JOB DESCRIPTION
| Job Title: | Legal Counsel |
|---|---|
| Division/Programme: | Deputy Director-General (Operations and Integration) Office |
| Location: | Noumea |
| Reporting to: | Senior Legal and Governance Counsel |
| Direct Reports: | 1 |
| Purpose of Role: | With the Governance and Legal Affairs department, the Legal Counsel plays a key role maintaining the integrity of SPC’s governance framework and SPC’s internal legal functions through provision of advice on employee relations, contracts, funding arrangements, matters of international law and other legal and governance issues. The Legal Counsel plays a critical role in improving and embedding SPC’s internal regulatory framework, working collaboratively with SPC staff members in all SPC locations to help achieve SPC’s strategic objectives, implement and improve operational policies and manage organisational change. |
| Date: | April 2026 |
Organisational Context and Organisation Chart
The Deputy Director-General - Operations and Integration (DDG-O&I) provides executive-level leadership and management to the organisation’s O&I functions
The Operations & Integration (O&I) collective delivers essential enabling services that support the organisation’s scientific and technical portfolio. Our key functions include corporate services, programme support, partnerships, resource mobilisation, and strategic engagement. These services are coordinated through our regional and satellite offices across the Pacific and Europe. Additionally, the O&I collective leads a dedicated workstream focused on organisational change and transformation to drive continuous improvement and adaptability.
The in-house Governance and Legal Affairs Team provides legal representation, support and advice to the Director-General, Senior Leadership Team, the Secretariat and, where required, Members and partners on a range of legal and governance issues. The Chief Legal Counsel is responsible for overseeing staff in the Governance and Legal Affairs Team, managing the day-to-day workflow, maintaining the integrity of SPC’s governance and legal framework, supporting improvements in SPC’s internal regulatory framework, including modernising regulations and policies, supporting quality decision-making and maintaining current instruments of delegations.
Reporting to the Senior Legal and Governance Counsel based in Noumea, this role will work with the divisions and programmes across SPC to provide advice, support and research to assist in improving SPC's internal governance framework, managing SPC's legal risk, and modernising and professionalising SPC's operations to support quality decision-making and improving systems and efficiencies.
The structure of the team is as follows:
Key Result Areas (KRAs):
The role of the Legal Counsel encompasses the following major functions (or Key Result Areas)
The performance requirements of the Key Result Areas are broadly described below.
| Jobholder is accountable for: | Jobholder is successful when: |
|---|---|
| KRA 1: Research and Advice (30%) - Provides specialised legal advice, both written and oral, to all SPC divisions on SPC's internal governance and legal framework. - Prepares and review memoranda, instruments, contracts, templates and other legal documents. - Handles a wide range of issues relating to international law, international administrative law and the relationship between | - SPC's governance framework is safeguarded through timely advice and legal support. - Divisions and other business units are supported in a timely and professional manner. - Improved understanding of SPC's governance framework across the organisation. - Research is accurate and timely. - SPC's privileges and immunities are protected and implemented in accordance with applicable international and national laws. - Any litigation or dispute resolution process are managed in a timely and efficient manner, including with external counsel and/or external dispute resolution mechanisms. |
| international and domestic law as it impacts SPC's operations. - Performs extensive legal research and analysis and prepares legal opinions, briefs, reports and correspondence. - Provides advice on any dispute or litigation across the organisation. | |
|---|---|
| KRA 2: Policy, Guideline, Contract Development and Review (35%) - Contributes to mitigating SPC's legal risk through continued development and improvement of policies, guidelines, templates and processes. - Contributes to components of the review, design and updating of SPC governance documents, policies and guidelines. | - SPC's regulatory framework and legal processes are strengthened through improved documentation. - Contracts and templates are reviewed, updated and prepared in a timely manner. - Critical governance documents are updated and maintained and legal advice is provided on issues of organisational importance. - SPC's policies and guidelines are in line with leading intergovernmental organisation and international development standards. |
| KRA 3: Outreach, Education and Training (15%) - Provides outreach, education and training and raises awareness of SPC's governance framework, legal obligations and responsibilities to SPC staff and members. - Mitigates SPC's legal risk through education and training. - Contributes to the development and presentation of training on governance and legal issues, processes and policies to multi-level audiences across SPC. | - SPC staff are trained in aspects of governance and SPC's internal legal framework, including international civil servants' obligations and duties. - SPC's regulatory framework and legal processes are strengthened through improved education, communication, training and understanding. - Improved understanding and ability of SPC divisions and corporate teams to self-help with legal templates and to understand recurring legal issues. |
| KRA 4: Collaborative Working (10%) - Builds strong collaborative relationships internally throughout SPC and with external stakeholders. Participates in the development of 'One OMD for one SPC'. - Participates actively in a collaborative and supportive environment within the Governance and Legal Affairs Team and across SPC. - Other duties as required. | - Improved organisational use of legal services and understanding of legal issues. - Divisions increase engagement with Governance and Legal Affairs team. - Positive feedback from divisions and external stakeholders. - Work is integrated through all areas of SPC. - Completion of all tasks assigned. |
| KRA5: Leadership and Mentoring (10%) - Manage and supervise a Legal Officer. Ensure that the Legal Officer delivers on their KRAs. Contribute towards fostering a collaborative and supportive environment within the Governance and Legal Affairs Team and across SPC. | - The Governance and Legal Affairs Team are working in a collaborative and supportive environment that promotes teamwork and synergy. - Completion of all tasks as assigned within the team in a timely and professional manner. |
- Contribute in developing a “One SPC” culture within the Governance and Legal Affairs Team.
