Senior Legal Officer (Administrative Law)

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 Senior Legal Officer (Administrative Law) reports to the Chief Human Resources Policy and Administrative Law Division.

Responsibilities

• Provides leadership of the administrative law team in HRD and serves as the Team Leader; manages the overall workflow of the team, ensuring adaptability, efficiency and problem-solving in the management of administrative law deliverables; provides mentorship and support to the staff under their supervision through monitoring work output, both for timeliness and quality; Provides legal advice on operational matters to Field Offices, the Executive Office, HR counterparts and the Director of Human Resources (DHR).
• This includes the interpretation and application of the regulatory framework to operational scenarios and an assessment of risk/required compliance; Manages the portfolio of disciplinary cases at Headquarters, providing first-level review of disciplinary matters, reviewing investigation reports, and making recommendations on the initiation of disciplinary proceedings and the subsequent imposition of disciplinary measures, if any; together with the Department of Legal Affairs (DLA), provides a legal review of recommendations received from Field Offices on matters of serious misconduct warranting separation; Provides technical input to DLA on appeals on behalf of HRD on applications to UNRWA’s Dispute Tribunal (UNRWA DT) and the United Nations Appeals Tribunal (UNAT); advises DLA on the merits of pursuing an UNRWA DT judgment to the UNAT; reviews implementation memoranda, for DHR signature, issuing instructions in relation to the implementation of a given UNRWA DT/UNAT judgment; Contributes to the development of HR policies related to administrative law and administration of the disciplinary measures and internal justice system for UNRWA staff members; Manages the communication with partners, counterparts and the Executive Office and represents HRD on UNRWA’s committees and working groups related to administrative law issues;

Education

• Advanced university degree from an accredited educational institution in law; Admission to practice law in a recognized jurisdiction.

Work Experience

• At least seven years of progressively responsible and relevant experience in matters related to employment/labor law, administrative appeals, and grievances is required. Unless already serving as an international staff member in the UN Common System, a candidate for an international post 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 Advanced university degree from an accredited educational institution in law is required. Admission to practice law in a recognized jurisdiction is required

Languages

• Excellent command of spoken and written English.

Source: https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/241502?language=en