Senior Legal Affairs Specialist, P-5, Office of Executive Director, NYHQ, PAT 113908 (two positions)

UNICEF is seeking to appoint a Senior Legal Affairs Specialist in the Legal Team within Office of the Executive Director. The position is based in New York.

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, Hope

UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of every child. UNICEF has spent 70 years working to improve the lives of children and their families. Defending children's rights throughout their lives requires a global presence, aiming to produce results and understand their effects. UNICEF believes all children have a right to survive, thrive and fulfill their potential – to the benefit of a better world.

UNICEF is seeking to appoint a Senior Legal Affairs Specialist in the Legal Team within the Office of the Executive Director.

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 clients to anticipate trends and challenges and develop systemic solutions; and we protect UNICEF by identifying legal, reputational and other risks, and helping to mitigate those risks. Our lawyers are based in several UNICEF locations, including New York Headquarters, and in several other outposts such as Brussels, Copenhagen and Geneva. 

How can you make a difference? 

We seek to hire an experienced Senior Legal Affairs Specialist under a fixed term appointment to join the Legal  Team in our New York Office.  The initial appointment will be for two years, with the possibility of extension.

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, Office of the Executive Director, New York.

How can you make a difference? 

Under the supervision of UNICEF`s Chief Legal Counsel, the Senior Legal Affairs Specialist will manage and oversee the New York based section of the Legal Team.

• Advise on and represent UNICEF in senior-level negotiation of complex contracts and other legal instruments, agreements, and arrangements.
• Assist and lead in advising on the legal dimensions of establishment, structure, and implementation of UNICEF’s collaborations with external partners including other UN organizations (including international financial institutions), civil society, and the private sector.

• Assist in implementing the Legal Team workplan for key clients including Public Partnerships under the direct leadership of the Chief Legal Counsel.
• Supervise and provide guidance to legal affairs specialists and support staff on large scale/high risk transactions.

• Assist and lead in advising on the legal interpretation of decisions of the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, and the UNICEF Executive Board, and on the legal interpretation of UNICEF and UN regulations, rules, procedures, and administrative instructions.
• Supervise and provide guidance to legal affairs specialists and support staff. Develop, monitor, and evaluate work assignments.
• Identify and implement innovative solutions and best practices for the Legal Team that address the priorities of UNICEF and help design and deliver on key areas related to Legal Team governance including decision-making processes, clearance process, building institutional precedent and knowledge and policy architecture.

Monitor progress on work plans, priorities and budget and advise Chief Legal Counsel accordingly.

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in international law, commercial law or other related social science field.
  * A first University Degree (for example. Ll. B post-graduate; Ll.M.; J.D.) in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
• Work Experience: A minimum of (10) ten years of relevant professional experience as practicing lawyer in a relevant area of law is required.
• Prior experience of working either in the UN System or within other international development organizations, or in private practice or as in-house counsel in private industry is highly desirable.  
• Language Requirements:
• Fluency in English (written & verbal) is required. Knowledge of an additional UN Language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) is considered an asset.

• Strong, independent but collaborative attitude and highest integrity is required. 

• Ability to establish and maintain strong partnerships with internal and external partners including persons of different national and cultural backgrounds. 

• Proven leadership and performance management experience, preferably managing legal teams.

• Ability to work in a complex, dynamic and fast paced environment including in the context of providing legal support in humanitarian emergencies. 

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 

(8) Nurtures, leads and manages people

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of measures to include a more diverse workforce, such as paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will 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.

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 Global South are in particular 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.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.