The United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) was established in 1949 by the United Nations General Assembly to provide retirement, death, disability, and related benefits for staff of the United Nations and other member organizations of the Fund. UNJSPF administers benefits of more than 80,000 beneficiaries residing in more than 190 countries, paid in 18 currencies, and services more than 150,000 participants who work in the 25 member organizations of UNJSPF. The Fund has offices in New York (United States) and Geneva (Switzerland) and two liaison offices in Nairobi (Kenya) and Bangkok (Thailand), respectively. The United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund-Pension Administration (UNJSPF-PA) comprises about 250 staff from diverse countries and cultures, based across four prominent duty stations (New York, Geneva, Bangkok, and Nairobi). We are a career employer offering unique opportunities for growth within the United Nations system. We offer staff competitive benefits, including up to six weeks of annual leave per year, a defined benefit pension plan (not subject to variation of capital markets), parental leave, a comprehensive insurance plan, and flexible working arrangements subject to operational requirements. Our office is located in the heart of Manhattan, within walking distance from the Grand Central Station hub, in a state-of-the-art facility (the One Dag Hammarskjöld building). Visit www.unjspf.org for more details. This position is located in the Legal Office of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund ("UNJPSF" or "the Fund"). The Legal Office provides unified legal services for the Fund's management and operations in the New York and Geneva offices. The Legal Officer reports to the Chief, Legal Office, and the position is based in New York.

Within delegated authority, the Legal Officer is responsible for the following duties: • Independently handle a wide range of multidisciplinary, highly complex, and often sensitive legal matters involving issues of international, public, private and administrative law, with a focus on UNJSPF disability benefits • Provide legal advice on the interpretation and application of UNJSPF Regulations and Rules, with a focus on UNJSPF disability benefits • Manage the preparation and submission of disability cases to the United Nations Staff Pension Committee (UNSPC), including drafting/review of documentation, submissions, correspondence and records of decisions, and liaison with relevant offices/parties • Promote and implement tools to continuously improve the UNJSPF disability award and review process, leveraging information technology tools as appropriate • Review for certification disability benefits awarded/continued by the staff pension committees (SPCs) of the UNJSPF member organizations • Provide advice and/or information to various clients (including participants, beneficiaries, family members, secretaries of the SPCs, human resources/executive offices) on disability matters, including responding to queries on disability cases, providing training/outreach, and ensuring uniformity in the application of the UNJSPF legal framework on disability matters • Perform legal research and analysis and prepare legal opinions, studies, briefs, reports, and/or correspondence • Prepare draft amendments to the UNJSPF Regulations and Rules; prepare draft policies or amendments thereto and verify their consistency with the existing regulations and rules; prepare analyses and evaluations of pension policies and practices • Represent the Pension Administration in cases involving disability and other matters before arbitral and other tribunal or administrative proceedings • Serve on various standing boards, committees, ad hoc working groups and task forces, as required • Coordinate and direct work of other legal officers dealing with significant problems as required, and/or mentor and supervise the work of junior officers on specific projects • Collect and analyse data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting • Perform other duties as assigned

• PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of organizational legal framework, relevant legal processes, procedures and terminology for review, examination, preparation and processing of legal documents. Ability to conduct research using diverse legal research sources (including electronic sources on the Internet, intranet and other databases). Ability to review and synthesize information and present findings and recommendations in a required format. Ability to analyse and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. Knowledge of information management, classification and retrieval systems. Ability to show tact and discretion in dealing with high-ranking officials and with confidential matters and materials. 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. • COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. • PLANNING AND 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. • TECHNOLOGICAL AWARENESS: Keeps abreast of available technology; understands applicability and limitation of technology to the work of the office; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; shows willingness to learn new technology.

Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in law. A first level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Not available.

A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in law, including legal analysis, research and writing is required. At least two years of experience in a legal office of an international, intergovernmental organization is desirable. At least two years of experience: (i) in an employee benefit scheme of an international, intergovernmental organization, and/or (ii) in administering/advising on disability benefit schemes, is desirable.

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. French is desirable. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult

https://languages.un.org

for details).

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Required Languages

Language

Reading

Writing

Listening

Speaking

English

UN Level III

UN Level III

UN Level III

UN Level III

Desirable Languages

Language

Reading

Writing

Listening

Speaking

French

UN Level III

UN Level II

UN Level II

UN Level II

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by a competency-based interview.

• The United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) is an independent inter-agency body established by the United Nations General Assembly. The applicable human resources procedures are governed by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Fund and the United Nations Secretariat. Any candidate from a member organization of UNJSPF applying for this post is considered as an internal candidate provided, he/she has been appointed through the appointment and promotion procedures applicable in his/her respective organization. • Staff members are subject to the authority of the head of the entity and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. • The United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. • For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or under-represented in the UN Secretariat as of 30 November 2025, are strongly encouraged to apply: Andorra, Angola,Belize, Brunei Darussalam, China, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Germany, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau,I ndonesia, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Libya, Liechtenstein, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu.

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.