Temporary Appointment (six months) ;Legal Affairs Specialist o/p Copenhagen, P-3 Office of Executive Director, Copenhagen, PAT 135977

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 for as long as we are needed. 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 professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

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

For every child, commitment

UNICEF’s Legal Team supports the organization’s business units around the world – our clients – by delivering strategic legal solutions through collaboration. We provide legal advice that is risk-informed, timely, responsive, and pragmatic. We empower clients and build their capacity to self-help. We proactively engage with to anticipate trends and challenges and develops systemic solutions, and we protect UNICEF by identifying legal, reputational and other risks, and helping to mitigate those risks. Our lawyers are located in several UNICEF locations, including Copenhagen where UNICEF’s Supply Division is headquartered.

Our team in Copenhagen supports UNICEF’s Supply Division (as well as other business units globally) on a broad range of matters related to UNICEF’s supply function (as well as other functions) ranging from commercial contracts to partnerships, disputes, and institutional matters.

In 2024, UNICEF procured $US5.61 billion worth of goods and services for children in 160 countries and areas. UNICEF-procured supplies are critical in providing for children’s health, education and protecting them from abuse, exploitation, and neglect: UNICEF procures vaccines to immunize 45 per cent of the world’s children under 5 years old; invests in equitable access to ready-to-use-therapeutic food and closing the gap in malaria prevention with the malaria vaccine; and convenes governments, industry and other stakeholders to builds innovative partnerships. See https://www.unicef.org/supply/reports/unicef-supply-annual-report-2024

How can you make a difference? 

To address a short-term absence in our team, we seek to hire a Legal Affairs Specialist under a temporary appointment (TA) to join the Legal Team for six (6) months.

Under the overall guidance of the Senior Legal Affairs Specialist in Geneva and the direct supervision of the Legal Affairs Specialist in Copenhagen, the Legal Affairs Specialist (TA) will provide guidance and advice on institutional and commercial procurement, donor agreements and contracts related to programme support and project implementation to ensure adherence to organizational financial, procurement, contracting and legal policies, rules and procedures; and to ensure that the organization is protected from legal exposure.

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 (TA) will:

1. Advise and provide support on developing and negotiating long term arrangements, contracts and other legal instruments, agreements, and arrangements (including but not limited to contracts with vaccine and other manufacturers and service providers), identifying risks and possible mitigation strategies by reference to the organization’s parametres for negotiation, and its regulatory framework.
2. Assist in advising on the legal dimensions of establishment, structure and implementation of UNICEF collaborations with external partners including but not limited to other UN organisations (including international financial institutions), civil society, and the private sector (such as, by way of example only, in connection with the design and establishment of UNICEF shared value partnerships) by developing draft agreements and term sheets, identifying risks and possible mitigation strategies and undertaking ther related tasks under the guidance of more senior members of the Legal Team.
3. Advise on the resolution of disputes, particularly those disputes involving possible liability for the Organisation in relation to supply transactions under the guidance of more senior members of the Legal Team.
4. Assist in advising on the legal interpretation of decisions, regulations, rules, procedures, and pertinent administrative instructions.
5. Support the design and implementation of new and existing knowledge management and professional development initiatives.
6. Support the training and other knowledge sharing initiatives of the Legal Team with a focus on Supply.
7. Conducting other duties as directed.

The Legal Affairs Specialist (TA) will be expected to:

• Take ownership of matters; proactively highlighting potential issues and present possible solutions to more senior members of the Legal Team. This involves taking ownership and having 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). 
• Support more senior members of the Legal Team in taking leadership in action and being responsive with clients. 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.
• Take charge – be responsible and be accountable, proactively seeking support of more senior members of the Legal Team when needed. This involves:
  • taking a risk-based approach, prioritizing and, where matters warrant your investment, taking a forward-looking strategic approach – demonstrating coherence, rigor and thought over your matters;
  • being pro-active in stakeholder management, and following up on outstanding matters and queries;  
  • being resourceful, for example, use networks to unlock matters. 
• 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 five (5) 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 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 is highly desirable (Chinese, Arabic, Russian, French, Spanish).

Desirables:

• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts. 

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 

[add the 8^th competency (Nurtures, leads and manages people) for a supervisory role]. 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility jobs-near-me.org UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

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 is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. 

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.

UNICEF staff members holding fixed-term, continuing, or permanent appointments who are considered to be on abolished post status may apply for this temporary position and, if selected with a start date before 31 December 2025, may take it up as a temporary assignment, in line with UNICEF guidance on separation due to the abolition of posts or staff reduction. They will retain their fixed-term entitlements but will not hold a lien to their abolished post. For other scenarios where a Temporary Assignment may be possible, please refer to Additional guidance on IP to IP temporary assignments after completion of the full TOD.pdf (accessible to UNICEF personnel only).

The conditions of a temporary assignment, including relocation entitlements, will depend on the status of the staff member’s original appointment and may be limited in accordance with applicable UNICEF policies, procedures, and practices in force.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

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.