M21126 Legal Counsel

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. CIMMYT is a core CGIAR Research Center, a global research partnership for a food-secure future, dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources.  For more information, visit cimmyt.org.

CIMMYT is seeking a organize, with attention to the detail, service-oriented professional, discrete and proactive person for the position of Legal Counsel to be part of the Legal department.

The position will be based at CIMMYT headquarters in Texcoco, State of Mexico, near Mexico City.

Specific duties:

• Contract Life Cycle Management (development, drafting, review, negotiation, amendment and release, quality control and archiving) of grants, subgrants, research collaboration, consultancy, vendor, lease, host country, nondisclosure, and a wide variety of ad hoc agreements entered by CIMMYT with its national and international (private and public) partners and service providers, globally
• Support the implementation and adoption of CIMMYT’s intellectual property policies and CGIAR Intellectual Asset Principles, ensuring compliance with these principles, policies, and applicable treaties and laws governing CIMMYT operations. This includes reviewing intellectual property terms in agreements and contracts and preparing related reports.

•  Propose legal strategies, policies, and procedures to disseminate and deploy CIMMYT technologies.

•  Support the implementation of Intellectual Asset management strategies, ensuring compliance and effective execution of technology transfer methodologies, reviewing and negotiating technology license agreements, material transfer agreements, and overseeing research ethics.
• Review and negotiate research and development (R&D) agreements and other Intellectual Asset-related agreements.
• Prepare and manage registrations for Intellectual Property protection, including filing applications and renewals for trademarks, copyrights, PBR and patents.
• Assist in the implementation and management of comprehensive IA database, including Legal Department agreements and IP protection filings.
• Provide legal guidance to scientific team members on intellectual property matters, particularly concerning the use of genetic resources and technologies within CIMMYT's research agenda by conducting thorough analyses of legislation and regulations across various jurisdictions related to intellectual property, plant genetic resources, biosafety, data privacy, digital content, freedom to operate, and other relevant regulatory issues, to support the successful execution of CIMMYT and CGIAR cross-institutional projects.
• Participate in the optimization of processes for legal services processes and guidelines; and assist in ensuring that all critical documents have templates that are regularly reviewed and updated as necessary.
• Oversight of staff, interns, and consultants, including providing mentorship to Legal Department team members in Intellectual Asset management, and assist in the preparation of educational materials for Staff and stakeholders in support of institutional research policies and procedures
• Represent the Legal Department and CIMMYT before different authorities and forums.
• Ensure proper follow-up of entrusted matters, tracking these matters daily in the provided dashboards and KPI monitoring tools that will be used in the preparation of the progress update to the relevant areas
• Coordinate the timely completion of ticketing systems requests for the review and drafting of Intellectual asset content in diverse agreements.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Law. Master’s degree or a specialization in Intellectual Property or Technology Transfer.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in Intellectual Property law within a company, research organization or law firm, ideally in the fields of technology transfer, licensing, and/or patent law.
• Advance English level (C2)
• Experience or knowledge in private and/or public sector industries related to agricultural R&D, biotechnology, genetic resources, or big data is a plus.
• Ability to maintain the highest level of confidentiality and discretion.
• Experience in the management and tracking of Intellectual Asset contractual commitments.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate legal concepts in plain language to scientists, managers, and other non-legal stakeholders.
• Familiarity with the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Nagoya Protocol and legislation on access to genetic resources is an advantage.

Benefits

CIMMYT offers an attractive remuneration package and support for continuous professional development. In addition to the provisions of the Mexican Labor Law our package of benefits includes year-end bonus (40 days), vacation premium (56%), life and medical insurance, supermarket coupons, savings fund, social Mexican benefits (IMSS, SAR / Infonavit).