Senior Legal Officer

Contract

This is a P-5 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 10 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 110,869 USD and 138,944 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 This position is located within the United Nations Investigative Team to promote accountability for crimes committed by Da'esh / ISIL (UNITAD) and will be based in Iraq. The Senior Legal Officer is the head of field investigation unit and reports to the Chief, Office of Field Investigations, under the overall direction of the Special Advisor, who heads the Investigative Team.

UNITAD was established by the Secretary-General pursuant to Security Council resolution 2379 (2017), according to which it is mandated to support domestic efforts to hold ISIL (Da'esh) accountable by collecting, preserving and storing evidence in Iraq of acts that may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed by the terrorist group ISIL (Da'esh) in Iraq.

Responsibilities Within delegated authority, the Senior Legal Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

• Develops the strategic substantive focus of the investigations conducted by his/her Field Investigation Unit, based on consultations with the Chief of the Office of Field Investigations and other substantive entities of the Investigative Team.

• Decides the day-to-day substantive priorities of his/her Field Investigation Unit based on an analysis of the evidence and information obtained to date, in consultation with the Chief of the Office of Field Investigations.

• Collects evidentiary material relevant to the investigation of crimes committed by ISIL, including through interviews of witnesses and victims and the collection of documentation. Identifies and collects information from major crime scenes, including mass graves.

• Ensures that investigations, the collection and preservation of evidence, and the documentation of statements from survivors and victims of acts committed by ISIL (Da'esh) are conducted to a high standard and meet the legal requirements of the courts of Iraq and of third countries as appropriate.

• Provides legal expertise and advice on a wide range of complex legal issues affecting the United Nations Mission’s mandate and activities, including international humanitarian law and international criminal law as well as criminal investigation procedures, international criminal law standards, relevant legal frameworks governing domestic proceedings relating to the crimes of ISIL; advises and supports supervisors in the provision of advice on administrative, personnel and contractual matters related to the Mission’s activities.

• Assists and supports the supervisor in establishing and maintaining good working relations with government officials, other institutions and entities on legal matters related to the implementation of UNITAD’s mandate; liaises with other UN agencies, funds and programmes, as well as other internal and external actors and organizations, as required, and in consultation with supervisors.

• Reviews evidentiary information collected and develops investigative findings and ongoing investigative priorities in consultation with colleagues in the Office of Analysis and Evidence and the Forensic Sciences Unit.

• Participates in administrative Boards and Committees, including in relation to the procurement process, claims and property management, and on ad hoc working groups and task forces, as assigned by the supervisor.

• Manages and leads administration of the unit, including organizing and prioritizing workload and managing, supervising and guiding more junior legal officers;

• Performs extensive legal research and analysis on highly complex or novel legal issues/questions and prepares legal opinions, studies, briefs, reports, and correspondence.

• Performs other duties, as assigned.

  Competencies Professionalism: Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals. Solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others. Places team agenda before personal agenda-Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position. Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Judgement/ Decision-making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly-Gathers relevant information before making a decision. Considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them. Takes decision. with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization. Proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information. Checks assumptions against facts. Determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision. Makes tough decisions when necessary.

Building Trust: Provides an environment in which others can talk and act without fear of repercussion; manages in a deliberate and predictable way; operates with transparency; has no hidden agenda; places confidences in colleagues, staff members and clients; gives proper credit to theirs; follows through on agreed upon actions; treats sensitive or confidential information appropriately.

Education Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in law with a specialization in international criminal law, international humanitarian law, international public law, or international human rights law or related field. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in law, including legal analysis, research and writing is required.

Experience in the investigation, prosecution, or litigation of serious violations of international humanitarian law is desirable.

Experience in working in an international criminal tribunal or similar entity is desirable.

Experience working in investigations related to ISIL (Da'esh) is desirable.

Experience in the Middle East and North Africa is desirable.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Arabic is desirable.

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

Special Notice - Fully vaccinated status for COVID-19 or willingness to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 is required for this position.

• Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfil the lateral move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy. Staff members are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral moves in their Personal History Profile (PHP) and cover letter.

• 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.

• Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

  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.