Director

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING APPLICATION DEADLINE\:  please note that the deadline for applications is indicated in local date and time.

 

 

a.          Organizational Setting

 

The post is located in the Division for the Judicial Administration of Intellectual Property, Office of the Legal Counsel (OLC).  OLC is responsible for providing legal advice and assistance to the Director General, to the bodies of WIPO Member States and to the Secretariat on constitutional, administrative, contractual and general legal matters in respect of the depository functions of WIPO-administered treaties, in harmony with statutory requirements and applicable law.  The Division for the Judicial Administration of Intellectual Property is responsible for directing and coordinating WIPO's systematic approach to international cooperation in the area of judicial administration of intellectual property.

 

b.          Purpose Statement

 

The incumbent is required to direct the design, development and coordination of WIPO's work in the area of Judicial Administration of Intellectual Property, providing program leadership and strategy in an area that represents a new and critical orientation for the Organization.  S/he is responsible for representing and advancing the Organization's world­class reputation in this area, creating new partnerships with esteemed members of the judiciary around the world, and helping to bring about and manage change and advances in the scope and content of international judicial dialogue on IP.  S/he is responsible for the creation and organization of a sustainable forum for exchange of information and best practices among judiciaries;  for overseeing the design and implementation of WIPO's activities in the area of judicial training, in cooperation with relevant WIPO programs; and for establishing and maintaining an online information resource on judicial systems and decisions, among other projects.

 

c.          Reporting Lines

 

The incumbent works under the supervision of the Deputy Legal Counsel, in close collaboration with the Legal Counsel.

 

 

 

The incumbent will perform the following principal duties\:

 

a.   Direct the design, development, and implementation of WIPO's overall strategic approach to judicial administration of IP.

 

b.   Coordinate across organizational sectors their respective contributions to WIPO's work with the judiciary, to affect the delivery of an array of programs that are consistent with the Organization's new and critical orientation and leadership in this area, and resolve potential programmatic overlap.

 

c.   Identify the judges for and manage the organization of an international WIPO Advisory Group of IP Judges; demonstrate leadership within this esteemed group of eminent international jurists across legal traditions, which will provide peer advice and guidance on a global judicial IP dialogue, judicial training, and the Organization's activities related thereto, including an annual WIPO Intellectual Property Judges Forum.

 

d.   Direct the substantive and administrative preparations for the annual WIPO Intellectual Property Judges Forum, including the identification and design of a program that reflects topical and novel questions related to IP adjudication and cross-border IP dispute resolution, the identification of high-level speakers, and the supervision of the preparation of documents and reports to support the Forum discussion.

 

e.   Direct and manage the Division's program of work, determining priorities and exercising strategic asset management for the completion and timely and quality delivery of work products and services in accordance with results-based management principles and framework as well as key performance indicators.  Manage and empower staff and consultants, evaluate their work, advance performance levels and find solutions to problems where procedures and precedents do not exist.  Ensure that key risks are identified, assessed and managed.

 

f.    Seek, develop and maintain strategic partnerships with Member State judiciaries and judicial academies to respond to Member State requests in the area of judicial cooperation in a systematic and effective manner.  Act as "spokesperson" for WIPO's pioneering and distinct role in this area.

 

g.   Develop, implement and maintain an online information resource on judicial systems and decisions; as well as resource tools and publications for judges, in particular addressing areas that raise novel IP adjudication issues.  Engage in the analysis, quality control and content delivery of the online information resource to ensure that it contributes to WIPO's preeminent role in providing global data and market intelligence for strategic decision making.

 

h.   Lead the development, design and provision of Master Class-level judicial training, which will require close consultation with eminent international jurists, and expert analysis of training content and proposals;  coordinate internal judicial training provided by WIPO programs with a view to strengthening complementarity, building synergies and achieving a harmonized approach to judicial training.

 

i.    Represent the Organization at international, regional and national meetings related to the judicial administration of intellectual property.

 

j.    Perform other related duties as required.

 

 

 

Education

Essential

Advanced university degree in law, preferably with a specialization in intellectual property law.  A first-level university degree plus an additional two years of relevant professional experience in addition to the essential experience mentioned below may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

 

Experience

Essential

At least 15 years of relevant professional experience, including in the field of intellectual property law at the international level.

Experience in the design and delivery of programs that promote international judicial dialogue on IP.

Experience in strategy or partnership development with national IP offices or courts.

 

Desirable

Experience in the elaboration and/or advancement of thematic multilateral policy issues.

 

Language

Essential

Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English.

 

Desirable

Good knowledge of other UN official languages.

 

Job Related Competencies

Essential

Understanding of WIPO's strategic priorities.

Expert knowledge of international IP legal systems and developments in IP jurisprudence.

Strong diplomatic skills and astute political judgment.

Ability to communicate complex legal and related subject-matter to a diverse audience.

Ability to operate independently.

Ability to seek and effect change at the international level.

Excellent managerial skills and proven leadership capacity.

Excellent organizational skills.

Competent user of Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and the internet.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and ability to maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multi-cultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.

 

 

 

1.    Communicating effectively.

2.    Showing team spirit.

3.    Demonstrating integrity.

4.    Valuing diversity.

5.    Producing results.

6.    Showing service orientation.

7.    Seeing the big picture.

8.    Seeking change and innovation.

9.    Developing yourself and others.

 

 

 

Mobility\:  WIPO staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the Director General and may be assigned to any activities, office or duty station of the Organization.  Accordingly, the selected candidate may be required to move from time to time to new functions and/or to another duty station.

 

Annual salary\:

Total annual salary consists of a net annual salary (net of taxes and before medical insurance and pension fund deductions) in US dollars and a post adjustment.  The post adjustment (cost of living allowance) is variable and subject to change without notice in accordance with the rates as set within the UN Common System for salaries and allowances.  The figures quoted below are based on the September 2018 rate of 75.1%

 

D1
Annual salary	$96,865
Post adjustment	$72,746
Total Salary	$169,611
Currency USD

 

 

Please refer to WIPO’s Staff Regulation and Rules for detailed information concerning salaries, benefits and allowances.

 

Additional Information

 

Initial period of two years, renewable, subject to satisfactory performance.  No fixed-term appointment or any extension hereof shall carry with it any expectancy of, nor imply any right to, (further) extensions or conversion to a permanent appointment.

 

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill other posts at the same grade with similar functions in accordance with Staff Rule 4.9.5.

 

Applications from qualified women as well as from qualified nationals of unrepresented Member States of WIPO and underrepresented geographical regions are encouraged. Please click on the following links for the list of unrepresented Member States and the list of underrepresented regions and the WIPO Member States in these regions.

 

The Organization reserves the right to make an appointment at a grade lower than that advertised.

 

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By completing an application, candidates understand that any willful misrepresentation made on this web site, or on any other documents submitted to WIPO during the application, may result in disqualification from the recruitment process, or termination of employment with WIPO at a later date, if that employment resulted from such willful misrepresentations.

 

In the event that your candidature is shortlisted, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of an identification and of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WIPO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link\: http\://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and these will be reviewed individually.

 

Additional testing/interviewing may be used as a form of screening.  Initial appointment is subject to satisfactory professional references.

 

Additional background checks may be required.