About Us:

Totally Joined For Achieving Collaborative Techniques (TJFACT) is a minority owned, CVE verified Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) performance driven professional services government contracting company that provides a broad spectrum of services and solutions to the U.S government agencies and organizations.

About the Position:

TJFACT is seeking to hire a well-qualified Senior Justice Advisor in Dakar, Senegal to support our DOS INL/AME (Office of Africa and the Middle East Programs) team! The level of effort for this position is equivalent to a Justice Advisor – Level 5.

This role is contingent upon reward.

The Senior Justice Advisor’s (SJA’s) primary responsibility will be to support, assist, and advise the INL Coordinator at the U.S. Embassy in Dakar and work with INL/Dakar staff at the Embassy, as well as the INL Senegal Program Officer in INL/AME.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Assess & Advise:

• Provide advice, technical assistance, and mentoring to prosecutors, judges, defense lawyers, court officials and staff, investigators, bar and legal associations, justice and legal-oriented academies and educational institutions, and other criminal justice officials and officers.
• Improve operations, investigations, procedures, administration, resource management, internal discipline, and overall efforts at expanding the capabilities and modernizing criminal justice institutions in Senegal.
• Participate in the continual analysis and evaluation of Senegal’s criminal justice institutions to include assessments of the organizational and operational capacities of the various elements related to prosecutors, defense lawyers, judges, courts, bar associations, law enforcement officials, and other related justice agencies.
• Provide advice, training, mentoring, and technical assistance to the government of Senegal on complex cases, including transnational, and high-level corruption cases.
• Conduct review and assessment of legislation, regulations, and ongoing practices relevant to the investigation and prosecution of money laundering and terrorist financing offenses and make recommendations for statutory, regulatory, and institutional reform in coordination with relevant stakeholders.
• Streamline policy implementation and develop mechanisms (including through the adoption of technology-based solutions) that reduce delays in case adjudication and thereby decrease extended pretrial detention.
• Provide expert advice on justice and human rights, including cases involving TIP, SGBV, and vulnerable population issues in Senegal. Analysis and evaluation shall cover criminal justice institutions at the national and state level, such as the judicial offices, law enforcement units, and other criminal justice entities, local bar associations, civil and criminal courts, and other criminal justice entities. Assessments shall include operational effectiveness, leadership, training, outreach to civil society, mobility, communications, procedural and administrative skills/competencies, and equipment.
• The incumbent shall visit, review, and analyze the capabilities of justice-related academies, training facilities, and educational institutions that work with INL Senegal- supported projects, and advise on potential projects, activities, and events to consider increasing efficiency and productivity of the state academies and training facilities.
• Provide expert advice on technical issues including, but not limited to, international and professional standards (e.g. Palermo Accords) and best practices related to prosecuting and hearing cases, court operations, records management, and processing criminal case files.
• Review and provide expert advice and recommendations, if needed, to ensure that Senegal’s existing legal code is more accurately and consistently applied on criminal prosecution, sentencing, and subsection of the legal code for host government officials and staff to conform to applicable international standards (e.g. Palermo Accords).
• Provide expert advice and recommendations on training needs of and procedural gaps for judges, prosecutors, courts staff, lawyers, and investigators in relation to criminal cases.
• Provide technical assistance to Senegalese judicial sector officials and officers to improve standardized training courses for prosecutors, defense lawyers, judges, court staff, investigators, criminal justice personnel.
• Ensure that training materials are approved by the leadership of entities, the MOJ, and other relevant Senegalese government offices and agencies. Training modules shall complement other INL-funded training and adhere to international and U.S. professional standards and best practices in the judiciary.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive knowledge of the Senegalese legal system, including topics such as criminal justice, anti-corruption, legal aid, judicial issues, penitentiary system, and legal education.

