Senior Counsel at World Bank Group

About The Job

Job Summary
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. 

VPU Background:
The Legal Vice Presidency (LEGVP), under the Senior Vice President and Group General Counsel, is responsible for providing legal support to internal and external World Bank clients on operational, advisory and corporate matters.

• LEGVP provides legal services required by the World Bank and plays an active role in all the World Bank's activities. 
• In addition, LEGVP helps to ensure that all World Bank activities comply with the institution's Articles of Agreement, as well as its operational policies and procedures. 
• Organizationally, LEGVP includes geographically based regional Operational Practice Groups devoted to the legal and policy aspects of the World Bank's lending operations, Policy and Advisory Practice Groups which provide advice on operations policy, environmental and international law, development finance, and Corporate Practice Groups, which provide advice on corporate finance, administrative and institutional Matters for the World Bank.

LEGAM provides operational legal support to three regions: 

•  Africa East and Southern (AFE), 
•  Africa West and Central (AFW); and 
• Middle East and North Africa (MENA). AFE, AFW and MENA include a mix of low-income, lower- middle-income, and upper-middle income countries, and several fragile states. 

The World Bank work program across Africa is the largest among all the Regions. The Africa and MENA Regions together represent about 38% of the World Bank’s net commitments and about 41% of its number of projects in addition to a robust and complex trust fund portfolio.

• The Selected candidate will be expected, at some point during his/her tenure with the World Bank, to move to Headquarters or another decentralized position in one of the Bank’s Country Offices, as business needs of LEG VPU might require.
• Selected candidate will work under the general supervision of the LEGAM Chief Counsels, with day-to-day guidance provided by one or more Lead or Senior Counsels. The Senior Counsel will be a lawyer who can operate independently to handle legal and policy issues related to the Bank’s work while working collaboratively with other lawyers within LEGAM and LEG as a whole.
• Note: If the selected candidate is a current World Bank Group Staff Member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment.
• If the selected candidate is a current World Bank Group Staff Member with a Term appointment that expires later than the end date of this appointment, s/he will retain the duration of his/her current Term appointment.

Job Description

• The Senior Counsel position requires demonstrated technical depth, ability to apply rigorous analytical skills, to work harmoniously in a team, and to exercise good judgment within a broad range of contexts on increasingly complex projects.
• The level and quality of these skills will be a determining factor in the selection for the position, and references will be given consideration in this determination.
• The Senior Counsel will function as a principal legal advisor to one or more assigned internal World Bank clients. 
• The Senior Counsel will be expected to handle at least some of the following areas of responsibility:

Responsibilities:

• Cover a broad portfolio within a functional area, providing risk-based advice to management and staff on legal and policy issues in one or more areas of concentration.
• Draft, review, negotiate and finalize legal documents/financing agreements.
• Successfully deliver legal work on projects and programs and other transactions within client assignments by giving advice on higher risk profile issues with increasing areas of complexity.
• Supervise and guide Counsels, Associate Counsels, Legal Analysts and Paralegals and provide training and advice to them to ensure effective transfer of knowledge and skills.
• Develop innovative approaches and share best practices with colleagues.
• Develop knowledge products and manage tasks independently and as a leader of a team of colleagues.
• Handle issues within an area of specialization to enable clients to create solutions.
• Interpret and provide legal advice for adherence to World Bank Group policies and procedures and business objectives.
• Conduct comparative legal analyses on a range of issues in a given area, identify legal and policy issues, research relevant precedents, and propose appropriate solutions to colleagues and clients.
• Engage in policy discussions and negotiations with officials internally and externally, developing relationships with members of the legal profession and lawyers working in development partner agencies.
• Protect World Bank Group's interests and promote its goals and values.
• Write and review policy papers, undertake legal research on topics in area of concentration and contribute - to dissemination of policy and best practices in a given field.
• Prepare legal briefs on diverse topics, as required.
• Ability to serve in an acting capacity for supervisor.
• Work to advance the LEG VPU’s knowledge management agenda and use of technology; and Perform ad hoc assignments as requested by the manager.

The Senior Counsel position will be based in Accra, Ghana for a duration of 3 years. The selected applicant will be expected to be willing and able to travel to all countries in Africa and the Middle East.

Selection Criteria:

• An LLM degree, J.D. or equivalent, with a minimum of eight (8) years of relevant experience, and admission to the Bar (or equivalent) in at least one jurisdiction is required.
• Excellent oral and written English skills required. Additional languages (French or Portuguese preferred; Arabic a plus).
• Continuous experience in a reputable private sector law firm and/ or with an international financial organization or Government agency is a strong plus.

General Competencies Required:

• Excellent legal research, writing, drafting, analytical and communications skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Experience in international, commercial or contract law, in transactional legal work and/or preparation and negotiation of legal agreements.
• Excellent legal drafting skills, including of agreements, legal memos and/or well-reasoned litigation pleadings and ability to deliver cogent oral arguments, where applicable.
• Familiarity in the use of varied legal research sources (including electronic sources on the internet) and other databases.
• Proven ability to operate effectively as a member of one or more teams; must be a self-starter and collaborate well with others; ability to exercise sound judgment in recognizing what issues to bring to the attention of the Chief Counsel and/or another supervising Counsel, and which to handle autonomously.
• Proven ability to deal sensitively in multicultural and multi-ethnic environments and build effective working relationships with clients and colleagues.
• Ability to supervise and work with local counsel in a collaborative and collegial way; and
• Ability to work under time pressure and to juggle multiple tasks within tight deadlines.