Legal Consultant

Job Title: Legal Consultant

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WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, color, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status, physical or mental disability.

Job Title: Legal Consultant

Type of Contract: Regular Consultant LEV I

Division: LEG

Duration: 11 months

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.  The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes.  Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

We are seeking to fill a Legal Consultant position located in the Legal Office (LEG) of the World Food Programme’s Headquarters in Rome, Italy. The role will be diverse and will primarily involve giving legal advice and working on a range of technology, intellectual property, innovation and general commercial matters. The Legal Consultant may, however, work on assignments in other areas of activity within LEG based on business needs and expressed personal interests. The Legal Consultant will be assigned to the Contractual and Constitutional Law Branch (LEGC). Remote working from Legal Consultant’s Permanent Place of Residence could be considered for this position.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Under the general supervision of the Senior Legal Officer, the Legal Consultant will be responsible for the following key duties:

• Undertake legal research and analysis, handle a range of multi-disciplinary legal matters including interpretation and application of various legal instruments in the relevant area of concentration to facilitate the provision of quality legal services.
• Review legal documents, identify and analyze issues, presenting findings and recommendations for internal review to contribute to the decision-making process.
• Assist in preparation of legal opinions or advice and background papers, studies, memoranda, reports, and other legal documents to contribute to coherence and quality of legal documents.
• Contribute to the preparation of agreements and contracts with public and private entities including governments, UN organisations, NGOs and other partners, service providers and other commercial entities, and participate in the negotiation and settlement of claims and disputes to meet unique client needs.
• Identify potential liabilities, particularly vis-à-vis third parties, and assist in the management of risks in WFP’s activities to contribute to well-informed decisions.
• Prepare and assess briefs of evidence to contribute to legal analysis and solutions.
• Assist senior legal officers in servicing committees, task forces, expert working groups and other bodies with legal advice and preparation/review of legal documents to contribute to the formulation of WFP’s position.
• Take responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives in all areas of work, to ensure equal participation of women and men.
• Other, as required.

RESULTS EXPECTED

1. Articulate and concise thinking and drafting.
2. Comprehensive research.
3. Timely preparation of sound written analysis of a variety of legal issues pertaining to information technology, intellectual property, data protection, commercial and international law.
4. Application of specialized expertise in preparing legal advice, which is easily understandable to staff members not trained in the field of law.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

Education: Advanced University degree in Law, or First University degree in Law with relevant experience and training (preferably with specialization in technology and intellectual property law, data protection, or public law).

Work Experience: At least three years of relevant professional in-house counsel experience in a commercial/technology role or within the IP/IT practice group of a leading firm with international exposure or in an international organisation in the area of technology and commercial law.

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

• Strong technical knowledge of, and experience in, intellectual property and technology law and commercial law and contract drafting.
• Keen to work in-house, helping the business on partnerships and innovation matters within a fast-moving environment.
• Solution-orienteded, proactive and passionate about innovation and technology.
• Strong communication skills and commercial acumen.
• Adaptability and ability to work as part of a team on a wide range of legal issues.
• Strong time management and priorities management skills.
• General knowledge of UN system policies, rules, regulations and procedures is a plus.

LANGUAGES

Fluency (level C) in oral and written English is required. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) is an asset.

Terms and Conditions

WFP offers a competitive compensation package which will be determined by the contract type and selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.

Please visit the following websites for detailed information on working with WFP.

http://www.wfp.org Click on: “Our work” and “Countries” to learn more about WFP’s operations.

Deadline for applications: 17 July 2022

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.