Org. Setting and Reporting

This temporary position is located in Nairobi within the Disciplinary Section of the Disciplinary Accountability Service (DS-DAS), Administrative Law Division (ALD), Office of Human Resources (OHR), Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance (DMSPC). The incumbent reports to the Legal Officer of the Section. The Division is in charge of the implementation of the United Nations (UN) standards of conduct for all categories of personnel across the UN Secretariat. ALD provides strategic and legal advice on internal justice matters and represent the Secretary-General before the United Nations Dispute Tribunal. ALD handles disciplinary matters relating to Secretariat staff members, oversees and coordinates efforts and actions to prevent and respond to unsatisfactory conduct, and works to empower and support UN Secretariat managers in the exercise of their responsibilities to address conduct and discipline matters.

Responsibilities

The Legal Officer is responsible for the following duties:

• Handles disciplinary matters from field operations, particularly MONUSCO, and a range of issues related to international, public, national, administrative law, including the interpretation and application of in that area of concentration, in consultation with senior Legal Officers.
• Conducts extensive legal research and analysis and prepare legal opinions, studies, briefs, reports and correspondence.
• Undertakes basic or extensive review of legal documents, instruments, or other material; identifies important issues, similarities, and inconsistencies, etc.
• Prepares or assists in the preparation of drafts of background papers, studies, reports, legislative texts and commentaries on those texts, teaching materials in the field of international trade law and private international law, etc.
• Prepares or assists in the preparation of legal submissions/motions as necessary in the course of investigations and prosecutions.
• Assesses evidence for relevance and admissibility.
• Prepares and assesses briefs of evidence.
• Services or assists senior colleagues in servicing diplomatic conferences, commissions, committees, task forces, expert groups and other bodies, including preparation of background materials, summaries of issues and views of delegations, meeting reports, etc.
• Represents or assists in representing the Organization before arbitral and other tribunals or administrative proceedings, including disciplinary cases.
• Provides legal advice on human resources matters, reviews administrative matters.
• Provides guidance to more junior staff.
• Performs other duties as assigned. Competencies
• Professionalism: Knowledge of, and ability to apply, legal principles, concepts and procedures and terminology for review, examination, and processing of a range of legal documents. Knowledge of various legal research sources, including electronic, and ability to conduct research and analyze information on a wide range of legal issues. Knowledge of the civil law and/or common law legal systems and principles. Ability to interpret and apply legislative instruments, develop, and present results, recommendations, and opinions clearly and concisely. Ability to draft legal papers and work under pressure. Ability to apply good legal judgment in the context of assignments given. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines, and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
• Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
• Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently. Education Advanced university degree (Masters degree or equivalent) in law is required. A first-level university degree (Bachelors degree or equivalent) in combination with two additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Job – Specific Qualification Not available. Work Experience A minimum of five years of progressively responsible legal experience is required. Of the five years, two years of experience in litigation at the national or international level and first-hand experience appearing and leading evidence of witnesses before a court, tribunal, or equivalent administrative boards or bodies is required. Experience in handling disciplinary matters in national or international entities is desirable. Experience with staff regulations and rules, policies, procedures and operations of the United Nations or other similar international organization is desirable. Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. French is desirable. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details). Required Languages Language Reading Writing Listening Speaking English UN Level II UN Level II UN Level II UN Level II Desirable Languages Language Reading Writing Listening Speaking French UN Level II UN Level II UN Level II UN Level II Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview. Special Notice This position is temporarily available until 30 June 2026. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment. While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post. Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station. This temporary job opening may be limited to internal candidates, who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15. Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation. Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as “retirement.” Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service…