Legal Affairs Specialist, P-4, 6-month temporary appointment, Office of Executive Director, PAT 131994

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, commitment

The Legal Affairs Specialist in New York will advise internal clients on UNICEF’s arrangements with financial service providers, common premises and common services arrangements, private sector fundraising and digital payments systems, financial transactions, as well as supporting other business units globally on a broad spectrum of legal matters ranging from commercial contracts,  disputes, and institutional matters. Legal Affairs Specialist in New York will report to the Senior Legal Affairs Specialist, who reports to the Chief Legal Counsel.

How can you make a difference? 

Members of the UNICEF Legal Team are expected to be open-minded and resourceful, responsive, and dynamic, transparent and approachable, and clear and authoritative. The overall direction of the Legal Team is set by the Chief Legal Counsel in New York.

The Legal Affairs Specialist will is expected to work autonomously, collaborating regularly with other team members, all under the supervision of the Senior Legal Affairs Specialist.

Manage a large portfolio of legal projects and files, ranging across the organization including, by way of illustration:

1.)    Act as the lead lawyer on:

a)     Legal agreements with UNICEF financial service providers including but not limited to banks and digital payment providers;

b)     legal agreements for cash-based transfer programmes;

c)     Legal agreements for electronic payments and reporting;

d)     Review and guidance with bank guarantees in support of UNCEF programme implementation;

e)     Update of UNICEF template agreements with financial service providers;

f)      Resolution of disputes, court orders, and liens impacting UNICEF financial resources;

g)     Guidance and interpretation of decisions, regulations, sanctions, rules, policies, procedures, including but not limited to UNICEF Financial Rules and Regulations.

h)     leases for UNICEF offices globally;

i)       partnerships with governments, international financial institutions, global philanthropic organizations and foundations, civil society organizations and private sector entities to structure financial contributions and programme implementation;

j)       advising on UNICEF’s internal financial policy development and interpretation; and

k)     dispute resolution with regard to disputes between external entities and UNICEF.

2.)    Collaborate closely with teams across the organization, at the headquarters / divisional level, and at the regional and country office level, in a wide range of development and humanitarian contexts.

3.)    Develop and provide training and capacity building to internal divisions and offices teams across UNICEF; proactively share knowledge with other team members.

4.)    Support projects managed by the Team (legal knowledge management, office governance, case management) throughout their entire lifecycle, including design & planning, stakeholder engagement, monitoring & evaluation.

5.)    Take on other tasks and duties as required.

The Legal Affairs Specialist will be expected to:

6.)    Be alive to the bigger picture. Connect dots, identify trends, develop solutions. This involves taking ownership and having a sense of accountability over your portfolio as a whole, consciously answering the need for creativity and resourcefulness in all situations (i.e. show initiative, be proactive, create and use networks, think outside the box). 

7.)    Take leadership in action and be responsive with client, while keeping your supervisor posted. This involves communicating with the client regularly, maintaining high levels of responsiveness to the client, keeping your supervisor regularly informed and seeking their input and guidance appropriately, managing the expectations of the client and knowing when to escalate.

8.)    Take charge – be responsible and be accountable. This involves:

a)  taking a risk-based approach, prioritizing and, where matters warrant your investment, applying a forward-looking strategic approach – demonstrating coherence, rigor and thought over your matters;

b) being pro-active in stakeholder management, and following up on outstanding matters and queries;  

c) being resourceful (for example, use networks to unlock matters.)

d) Exercise good judgement on emerging challenges, especially where there is a need to escalate so as to avoid or overcome an impasse and involve your supervisor in a timely manner.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

• Education: A minimum of a post-graduate university law degree (for example. LL. B post-graduate; LL.M.; J.D.) in a relevant field of law (e.g. international law, commercial law) or equivalent is required; or, at the discretion of the Chief Legal Counsel, a first-level university degree in combination with an additional two years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
• Work Experience: A minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience in the practice of law in a relevant field is required (e.g. international law; commercial law).  Experience in a law firm, in private practice or as in-house counsel, or in an international organization (UN and related organizations, international financial institutions, development banks, regional banks)  is highly desirable.
• Skills: 
  • A constructive and client-oriented approach to resolution of problems is required.
  • Excellent research, legal writing and drafting skills are required.

          Excellent verbal communication and negotiation skills, excellent interpersonal skills with staff at all levels, and the ability to work with utmost discretion in handling sensitive and confidential matters are required.

• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required. Proficiency in another language, particularly one of the other official languages of the United Nations (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) is also desirable.

Desirables:

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency. 

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility jobs-near-me.org UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per 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.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.