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LEGAL OFFICER (Temporary Job Opening) [Temporary]

Multiple locations

  • Organization: UNMONUSCO - United Nations Organisation Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Location: Multiple locations
  • Grade: Mid level - P-4, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Legal - Broad
    • LegalLegal Affairs
  • Closing Date: Closed

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is in Legal Affairs Office (LAO) of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), Kinshasa, classified in the "C" category and as a family duty station. The Legal Officer reports to the Senior Legal Officer.

Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision and within the limits of the delegated authority of the Senior Legal Officer, the Legal Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

• Manage and supervise legal officers, assistant legal officers, and support staff of the legal affairs unit and coordinate their activities, while also serving as Officer in Charge where required;
• Provide legal advice and opinions on a wide range of legal issues affecting the MONUSCO mandate and activities, including international public, private and administrative law matters, as well as issues of the interpretation and application of constitutional and national law and legislative and other instruments governing the United Nations as they affect the Mission or the mandate;
• Provide legal advice, opinion and expertise seeking the Senior Legal Officer’s guidance on complex legal issues on the interpretation of the Mission’s mandate, legal status of the Mission and its members, their privileges and immunities and the MONUSCO Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA);
•Provide legal advice on all aspects of MONUSCO operational activities, rules of engagement, directives on the use of force and related guidelines, matters relating to international law, including international humanitarian law, international criminal law and the protection of civilians, refugee law, and internally displaced persons as appropriate;
•Provide or supervise provision of legal advice applicable to military operations, including detentions, use of Force, and application of Rules of Engagements.
• Provide legal advice on administrative, personnel and contractual matters/law, procurement/ commercial matters, third party claims, and legal questions involving the interpretation or application of United Nations regulations and rules;
• Provide legal advice on drafts and review agreements, institutional and operational modalities, contracts, legal submissions and other legal documents and participate in negotiations for the settlement of claims and disputes;
• Liaise and participate in meetings and discussions with governments and other institutions and entities; other United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, as well as other internal and external actors and organizations, as required;
• Participate in administrative Boards and Committees, including the procurement process, claims and property management, and in ad hoc working groups and task forces, as assigned by the Senior Legal Officer;
• Perform extensive legal research and analysis on highly complex or novel legal issues/questions and prepare legal opinions, studies, briefs, reports, and correspondence; represent the Unit/Mission at meetings, conferences, seminars, etc.;
• Perform other duties, as assigned by the Senior Legal Officer, Chief of Staff or Mission Management.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM
Knowledge of and ability to apply legal principles, concepts and procedures and terminology for review, examination, and processing of a range of legal documents. Knowledge of various legal research sources, including electronic, and ability to conduct research and analyze information on a wide range of legal issues. Knowledge of substantial and procedural international administrative law. Ability to interpret and apply legislative instruments, develop and present results, recommendations, and opinions clearly and concisely. Ability to draft legal papers, process and documents. Show pride in work and in achievements; demonstrate professional competence and mastery of subject matter; be conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; be motivated by professional not personal concerns; show persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remain calm in stressful situations. Take responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

COMMUNICATION
Speak and write clearly and effectively. Listen to others. Correctly interpret messages from others and respond appropriately. Ask questions to clarify and exhibit interest in having two-way communication. Tailor language, tone, style and format to suit and match the audience. Demonstrate openness in sharing information and keeping colleagues and people informed.

TEAMWORK
Work collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals. Solicit input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; be willing to learn from others. Place team agenda before and above personal agenda. Support and act in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position. Share credit for team accomplishments and accept joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

JUDGEMENT/DECISION-MAKING
Identify key issues in a complex situation and come to the heart of the problem quickly. Gather relevant information before decision making. Consider positive and negative impacts prior to decision making. Take decisions cognizant of the impact on others and the Organization. Propose a course of action or make recommendations based on every available information. Check and validate assumptions against available facts. Determine that proposed actions satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision. Make tough decisions when necessary. Exercise sound judgement in difficult situations.

Education

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.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible legal experience working as a lawyer in government, international organizations or in private practice is required.
A minimum of two years of experience in professional legal work relating to procedural and institutional issues within an international organization is required.
Experience working and providing advice in an international environment in a complex, volatile, conflict or post-conflict setting is required.
Experience working in the Great Lakes region is desirable.
Experience providing legal advice applicable to military operations is desirable.
Experience in the following areas is desirable: international humanitarian law, privileges and immunities law, commercial law, contract law, administrative law, and refugee law.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English and French (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is desirable.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

• This position is temporarily available until [specific date]. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.

• While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post.

• The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

• Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station.

• This temporary job opening may be limited to “internal candidates,” who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15.

• Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply.Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.

• Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as "retirement." Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.

United Nations Considerations

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.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side 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.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

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.

This vacancy is now closed.
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