, and relocation shipping assistance. The CIMMYT campus has recreational and sports facilities and the center offers preschool care and transportation to an international school in Mexico City.
CIMMYT is an equal-opportunity employer and strives for staff diversity in gender and nationality.
Contact:
Apply online no later than 03 November 2010. At www.cimmyt.org, click on “About us – Job Opportunities-2010/16 Position.” Please complete the online application, including your cover letter, competencies and experience for the position, and a detailed CV/resume.
Additional Info:
Employer Type: Other
Job Location: Texcoco, Mexico