Legal Officer at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Responsibilities

• Serve as a lead officer in one or more areas of concentration, and independently handles a wide range of multi-discipline and complex legal matters involving issues of international, public, private and administrative law, to include interpretation and application of instruments in that area of concentration.
• Provide legal advice on diverse substantive and procedural questions of considerable complexity, which may include those related to administration and management, institutions support, and other operational matters,
• Advise and engage with UN internal justice system including the tribunals, represents the organization on cases before the UNDT, participates in negotiations and settlement of claims, to include establishing strategy and approach; deciding on the recommendations on the merit of claims and in connection with the reviewability of administrative decisions.
• Review, advise on and draft complex agreements, institutional and operational modalities, or legal motions/submissions and other legal documents; develops new legal modalities to meet unique needs/circumstances.
• Review complaints relating to prohibition of discrimination, harassment, including sexual harassment, and abuse of authority as well as retaliation investigations to determine if prohibited conduct or retaliation occurred as alleged, and provide legal support to the Conduct and Discipline focal point • Perform extensive legal research and analysis and prepares determinations, briefs, and correspondence, in particular to remediate situations where prohibited conducts or retaliation has occurred and effectuate the consultation/resolution process; provides legal advice to the unit/division.
• Provide timely and confidential legal advice and guidance on diverse and substantive questions of considerable complexity, including monitoring trends and conducting analysis into root causes of legal dilemmas for staff.
• Provide legal advice on the interpretation and application of staff regulations and rules in relation to investigations, including the review of administrative decisions.
• Consult and liaise with the Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM), Office of Legal Affairs (OLA), Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), among others with regard to investigation, as necessary Corporate legal advice:
• Review, advise on and drafts complex agreements, institutional and operational modalities with governments, non-governmental organizations and other public and private entities. or legal motions/submissions and other legal documents; develops new legal modalities to meet unique needs/circumstances

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in international law is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is desirable

Work Experience

• A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in law, preferably administrative, employment, civil and criminal law or a related area is required.
• Experience in legal analysis, research and writing is required.
• Experience in litigation and first-hand experience appearing and leading evidence of witnesses before a court, tribunal, or equivalent administrative boards or bodies is desirable.
• Experience with staff regulations and rules, policies, procedures and operations of the United Nations and United Nations Internal Justice System or other similar international organization is desirable.
• Two (2) years or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable