General Legal Counsel

Overview

General Legal Counsel

🌍 Ready to Shape the Future of a Global Mission Organisation?

Location: Flexible, with a preference for the successful candidate to be based at one of our MAF International entities in the UK/Europe.

Mission Aviation Fellowship International is a truly unique, global not-for-profit Christian mission organisation. For over 80 years, we have used aviation to provide a lifeline to the world’s most isolated communities. We fly emergency medical evacuations, food supplies, disaster relief, and educational support to places roads cannot reach.

We are currently embarking on a major global transformation. We are unifying our historic federated structure into an integrated global organisation. Our goal? To double our impact and meet the needs of more than 5,000 isolated communities by 2045. To help lead this change, we need you.

To help us navigate this exciting future, we are seeking an exceptional legal leader to join as our General Legal Counsel reporting to the CEO.

The Opportunity

This is far more than a traditional legal role. It is a high-impact executive leadership opportunity at the heart of MAF International's global transformation and integration journey.

As General Legal Counsel, you will provide strategic legal leadership, governance oversight, and risk management support across MAF International's global operations. Working across multiple jurisdictions, you will help safeguard the organisation's interests, ensure legal and regulatory compliance, and enable the continued growth of MAF's worldwide ministry.

You will serve as the principal legal adviser to the Chief Executive Officer, Executive Leadership Team, and Board, providing trusted counsel on legal, governance, regulatory, and reputational matters. You will also lead and strengthen MAF International's in-house legal function during a significant period of organisational change.

The successful candidate will bring strong knowledge of UK Charity Law, with experience in mergers, acquisitions, organisational integration, or restructuring within the charity or not-for-profit sector highly regarded.

From major partnership agreements and international operations to governance frameworks, safeguarding, reputation management, and the leadership of key organisational functions, your expertise will influence decisions at the highest level and help shape the future of MAF International as we seek to expand our impact to the world's most isolated communities.

This is a rare opportunity to combine executive leadership, legal expertise, and Christian mission in a role with genuine global impact.

Please note

Salary: Competitive and flexible, with remuneration aligned to the successful candidate’s location, experience, and local employment context.

Responsibilities

🌍 What You’ll Be Doing

As General Legal Counsel, you'll provide strategic legal leadership across MAF International, helping guide and protect a growing global organisation during an exciting period of transformation.

Your executive leadership impact will include

• Acting as a trusted adviser to the CEO, Board, and Executive Leadership Team on integration related matters with a specific focus on organisational integration under the UK Charity Law.
• Providing legal support for major organisational initiatives, partnerships, contracts, and international operations.
• Strengthening governance frameworks and helping ensure compliance across multiple jurisdictions.
• Leading legal risk management and advising on reputational, operational, and strategic risks.
• Supporting MAF's aviation operations through advice on regulatory compliance, aircraft-related matters, insurance, and liability frameworks.
• Overseeing Legal Services, Corporate Secretarial Services, Safeguarding, and Whistle-blowing functions.
• Managing external legal counsel, litigation, investigations, and regulatory matters when required.
• Building strong relationships across MAF's global network, providing practical, clear, and culturally sensitive legal guidance.
• Helping shape policies, processes, and frameworks that enable MAF to grow and fulfil its mission effectively.

Click here for the full job description

Closing date : Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may commence before the closing date. Early application is encouraged.

Travel: Approximately one week per month internationally.

Qualifications, Skills & Experience

💡What We're Looking For

Professional Experience & Qualifications

• Legal Credentials: Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or Juris Doctor (JD) with admission to practice (multi-jurisdictional admissions or experience is highly valued).
• Expertise: Deep knowledge of UK Charity law ; exposure to mergers and acquisitions in the charity sector is highly recommended.
• Industry Knowledge: Experience with aviation law will serve as a recommendation, data privacy, financial regulation, and non-profit/humanitarian governance.
• Global Track Record: Experience providing senior executive support to a C-suite in a complex, global, or federated organisation.

Values, Strengths & Core Traits

• Faith & Alignment: A deep commitment to the Christian vision, mission, and values of MAF International.
• Cultural Agility: A culturally sensitive, humble, and inclusive leadership style capable of building trust across diverse, global teams.
• Strategic Grit: A calm-under-pressure problem solver with high ethical standards and the diplomacy required to navigate organizational transformation.
• Global Stamina: The ability to coordinate teams and sustain high performance across shifting time zones.