Background Information - Job-specific
Background UNOPS
UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development. UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.
Working with us
UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.
Diversity
With over 5,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our diversity through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates and strengthen our inclusion.
Work life harmonisation
UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.
Integrated practice advice and support IPAS (Video link)
Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, the UNOPS Integrated Practice Advice and Support (IPAS) serves all the regions and headquarters, primarily with advice and solutions to everyday implementation challenges. IPAS consists of a diverse team of subject matter experts in HR, Administration, Legal, Finance, Procurement, Project Management and Infrastructure. IPAS is composed of seven teams - one team for each of the six practice areas, and the surge team that was recently established to provide ad hoc support to country offices. IPAS has three main roles:
Support to operations in the country offices: IPAS provides timely advice and supports actively finding solutions to everyday implementation challenges, based on policy and best practices. It also provides operational support in specific areas.
Business efficiency: IPAS recommends changes to policies, processes and operating standards based on the feedback and experience of the country offices. IPAS also ensures transparent and efficient project implementation, in line with policy and business needs.
Body of knowledge: IPAS contributes to research and coordination within the policy groups and project practitioners. It provides structured knowledge and subject matter expertise which is used across practice areas to provide coherent and tailored advice to the requesting offices.
Functional ResponsibilitiesThe IPAS Legal Team Lead leads the IPAS Legal team and reports to the Head of IPAS and under the overall technical Guidance of the General Counsel.
He/she works closely with the other IPAS team to ensure an integrated and harmonized approach in the three roles of IPAS. Team leads in IPAS are responsible for building and maintaining effective relationships with country offices and stakeholders at HQ. Each team lead is expected to cultivate and strive for an inclusive and high-performing team for IPAS overall, that enables UNOPS to deliver its mission to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development.
As an IPAS team lead, you will require a good understanding of the operational context UNOPS works in e.g. field experience is a key asset for this position. You must be a good communicator, open to challenges and comfortable navigating complexity. Your analytical and strategic skills will allow you to propose and implement plans to address operational matters, remove blockages and follow through with opportunities. The IPAS way of working is defined by six “success factors” which are being a trusted advisor, striving for efficiency, having a team centered approach, quality orientation, client focus and being equal partners.
The team leads are expected to travel regularly.
In order to exercise his/her legal responsibilities, the incumbent acts with designated authority provided by the General Counsel. The incumbent will work in accordance with the instructions established by the General Counsel.
Core Functions:
1. Advice on institutional and commercial matters:
Lead the IPAS legal team to undertake reviews and provide advice to country offices on new projects (engagements) and amendments in regards to project viability, risk exposure, legal arrangements and controls;
Ensure an integrated and coordinated approach with other IPAS reviewers;
Highlight high-risk engagements and provide advice to senior management on potential mitigation strategies;
Supervise the team in the review of project agreements with various funding sources; as well as in the review and negotiation of contracts and grant agreements with recipients of UNOPS funds;
Provide holistic advice in coordination with other IPAS advisors. 2. Business Efficiency
Ensure a systematic approach to collect and address issues, feedback and suggestions from operations in regards to improvements of policies, processes and systems related to finance.
Work closely with other HQ units to address business critical issues and find solutions that are fit for purpose and contribute with specialist and practical knowledge to policy development to be responsive to UNOPS strategy; to improve efficiencies and strengthen internal controls.
Ensure data analytics of IPAS Legal related data to identify risks, opportunities and trends;
Contribute to cross-functional initiatives to ensure that internal policies, processes and systems and tools are aligned with the overall regulatory framework, practical, relevant and add value to organisational operations.
3. Team management
Supervise and lead the IPAS Legal team, to ensure that team members are motivated in a trusting and supporting environment that fosters ownership, innovation and learning.
Facilitate and encourage interaction and collaboration between the IPAS Legal team and the other IPAS teams and other stakeholders such as policy groups, implementing units and external parties.
Work with data analytics and evolve the risk approach to keep track of workload and trends of IPAS Legal activities and tasks, in order to efficiently manage the team and workload.
4. Knowledge management and capacity building
Ensure knowledge and information on legal matters is maintained and shared actively within the team, and packaged in appropriate formats that can be easily communicated with the country offices.
Keep abreast of internal and external developments and best practices and provide recommendations to relevant stakeholders
Provide regular feedback to internal clients on challenges, gaps and possible areas of improvement
Develop a strategy to ensure knowledge transfer and capacity building related to legal concepts and issues,, and work closely with other IPAS teams to provide integrated trainings where relevant.
Education/Experience/Language requirementsAdvanced University degree (Master's or equivalent) in international law or a closely related area is required;
A first-level university degree in law (Bachelor’s or equivalent) from an accredited university in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
Minimum 7 years of professional experience in law is required;
Satisfaction of all requirements to practice law in a national jurisdiction of a UN Member State;
Within the 7 years of professional experience: - A minimum of 2 years supervising and leading a team is required.
- At least 3 years of experience in the application of regulations and rules, policies, procedures and decision-making processes of an international organisation is required;
Experience analysing legal issues and conducting legal research in support of a legal office/government agency/international organisation is required;
Field experience and/or program management experience is highly desirable;
Experience in working with the status and the privileges and immunities of international organisations is required;
Experience in negotiation and dispute resolution is desirable;
Language requirements:
Fluency in English, both written and verbal, required.
Knowledge of another UN language such as French and Spanish is an advantage;
Competencies Contract type: FTA
Contract level: P4
Contract duration: one year, renewable
For more details about United Nations staff contracts, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/UN-Staff-Contracts.aspx
Additional Considerations
This vacancy is archived.