Senior Legal Officer, P-5

UNOLA - United Nations Office of Legal Affairs

New York, United States

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Office of the Legal Counsel, Office of Legal Affairs (OLA). The Senior Legal Officer reports to a Principal Legal Officer.

Responsibilities

In the area of concentration and within delegated authority, the Senior Legal Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

Serves as a recognized expert in one or more areas of concentration, and independently handles a wide range of multi-disciplinary, highly complex, and often sensitive and/or conflicting legal matters involving issues relating to public international law, including the interpretation and application of the Charter of the United Nations and the law and practice of the United Nations and its organs.
Coordinates and direct teams of other legal officers; guides and supervises the work of junior officers; may assist the Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs or the two Principal Legal Officers 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.
Makes various types of recommendations to senior officials of substantive units with respect to actions to take; recommendations are usually accepted as proposed.
Provides authoritative legal advice on a diverse range of highly complex or novel substantive and procedural questions of public international law, in particular in the field of the law and practice of the United Nations.
Organizes and supervises research studies and the reports, and correspondence.
Advises on and supervises the review, negotiation and drafting of major agreements, institutional and operational modalities, and other legal documents; develops new legal modalities to meet unique needs/circumstances.
Serves on various standing boards, 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. •Contributes to the review and design of new, or new applications of, legal instruments, policies, guidelines, systems, etc.

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge of public international law, in particular in relation to the interpretation and application of the Charter of the United Nations and the law and practice of the United Nations. Familiarity with the institutions and organization of the United Nations system. Ability to apply legal expertise to analyzing a diverse range of complex and unusual legal issues and problems and in developing innovative and creative solutions. Analytical skills and ability to conduct comprehensive legal research on a range of issues, including those of a unique and/or complex nature. Proficiency in legal writing and ability to prepare legal briefs, opinions, or legal submissions, and a variety of legal instruments and related documents. Ability to advise senior officials independently and with little advance notice on matters of public international law, in particular in the field of privileges and immunities. Discretion and sound judgment in applying legal expertise to sensitive, complex legal issues. Strong negotiating skills and ability to influence others to reach agreement. Ability to work to tight deadlines and handle multiple concurrent projects/cases. Knowledge of contemporary -international relations and of the UN system. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
Creativity: Actively seeks to improve programmes or services; offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs; promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas; takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks "outside the box"; takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things; is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.
Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies. Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required. Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work. Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning. Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary. Uses time efficiently.
Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow. Empowers others to translate vision into results. Is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives. Establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support. Anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions. Drives for change and improvement; does not accept the status quo. Shows the courage to take unpopular stands.
Managing Performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision- making authority. Makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member. Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills. Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines. Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff. Encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative. Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff. Appraises performance fairly.

Education

An advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in public international law is required. A first-level university degree in law in combination with the required work experience plus an additional two years of professional work experience in the field of public international law may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible professional experience in law, including legal analysis, research and writing is required. At least two years of professional legal experience working in the legal office of a government department or ministry or of the secretariat of an international organization, providing legal advice to other government departments or ministries or other departments or offices of that organization are required. Professional legal experience advising on questions of international law governing privileges and immunities is required. Professional legal experience drafting and negotiating international agreements is desirable. Professional legal experience advising on requests for international legal assistance is desirable. Professional legal experience advising on legal issues relating to the United Nations Development system and the work of the UN Resident Coordinator system is desirable. Professional experience working for the United Nations or a related international organization is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

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