Coordination and Liaison:

• Liaise and support efforts with targeted Senegalese judicial sector elements, including prosecutors, judges, court staff, investigators, law enforcement officials, prison administration and MOJ official matters relating to improving operations, investigations, procedures, administration, and overall efforts to build the capabilities of Senegal’s judicial sector.
• Generate support for, and advance U.S. policy objectives with key host government officials under the direction of the INL Coordinator or designee and in coordination with the INL Senegal Program Officer and other INL implementers.
• Coordinate with relevant U.S. and international entities, which may include the Embassy offices and units, including Political Section, Regional Security Office (RSO), USAID, Department of Defense, and other U.S. agencies, as well as international organizations.
• Coordinate activities with the entities mentioned above, to avoid duplication and repetition, and to ensure a coherent approach to criminal justice sector assistance in international programs.

Planning, Development, & Execution:

• Recommend efforts and initiatives, facilitate, and perform follow-on activities to encourage the host government’s adoption of international and U.S. professional standards and best practices in Senegal’s judicial sector, and recommended activities being reviewed and approved by the INL Coordinator at Embassy Dakar and the INL/AME Senegal Program Officer.
• Recommend efforts and initiatives to address case management deficiencies that result in undue delays in adjudication, especially for defendants who are detained pretrial.
• Develop assistance programs for prosecutors on the investigation and prosecution of cases, conduct local case-study workshops, conferences, and a guest speaker series that develops the Senegalese prosecutors' trial preparation skills and assisting with the
• implementation of the new criminal code and procedure code as appropriate.
• Recommend efforts and initiatives, facilitate, and perform follow-on activities to develop modern and humane corrections systems and systematized prison management practices.
• Monitor and report on significant activities and developments related to adoption of
• international and U.S. professional standards and best practices within Senegal’s judicial sector.
• Evaluate results and outcomes of initiatives, determine obstacles and challenges to
• adoption of professional standards and best practices and as necessary make mid-course adjustments in initiatives along with a final report for review by the INL Coordinator at Embassy Dakar and the INL Senegal Program Officer.

Program Development & Implementation:

• Collaborate with MOJ leadership or designees on issues identified through mentoring and advising activities in the development of individual training modules, including organizing logistics and recommending Senegalese or external experts. Arrange training for GOS trainers in areas of particular focus, as determined with the INL Coordinator at Embassy Dakar and the INL Senegal Program Officer.
• Assess court administration and operations, the state of pretrial detentions, and assist the government with reform in these areas as well as case and records management, and internal sectoral data/statistics to track cases and pre-trial detention rates.
• Develop studies and assessments on the status of existing case management and information sharing systems between sectors (e.g., on case assignment, process, tracking, and reporting) to facilitate improvements to overall case management efforts, including digitalization of case and information sharing.
• Gather data on criminal justice sector performance metrics and report to INL in the manner requested to include data about the number and type of cases to be addressed by prosecutors in Senegal, including cases involving on TIP, SGBV, and vulnerable populations.
• Identify logistical support requirements. Provide advice to the INL Coordinator at Embassy Dakar and the INL Senegal Program Officer on possible activities to aid requirements and, upon INL approval, facilitate in the implementation of activities.

Integration of Complementary Programs:

• Work with INL implementers, U.S. and international agencies, NGOs, and Senegalese institutions to ensure full integration of parallel and/or complementary foreign assistance efforts to improve the capacity of the Senegalese judicial sector.
• Coordinate, recommend, and collaborate with other INL implementers during the implementation of TIP projects.

End Use Monitoring:

• Ensure that equipment purchased with United States Government (USG) funds are effectively utilized. This assists in the prevention of fraud, corruption, waste, or mismanagement of equipment.

