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United Nations · 7 hours ago

SENIOR LEGAL OFFICER (Temporary Job Opening), P5

New York, NY

Contract

Onsite

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

10+ years exp

The United Nations is an international organization that seeks to maintain international peace and security. They are seeking a Senior Legal Officer to provide expert legal advice on complex issues related to international administrative law and manage legal projects within the General Legal Division.

CommunitiesHumanitarianNon Profit

Responsibilities

Serves as a recognized expert in the area of international administrative law and administration of justice, and independently handles and provides legal advice to senior officials on a wide range of highly complex, and often sensitive and/or conflicting legal matters involving issues relating to international administrative law, to include the provision of legal advice on the interpretation and application of the United Nations (UN) Staff Regulations and Rules and of resolutions and decisions of the governing bodies of the Organization, including of the separately administered Funds and Programmes

Coordinates teams of other legal officers engaged in major legal projects

Provides advice at all stages of litigation of staff grievances and reviews and clears recommendations for the dismissal of staff

Represents, or supervises the representation of the Organization in internal administrative tribunals

Guides and supervises the work of legal officers; may assist the Director and Principal Legal Officer in the general management and administration of the unit, organizing and prioritizing the workload and providing general coordination and supervision of assignments as regards the legal work

Provides authoritative legal advice on a diverse range of highly complex or novel substantive and procedural questions of law, which may include ongoing reforms and amendments of staff, financial and programme planning regulations and rules, as well as on personnel and management matters

Organizes and supervises research studies and the preparation of legal opinions, as well as performs extensive legal research and analysis on highly complex or novel legal issues/questions and prepares legal opinions, studies, briefs, reports, and correspondence

Advises on and supervises the review and drafting of agreements, institutional and operational modalities, legal submissions/motions, and other legal documents; develops new legal modalities to meet unique needs/circumstances

Supervises the defence and pursuit of claims and disputes; negotiates settlement of major claims and prepares legal documentation relating to such settlements

Provides legal advice on the interpretation of personnel policies, regulations and rules, including the review of administrative implications of administrative tribunal judgments; coordinates the review of revisions to the staff regulations and rules; coordinates the review of amendments to administrative issuances and verifies their consistency with the applicable legal framework, including staff regulations and rules and other administrative issuances

Serves, or supervises the representation and participation of OLA, in various standing committees, ad hoc working groups and task forces, as required; promotes the work of the United Nations and represents the organization at meetings, conferences, seminars, etc

Provides legal advice on diverse substantive and procedural questions of considerable complexity, which may include those related to the other clusters of the Division

Contributes to review and design of new, or new applications of, legal instruments, policy, guidelines, systems, etc

Supervises and participates in preparing legal publications of the unit

Performs other duties as assigned

Qualification

International administrative lawLegal analysisLitigation experienceSupervising legal officersEnglish proficiencyLegal draftingLegal researchUN system knowledgeNegotiation skillsJudgement/Decision-makingManaging performanceFrench proficiencyTeamworkCommunication skills

Required

Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in law is required

A first-level university degree in law in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree

Admission to the practice of law, or otherwise qualified to practice law, in a Member State of the United Nations is required

A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in law, obtained in the legal office of an international intergovernmental organization, or legal office of a government or a law firm, including experience in legal analysis, research and writing is required

Experience in administrative law and litigation is required

Experience in supervising and guiding the work of junior legal officers, and in advising senior officials independently and on short notice, is required

English is required

Demonstrated ability to negotiate and draft legal texts clearly and precisely is required

Preferred

Experience in the provision of legal advice, gained in the legal office of a United Nations System organisation or comparable international organization

French is desirable