LEGAL OFFICER (COMMERCIAL LAW)

Overview

Join UNRWA as a Legal Officer to support vulnerable communities through legal expertise.

You have:

• A university degree in law with specialization in contract, commercial and/or international law.
• At least six years of progressively responsible relevant work experience as a lawyer.
• At least two continuous years of relevant international experience outside UNRWA.
• Excellent command of spoken and written English.
• Knowledge of another UN official language, particularly Arabic, is an asset.
• Familiarity with the UN system and practices is desirable.
• Membership of a national bar is desirable.
• Commercial litigation experience is desirable.

Contract

This is a P-3 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 5 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 120,260 USD and 157,470 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.

Org. Setting and Reporting UNRWA, the largest United Nations operation in the Middle East with over 30,000 staff working across five areas of operation, is looking for highly committed personnel wishing to make a change.

If you are looking for a rewarding opportunity to make a tangible difference for one of the most vulnerable communities in the world, UNRWA would like to hear from you.

The Legal Officer (Commercial Law) is directly responsible to the Senior Legal Officer, General Law Unit. Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Principal Legal Officer, General Law Unit.

Responsibilities Drafts, reviews and assists in the negotiation of all types of Agency contractual modalities, including contracts for procurement of goods and/or services, memoranda of understanding with partners and funding agreements.

Advises on the resolution of contractual and tortious claims against the Agency, including overseeing, supporting and where appropriate conducting negotiations, settlement and arbitration.

Advises on the interpretation and application of the Agency’s regulatory framework, inter alia, the Agency’s procurement framework, UNRWA Area and International Staff Regulations, Rules and associated administrative issuances, Financial Regulations and Organizational Directives, Technical Instructions, and Staff Circulars.

Provides legal advice and assistance on matters relating to administrative and employment law and other relevant issues, in particular by drafting submissions to the Agency’s Dispute Tribunal and/or the UN Appeals Tribunal.

Advises on the status, mandate, privileges and immunities and related responsibilities of the Agency and its personnel as requested.

Upon request, provides legal advice, training and outreach on the interpretation and application of relevant public international law, including treaty law, UN law, international human rights, humanitarian and refugee law and practice.

Competencies UN Core Values of Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for Diversity, and Core Competencies of Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results apply by default. Default managerial competencies may apply.

Planning and Organizing Analyzing Relating and Networking Adapting and Responding to Change Persuading and Influencing

For guidance on how to prepare for competency-based interviews: https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=AYI

Education A university degree from an accredited educational institution in law with some specialization in contract, commercial and/or private or public international law.

Work Experience At least six years of progressively responsible relevant work experience as a lawyer in the United Nations, other international organization, in government service, the commercial/private sector and/or NGO, is required.

Unless already serving as an international staff member in the UN Common System, a candidate for international posts must have at least two continuous years of relevant international experience outside UNRWA, and outside the country(s) of which the candidate is a national or holds citizenship, a passport or a national identity number, is required.

Familiarity with the UN system and practices, is desirable.

Membership of a national bar is desirable.

Work experience as a commercial lawyer in the private sector, preferably in an international setting is desirable.

Commercial litigation experience is desirable.

Languages Excellent command of spoken and written English. Knowledge of another UN official language, particularly Arabic, an asset.

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

Special Notice Type of Contract and duration: 2 years, with the possibility of further extension.

The Legal Officer (Commercial Law) should be able to travel in the Agency's area of operations in the Middle East.

Applicants have to complete the Personal History Profile (PHP) in inspira in order to be considered. The PHP should be completed with full work experience as per the requirements in the Job Opening, in order to be considered.

A roster may be created from the selection exercise, and successful candidates may become eligible for an appointment to the same post or a similar post.

UNRWA welcomes applications from qualified candidates with disabilities.

UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states, regional bodies, business foundations and individual contributions. The mission of UNRWA is to help Palestine refugees achieve their full potential in human development under the difficult circumstances in which they live.

For more details on UNRWA, please visit: https://www.unrwa.org/

United Nations Considerations Staff members are subject to the authority of the Commissioner-General of UNRWA and to assignment by him or her.

UNRWA is committed to achieving gender parity at all levels of staffing under the current UN-wide gender agenda and strongly encourages applications from qualified applicants from under-represented groups.

At UNRWA, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. UNRWA is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

UNRWA Considerations UNRWA staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of efficiency, competence, neutrality, impartiality and integrity. This includes respect for and commitment to human rights, diversity and non-violent means of dealing with all kinds of conflict. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for UNRWA jobs. Candidates will not be considered for employment with UNRWA 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. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. The Agency may disqualify applicants who have separated for reason of misconduct, who left a UN Agency while misconduct processes were pending, or who appear on the UN Sanctions List. UNRWA is a non-smoking work environment.

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.

Potential interview questions