The above performance requirements are provided as a guide only. The precise performance measures for this job will need further discussion between the jobholder and supervisor as part of the performance development process.
Most Challenging Duties Typically Undertaken:
- Providing legal advice on complex and sensitive issues to SPC, including international law and international administrative law, funding and grant agreements, procurement and employee relations.
- Negotiations on contracts, development partner funding agreements or international agreements.
- Influencing the Senior Leadership Team and divisional stakeholders.
- Maintaining strong collaborative relationships with divisions and corporate services teams from diverse cultural and sectoral backgrounds.
- Delivering on a range of legal issues at any given time and working towards very tight timelines.
- Assessing different legal options and avenues, and providing legal advice that is fully inclusive of, and addresses the different technical and operational needs of SPC divisions and programmes.
Functional Relationships & Relationship Skills:
| Key internal and/or external contacts | Nature of the contact most typical |
|---|---|
| External Key external contacts are: - Member Countries and Territories. - Development partners. - Implementing partners. - SPC service providers - Dispute resolution bodies. - External legal counsel. | - Provision of advice on governance instruments, or on risk management. - Negotiation of legal agreements, funding arrangements, grants and contracts. - Management of dispute resolution procedures as required. |
| Internal Key internal contacts are: - Governance and Legal Affairs Team. - Executive. - Senior Leadership Team. - Corporate teams with administrative responsibility for human resources, finance, procurement and grants policies. - SPC staff. | - Provision of legal advice to internal clients, including in assisting in the interpretation of SPC regulations, policies and rules, and to prepare for external contract negotiations. - Meetings to provide advice on contracts, letters of agreement and MOUs. - Guiding the development of improved legal information. - Regular updates on the SPC Intranet. |
Level of Delegation:
Routine Expenditure Budget: 0
Budget Sign off Authority without requiring approval from direct supervisor: 0
Personal Specification:
This section is designed to capture the expertise required for the role at the 100% fully effective level. (This does not necessarily reflect what the current incumbent has.) This may be a combination of knowledge / experience, qualifications or equivalent level of learning through experience or key skills, attributes or job specific competencies.
Qualifications
| Essential: | Desirable: |
|---|---|
| - Postgraduate degree of Laws (LLB) or equivalent body of knowledge and experience. - Meets the professional requirements to practice law in one (1) or more jurisdictions of an SPC member country or territory, or similar legal system. | - Master's degree or equivalent in law or related area. |
Knowledge/Experience
| Essential: | Desirable: |
|---|---|
| - Demonstrable experience and understanding of legal issues facing inter-governmental agencies. - At least 5-6 years PQE in providing legal advice on legal, governance, and organizational issues. - Experience in a development organisation. - Strong analytical and conceptual skills. - Excellent verbal and written communication and negotiation skills in English. - Excellent legal analytical skills. - Ability to work well in a multi-cultural and gender-sensitive environment. - Demonstrated experience and knowledge in the legal systems of the member countries and territories of SPC. | - Professional proficiency in French. - Demonstrated legal experience in a development or international organisation. - Experience in the Pacific or working in a multi-cultural organisation. - Experience working in both common and civil law legal systems. |
Key Skills/Attributes/Job Specific Competencies
The following levels would typically be expected for the 100% fully effective level:
| Advanced level | - Advocacy, negotiation, influencing skills. - Interpersonal and people management skills. - Legal skills. - Ability to work in multicultural, multi-ethnic environment. |
|---|---|
| Working knowledge | - Economic, social and political issues in the region. - Change management skills. - SPC Regulations and Policies. |
Key Behaviours
All employees are measured against the following Key Behaviours as part of Performance Development:
- Change and Innovation
- Interpersonal Skills
- Teamwork
- Promotion of Equity and Equality
- Judgement
- Building Individual Capacity
Personal Attributes
- High level of professional integrity and ethics
- Friendly and approachable demeanour
- Demonstrated high level commitment to customer service
Change to Job Description:
From time to time, it may be necessary to consider changes in the job description in response to the changing nature of the work environment, including technological or regulatory requirements or changes. Such change may be initiated as necessary by SPC. This Job Description may also be reviewed as part of the preparation for performance planning for the annual performance cycle.