Briefing & Reporting:

• Prepare, coordinate, and ensure the timely issuance of one time and periodic reports on INL efforts related to increasing the capacity of the Senegalese criminal justice system to deter and sanction criminality and protect victims’ rights, as well as efforts to reform legislation.
• Develop a targeted Work Plan on an annual basis. The Work Plan will be directly linked to the Statement of Work and will provide concrete work tasks, projects, and deliverables that are expected to be completed during the performance year.
• Prepare periodic list of all current cases, including information on active prosecutions, investigations, and disposition; prepare periodic information on the number and type of cases, the rates of pre-trial rates, and note-worthy resolution of cases.
• Provide information, details, and updates that assist INL officers in their preparation of periodic reports, cables, memoranda, assessments, statements of work (SOW), monitoring and evaluation and assessment reports, and other documents related to efforts to increase the capacity of the Senegalese criminal justice system.
• Participate in and assist with official visits from USG and INL visits, and aid in escorting and arranging appropriate itineraries for official travelers.
• Brief Department, Congressional, Staff Delegations, and other selected international dignitaries on INL’s efforts to increase the capacity of the Senegalese criminal justice system to deter and sanction criminality and protect victims’ rights.
• Attend relevant Embassy meetings and security sector reform related meetings, brief the INL Coordinator, the Senegal Program Officer and appropriate Embassy members, and report on major issues related to INL’s efforts to increase the capacity of the Senegalese system to deter and sanction criminality and protect victims’ rights.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• U.S., Third Country National (TCN)
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in international relations, law enforcement, public policy, or related field (10 years professional law experience can be substituted).
• Juris Doctorate or equivalent degree from an accredited institution.
• A minimum of eighteen (18) years of experience related to the legal profession, courts, criminology, and/or public administration, experience briefing in English.
• Three (03) years of experience working overseas in an Embassy environment.
• Three (03) years specialized experience depending on the position (e.g. criminal investigator, prosecutor, judge, or defense attorney).
• Knowledge of, and skill in, correct usage of English grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and style.
• For Language Qualification: Comfortable working in French at or above a level equivalent to a recognized foreign language proficiency measurement framework, such as the Foreign Service Institute’s defined 3/3 level. Demonstration or proof of language capability is required unless the individual is a native French speaker. The Justice Advisor will regularly liaise with Senegalese counterparts in the justice sector and must possess a high degree of proficiency in French which requires fluent conversing with the Senegalese official contacts on a regular basis.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Law degree from an U.S. accredited law school, or overseas equivalent, and a current active license and member of a bar association to practice in a U.S. state, District of Columbia, or the equivalent overseas.
• Demonstrated eighteen (18) years of experience in the legal profession. The incumbent’s career path shall have included jobs with increasing scope and responsibilities, including those at the executive or managerial level.
• A minimum of three (03) years of demonstrated experience working in assistance programs involved in development and capacity building of justice sector institutions, reforming procedures within criminal justice institutions, and facilitating increased legal assistance access.
• Demonstrated experience in planning, strategizing, implementing, and reporting on projects, including familiarity with basic requirements and mechanisms for contract management and procurement.
• Demonstrated experience working with cases or assistance efforts involving cases involving TIP, SGBV, and vulnerable populations.
• Demonstrated experience in conducting assessments and studies on criminal justice sectors overseas.
• Knowledge of the role and operations of law enforcement and justice institutions in common and civil law justice systems.
• A minimum of three (03) years of experience in managing legal or court officials and staff, ensuring sustainability of projects through provision of appropriate training, technical assistance, and mentoring, and a displayed ability to integrate competing needs.
• A minimum of three (03) years of experience working within a civil law context.
• Demonstrated experience in writing training plans, statements of work, standard operating procedures, and detailed instructions. Must be comfortable speaking publicly and shall prepare and provide briefings in English and French.
• Demonstrated experience working with international and foreign assistance entities, assistance missions, programs, and implementers.

BENEFITS:

• Medical, Vision and Dental Insurance
• 401-K plus match
• Paid Vacation days
• Paid holidays
• Short Term and Long-Term Disability
• Voluntary Term Life

TJFACT is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, protected veteran status or status as an individual with a disability. EOE/Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran. We reserve the right to modify or revise the job descriptions in part or in its entirety. Reasonable accommodations will be made in accordance with governing law.