Who We Are
Mercy Ships is a global faith-based charity that uses hospital ships to bring life-changing surgeries and transformational medical training to people in some of the most challenging contexts along the African coast. For over 40 years, Mercy Ships has been delivering lasting hope and healing through safe surgical care, while working alongside partners and stakeholders to strengthen local healthcare systems in more than 55 countries. Since the inception of this dream by founders Don and Deyon Stephens in 1978, Mercy Ships has served more than 2.7 million direct beneficiaries without regard for race, gender, or religion.
This is a full time, Hybrid opportunity that requires on site work in Lindale, TX.
The Opportunity
Do you have a heart for the hurting and a desire to invest your talents and experiences into a mission with eternal significance? For every transformative surgery that takes place onboard one of our Mercy Ships, there are dozens of men and women being used of the Lord to prepare the way through their vocational gifts and talents!
The Compliance and Safeguarding Officer is the Legal Counsel that oversees the global policy strategy and alignment for Mercy Ships family of organizations, leads the legal investigations, and directs the Safeguarding program. The Compliance and Safeguarding Officer is also a Legal Advisor and representative to Mercy Ships Leaders and the Mercy Ships family of associated charities.
How You'll Contribute
Supervises and supports the functions of:
- Paraprofessionals and support staff in the legal department.
- Safeguarding administrative staff and child safety officers in relevant locations.
- Global Policy and Compliance:
- Set and lead the strategy and tone for global policies in alignment with Mercy Ships Core Values and international organizational culture, Biblical principles, and applicable legal regulations.
- Develop consistency in format, scope, and style for global policies across all disciplines.
- Develop, implement, and enforce procedures and policies to ensure Mercy Ships compliance with applicable legal regulations.
- Conduct consistent risk assessments to recognize areas where Mercy Ships may be vulnerable to non-compliance.
- Liaise with department leadership on the regulatory requirements related to their subject matter.
- Serve on policy development teams across the organization to provide legal counsel and guidance.
- Provide legal advice and guidance to Mercy Ships leadership as directed by General Counsel.
- Provide legal review and approval for legal provisions in policies, contracts, and other documents as directed by General Counsel.
- Develop, lead, manage, and guide paraprofessionals and support staff in the legal department.
- Develop and implement Compliance policies, procedures, training, and follow-up for relevant areas, including anti-corruption, antitrust, anti-money laundering, anti-trafficking, and other related policies.
- Work to harmonize procedures for ensuring compliance with global policies.
Legal Matters and Investigations:
- Draft, review, and assess internal and external contracts and agreements, including leading contract review professionals.
- Provide legal advice to the Mercy Ships family of related charities, including assessing, updating, and maintaining the organization's agreements with international partners.
- Work with People and Culture department to provide legal advice on all P&C matters, issues, and policies, including code of conduct and related policies.
- Develop, implement, lead and manage a lawful, detailed, standard investigation process that reflects the ethos of Mercy Ships Core Values and aligns with local and global legal regulations. Process should include clear guidelines for which investigations may be conducted by P&C business partners and which require legal investigations.
- Lead investigations of reported concerns throughout the Mercy Ships family of organizations.
- Ensure the organization's legal obligations to report to civil authorities are met in a timely manner.
- Draft legal investigation reports and summary reports for management as needed.
- Apply local and global regulatory standards to make recommendations following investigations.
- Maintain accurate, retrievable, and confidential records of investigations.
- Track potential investigations in areas where there are concerns not yet raised to the level of a formal investigation.
- Engage and consult with external counsel when needed.
- Coordinate with Chaplaincy and Member Care for the good of participants in investigations.
- Coordinate with Security and Safety for the good of participants in investigations.
- Create and maintain a reporting process to keep Mercy Ships Executive Leadership Team and Board aware of complete, on-going and even potential investigations, as appropriate.
- Communicate knowledge of deficiencies throughout the organization and collaborate to put in place the training, mentoring, coaching and policies to close gaps.
- Mentor, develop, coach, and support investigators across all Mercy Ships departments, levels, and locations.
Safeguarding:
- Develop and maintain a Global Safeguarding Strategy and Policy.
- Monitor developments in applicable legal regulations and keep the strategy and policy current and advise ELT and/or Board of changes in risk exposures or business efficiencies.
- Provide leadership, management, supervision, and coaching for safeguarding team and administrative staff.
- Monitor reported concerns about safeguarding and child safety from all operating locations of Mercy Ships, internationally.
- Ensure the organization's legal obligations to report to civil authorities are met in a timely manner.
- Develop and facilitate safeguarding and child safety training.
- Mentor, develop, coach, support and guide training facilitators across the Mercy Ships family of organizations.
- Manage the Safeguarding and Child Safety Programs, to include:
- Controlling and updating related documents within the organization's information management systems.
- Controlling relevant records within the organization's information management systems.
- Monitoring the screening of applicants as performed by the P&C department.
- Monitoring the training of staff and crew, including children, and national day volunteers as coordinated by the Learning and Development department.
- Managing the response efforts to all reports of child safety concerns; as directed by General Counsel.
- Ensuring immediate safety steps for affected individuals are implemented at any location which reports active abuse or neglect.
- Managing internal inquiry and working with General Counsel and external investigators, including reviewing the team's reports with senior management and/or the Board.
- Coordinating member care with the organization's Chaplains and external professional care providers as necessary.
- Reporting internally as required.
- Communicating with affected individuals as required.
- Administering approved follow-up plans, including on-going member care and/or improvements to child safety programs.
- Liaise with the Child Safety and Protection Network, to include:
- Representing the organization as a member in matters of governance of the network.
- Responding to requests of the network members for assistance.
- Making requests of network members for assistance as needed.
- Prepare an annual budget for the Safeguarding and Child Safety Program and manage those expenses with the Finance department.
- Other duties as assigned by General Counsel.
The Ideal Candidate
- Subscribe to the Mercy Ships Statement of Faith, Code of Conduct, and Core Values.
- Maintain a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and participate in departmental devotions and ISC and Global Gatherings. Lead department devotions and offer spiritual mentorship to teammates.
- Understand and apply servant leadership, work collaboratively with integrity, and demonstrate accountability.
- Knowledge of and curiosity to learn local, regional, and global law with the ability to apply it to situations and make recommendations.
- Excellent Interpersonal skills.
- Detail oriented.
- Superb written and verbal communication.
- Ability to travel globally and with little notice to support vessels and National Offices, approximately 70-90 days per year.
- Ability to travel to ISC in Texas quarterly, approximately 30-45 days per year.
- Must be able to travel internationally with a current passport.
- Must be able to meet Mercy Ships travel requirements.
- All visitors to a vessel in field service are required to be up to date with WHO-approved vaccines.
Education & Experience
- JD from an ABA Accredited law school.
- Maintain an active bar license in any US jurisdiction.
- International law experience preferred.
- 8 or more years working in an International NGO environment, including experience working in Africa and Europe preferred.
- Experience successfully training lay persons on technical subject matter preferred.
- Experience leading teams and influencing non-report stakeholders preferred.
- Successful completion of Mercy Ships Entry Training will be required within the first year.
This is a paid position. To explore our many Mercy Ships volunteer opportunities, please visit us at: