Legal Counsellor

Contract

This is a P-4 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 171,387 USD and 220,969 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING APPLICATION DEADLINE: please note that the deadline for applications is indicated in local time as per the time zone of the applicant’s location.

1. Organizational Context

a. Organizational Setting

The post is located in Policy and Cooperation, Building Respect for IP (BRIP) Division, Global Challenges and Partnerships Sector. The BRIP Division is responsible for fostering international cooperation among Member States and other stakeholders to build respect for intellectual property (IP) and to enforce IP rights in the interest of socio-economic development and consumer protection. With this aim, the Division, inter alia, facilitates international policy dialogue on building respect for IP, including in cooperation with other relevant international organizations, and provides assistance to Member States in the areas of legislation, training and awareness raising.

b. Purpose Statement

The incumbent is responsible for the policy and cooperation activities of the Division, which facilitate international policy dialogue among WIPO Member States and ensure cooperation and coordination between the work of WIPO and other stakeholders in the field of building respect for IP.

c. Reporting Lines

The incumbent works under the supervision of the Director, BRIP Division.

2. Duties and Responsibilities

The incumbent will perform the following principal duties:

a. Coordinate the substantive and administrative functions of the Secretariat to the WIPO Advisory Committee on Enforcement (ACE) and related briefings and consultations, by identifying topics for studies, liaising with experts, assisting in the formulation of practical and politically balanced proposals and supervising the preparation of documents and reports to support the discussion of themes agreed upon by the Member States.

b. Lead the engagement to develop consultative networks, and identify and initiate measures to strengthen cooperation with representatives of WIPO Member States, other intergovernmental organizations, private sector associations and civil society, with a view to creating synergies and promoting joint activities and public-private partnerships to build respect for IP.

c. Represent WIPO at international, regional and national meetings and policy-making processes, including multilateral processes and specialized agencies within the United Nations system, and deliver presentations on topical issues in the area of building respect for IP.

d. Provide input to the Division's programmatic, workforce and financial planning in line with result- based management principles, and contribute to strategic planning, policy documents and program performance reports.

e. Organize and conduct national and regional workshops and make presentations on IP enforcement and building respect for IP.

f. Provide legislative advice in the area of IP enforcement, including the preparation of draft provisions for national or, where applicable, regional legislation, and the formulation of effective related enforcement strategies.

g. Manage staff and supervise their work; provide regular feedback on performance; conduct performance evaluation meetings and ensure timely finalization of performance evaluation exercises; follow up on recommendations/issues.

h. Perform other duties as requested.

3. Requirements

Education (Essential)

Advanced university degree in law. A first-level university degree in law or related disciplines, plus two years of relevant experience in addition to the years of experience requested below may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Education (Desirable)

Specialization in IP law.

Experience (Essential)

At least seven years of relevant professional experience, including in the field of IP law at the international level.

Experience (Desirable)

Experience with multilateral IP policy dialogue.

Language (Essential)

Excellent knowledge of English (written and spoken), including the ability to draft legal texts.

Language (Desirable)

Good knowledge of other UN languages.

Job Related Competencies (Essential)

Solid knowledge of international IP law.

Excellent analytical and legal drafting skills.

Excellent communication skills with the ability to convey legal and policy concepts clearly in written and oral form to diverse audiences.

Solid organizational skills with the ability to work quickly and accurately under pressure and to respect deadlines.

Team spirit and ease in working in a multicultural environment.

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

Competent user of Microsoft Office applications (including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint) and the internet, and the ability to adapt quickly to new software.

4. Organizational Competencies

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.

5. Information

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. Please note that this estimate is for information only. The post adjustment multiplier (cost of living allowance) is variable and subject to change (increase or decrease) without notice. The figures quoted below are based on the May 2024 rate of 85.9%.

P4

Annual salary

$75,602

Post adjustment

$64,942

Total Salary

$140,544

Currency USD

Salaries and allowances are paid in Swiss francs at the official rate of exchange of the United Nations.

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

Additional Information

* Contract duration is subject to change. Based on an estimated start date of September 1, 2024, duration is 8 months (contract end date of April 30, 2025).

Temporary appointments are renewable, subject to continuing needs, availability of budget and satisfactory performance with a maximum cumulative length of two years.

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.