Legal Officer P3 - Rome, Italy

Legal

Overview

Join WFP as a Legal Officer and support humanitarian efforts through legal expertise.

You have:

• Advanced University degree in Law or University degree in Law with experience in private commercial law, construction/engineering law, and real estate property law.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in construction/engineering law and real estate property law.
• Working knowledge of English (written and oral proficiency/Level C).
• Working knowledge of Italian (written and oral proficiency/Level C).
• Knowledge of another UN official language (Arabic, Spanish, Chinese or Russian) is an asset.

.

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, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

Are you a Legal Officer interested in further developing your professional experience while contributing to ending global hunger? Are you passionate about helping those in need? Would you like to join a global organisation investing in its people?

If so, an exciting & fulfilling career awaits you!!! Join our diverse and passionate team that works on varied and international projects directly contributing to saving & changing millions of lives around the globe.

WHO WE ARE

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), a highly prestigious, reputable & world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org/ and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.

WHY JOIN US?

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment
• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training,
• accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility
• opportunities
• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and
• global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that
• effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe
• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section)

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

We are seeking to fill one Legal Officer position at the P3 level. The advertised position is located in the Maritime, Transport and Insurance Law Branch (LEGM), based at our Headquarters in Rome, Italy.

THE ROLE

In consultation with senior Legal Officers, handle a range of legal services including interpretation and application of various constitutive, legislative and other instruments governing WFP activities and operations.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Under the general supervision of the Senior Legal Officer LEGM, the P3 Legal Officer will be responsible for the following duties and may supervise others carrying out these duties:

1. Provide comprehensive and timely advice on a variety of complex legal matters relating to construction and engineering Law, office and premises lease contracts, law of real estate property including land, insurance, commercial and contract law;
2. Undertake legal research and analysis, handle a range of multi-disciplinary legal matters including interpretation and application of various rules, policies, national laws, international conventions, agreements, and other legal instruments to facilitate the provision of quality legal services;
3. Review and draft a variety of legal documents, including agreements, memoranda of understanding and contracts, to identify relevant legal issues and risks and to ensure compliance with the applicable legal framework and jurisprudence;
4. Assist in preparing legal advice on the interpretation and application of WFP’s internal Regulations, Rules, Policies and Procedures as well as applicable conventions, resolutions and agreements;
5. Prepare legal opinions, reports, memoranda and other correspondence;
6. Provide legal interpretation on a full range of issues regarding WFP’s various internal Regulations, Rules and Policies, including the General Regulations, Financial Regulations, Rules, Circulars and Directives;
7. Provide advice to country offices, HQ units on a wide variety of issues;
8. Assist in commodity management actions and loss prevention measures;
9. Contribute to the preparation of agreements and contracts including participation in negotiation and settlement of claims and disputes to meet unique client needs;
10. Identify potential liabilities, particularly vis-à-vis other parties, and assist in the management of risks in WFP’s activities to contribute to well-informed decisions;
11. Prepare and assess briefs of evidence to contribute to legal analysis and solutions;
12. Assist more 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;
13. Conduct/engage in dispute resolution, including liaising with external counsel where appropriate;
14. Provide legal support in representing WFP in administrative or tribunal proceedings and arbitration;
15. Assist in the preparation of the negotiation and settlement of claims and disputes involving WFP and its personnel;
16. Contribute to building productive partnerships within the legal team and with other Legal Offices across UN system;
17. Contribute to the determination of strategy and approach to legal matters;
18. Develop new legal modalities within the framework of WFP’s normative guidelines.
19. Provide legal support to various standing boards, committees, working groups and task forces and represent the organization at meetings, conferences and other events;
20. Take responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives in all areas of work, to ensure equal participation of women and men;
21. Perform other related duties (such as facilitating training sessions for other Units or Divisions), as required by the Legal Office.

QUALIFICATIONS & KEY REQUIREMENTS

Education:

Advanced University degree in the discipline of law or University degree in the discipline of law with experience and advanced training in private commercial law, construction/engineering law and real estate property law.

Experience:

At least 5 years of relevant experience in the area of construction / engineering law (including expertise and practice of FIDIC contracts) and real estate property law (including Italian law).

Languages:

• Working knowledge (written and oral proficiency/Level C) of English is required; • Working knowledge (written and oral proficiency/ level C) of Italian is required; • Knowledge (intermediate/Level B) of another UN official language (Arabic, Spanish, Chinese or Russian) is an asset.

MORE ABOUT YOU

• Knowledge of and ability to apply legal principles, concepts, procedures and terminology for review, examination and processing of a range of legal documents. • Strong negotiation skills and problem-solving approach. • Independent decision-making skills. • Business acumen and ability to think strategically. • High standards of ethics and values. • Adaptability and ability to work on a wide range of legal issues. • General knowledge of UN system policies, rules, regulations and procedures. • Demonstrated ability to draft contracts ad-hoc that are appropriate to contractual counterparty and context. • General knowledge of UN system policies, rules, regulations and procedures will be considered a plus. • You have a track record of delivering, both orally and in writing sound legal analysis based on detailed legal research and proper conceptualization of legal issues. • You can develop a persuasive argumentation and legal strategy. • You are skilled to prepare timely documents in a clear, concise and logical manner. • Prior litigation experience and experience in an international context will be considered as a plus. • Work optimally under pressure and within tight deadlines. • Client-oriented approach based on proven problem-solving skills. • Work harmoniously within a team and with people of different national and cultural backgrounds. • Strong planning, organization and time-management skills. • Proven communication, negotiation, team and interpersonal skills. • Adaptability and ability to work autonomously, with minimal guidance and supervision. • Work with tact and a high degree of discretion and confidentiality.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• This is an International Professional position (non-rotational) and is open to all nationalities.
• Mobility is and continues to be a core contractual requirement in WFP. This position is however classified as "non-rotational" which means the incubent shall not be subject to the regular reassignment process unless the position is reclassified as rotational. The selected candidate will be employed on a fixed-term contract with a probationary period of one year. This position is open to both internal and external candidates.
• WFP offers an attractive compensation and benefits package, including basic salary, post adjustment, relocation entitlement, travel, visa and shipment allowances, 30 days' annual leave, home leave, an education grant for dependent children, a pension plan, and medical insurance. For more information, visit https://icsc.un.org/.
• The selected candidate will be required to relocate to Rome, Italy to take up this assignment.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

March 28th, 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.

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 4 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: wfp.org