Back Legal Officer, Montreal, Canada

Posting Title: Legal Officer, P4

Job Code Title: LEGAL OFFICER

Department/Office: International Civil Aviation Organization

Duty Station: MONTREAL

Posting Period: 17 March 2021 - 18 April 2021

Job Opening Number: 21-Legal Affairs-ICAO-151990-R-Montreal (R)

United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity

Organisational Setting and Reporting

The Legal Affairs and External Relations Bureau (LEB) provides advice and assistance to the Secretary General and through that Office to the various bodies of the Organization and to ICAO Contracting States, on legal and external relations matters. With regard to legal matters, the Bureau is responsible for: the provision of legal advice to the Governing Bodies and the Secretariat on any issue of law, and in particular on international law and air law; the general development of air law; the review of all agreements and contracts; and the performance of the treaty depositary and registration of agreements functions of the Organization. With regard to external relations matters, the Bureau is responsible for: maintaining close and harmonious working relations with Contracting States; serving as focal point for the Organization's relations with the Host Government; carrying out liaison and protocol functions; and monitoring and providing policy guidance and advice on current political events which might affect ICAO.

The incumbent reports directly to the Director, LEB, with whom s/he consults on overall policy and strategic vision. The Director of the Bureau will provide supervision including guidance on procedural matters, delegation and distribution of tasks, and decisions on priorities.

Responsibilities

Function 1 (incl. Expected results)

Serves as a lead officer in the area of international air law and independently handles a wide range of multi-disciplinary and complex legal matters involving issues of public, private and comparative international air law, to include interpretation and application of instruments in that area of concentration achieving results such as:

• Formulate independent legal opinions or legal memoranda on questions concerning the interpretation or application of the Convention on International Civil Aviation and the Annexes thereto, as well as other international air law instruments;
• Draft appropriate responses to correspondence from States raising legal issues or having legal implications as well as inter-office memoranda and other requests for legal advice received from other Bureaus/Offices;
• Provide substantive legal advice in negotiations and resolution of problems and advise the Organization in litigation and negotiations in the areas of specialization.
• Provide legal advice and participate in various internal working groups, advisory committees and meetings of a legal nature.

Function 2 (incl. Expected results)

Provides independent legal advice on diverse substantive and procedural questions of considerable complexity, which may include those related to international air law (i.e. air navigation, safety, security, environment, economic development, technical cooperation, etc.), international administrative law, administration and management, procurement and contracts, human resources, etc., achieving results such as:

• Prepare legal opinions on questions which may arise in the ICAO Assembly, Council and its Committees/Working Groups, the Legal Committee or other substantive bodies of the Organization;
• Advise on the interpretation and application of Staff Regulations and Rules, including the review of administrative decisions; prepare draft amendments to the Staff Regulations and Rules; prepare draft administrative issuances or amendments thereto and verify their consistency with the existing Staff Regulations and Rules; prepare analyses and evaluations of human resources policies and practices relevant to the internal functioning of the Organization;
• Identify and analyse in-depth consideration of the implications of new or revised policies in the formulation of legal advice and finding alternative solutions to problems.
• Apply the principles of the discipline to the analysis of administrative, substantive, procedural and other problems of considerable intricacy and of major concern to the Organization.
• Review and provide legal advice on Contracts Board submissions; supervise the performance of treaty depositary and agreement registration functions.

Function 3 (incl. Expected results)

Conducts extensive legal research and analysis and prepares studies, briefs, reports and correspondence on various legal topics in international law, including diplomatic and consular relations, intellectual property law, information technology law, competition law and dispute resolution; achieving results such as:

• Manage specialized research projects in diverse areas of the law; collect, analyse and synthesize relevant data, practices, procedures and usages, including Member States views and practices, on particular issues relevant to the legal work of the Organization;
• Develop and review working papers on legal subjects for the Assembly, Council, Legal Committee and other representative bodies of the Organization;
• Serve as Secretary or Assistant Secretary and participate in various standing boards, committees, ad-hoc working groups and task forces, as required;
• Conduct legal seminars, workshops and other outreach activities to promote the legal work of the Organization; participate in the development and delivery of ICAO-approved training programmes/courses in international air law.

Function 4 (incl. Expected results)

Formulates, reviews, advises on and drafts complex contracts, agreements and arrangements, institutional and operational modalities and other legal mechanisms for engaging external entities; develops new legal modalities to meet unique needs/circumstances, achieving results such as:

• Review and provide advice on agreements and arrangements to which the Organization is to be a party; create tailored solutions and template legal documents for utilization in procurements, revenue generating activities, human resources, field operations and other areas of activity in the Organization;
• Recommend suitable legal frameworks and procedural implementation structures for projects and revenue-generating activities, including required risk mitigation and risk management measures;
• Provide client-oriented guidance on procedural, financial and institutional arrangements required to support activities while safeguarding organizational interests and procedural propriety;
• Represent the Organization in the conduct of negotiations on matters involving States, contractors and other parties and participate in meetings requiring legal advice or expertise.

Function 5 (incl. Expected results)

Provides legal advice and effective support to the Council in the conduct of proceedings involving the settlement of disputes and differences between States, achieving results such as:

• Coordinate the processing by the Secretariat of submissions filed by States and provide independent legal advice and guidance on procedural and substantive steps required at all stages of the dispute settlement process;
• Coordinate and oversee the preparation and timely dissemination of appropriate correspondence and relevant documentation to States and other stakeholders involved in the dispute settlement process;
• Serve as the responsible officer for all legal matters relating to the settlement of differences.

Function 6 (incl. Expected results)

Performs other related duties, as assigned.

Competencies

Professionalism: Sound analytical and legal drafting skills, including proven expertise in the development of multilateral legal instruments; highly matured negotiation and conflict resolution skills involving States, international and multi-party stakeholders; familiarity with the depositary functions and treaty practices of an international organization; ability to produce reports and papers on legal issues and to review and edit the work of others; ability to apply ICAO rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in complex work situations. 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;

Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

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 the audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.

Technological Awareness: Keeps abreast of available technology; understands applicability and limitations of technology to the work of the office; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; shows willingness to learn new technology.

Judgement/Decision-making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

Essential

An advanced level university degree (Master's degree or academic equivalent) with specialization in international law and air law.

Work Experience

Essential

• A minimum of ten (10) years' experience in increasingly responsible positions in the practice of private and public international law, with particular specialization in the field of international air law, the law of international organizations and treaty law.
• Experience in the development of international law, and particularly in the conduct of multilateral negotiations.
• Practical experience in conducting legal research and supporting the work of task forces, working groups, study groups, committees and other bodies within the international context.
• Experience in international administrative law, particularly as it applies to United Nations (UN) organizations or other international organizations.
• Practical experience in providing legal support to field projects, procurement activities and revenue-generating activities, including the commercial exploitation of Intellectual Property Rights.

Desirable

• Familiarity with the work of ICAO's activities in the legal field or with those of other UN system organizations.

Languages

Essential

Fluent reading, writing and speaking abilities in English.

Desirable

A working knowledge of any other language of the Organization (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish).

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

The ICAO Assembly recently reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing gender equality and the advancement of women by supporting UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 "Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls."

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for ICAO positions, especially in the Professional and higher level categories.

It should be noted that this post is to be filled on a fixed-term basis for an initial period of three years (first year is probationary for an external candidate).

ICAO staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the Secretary General and may be assigned to any activities or offices of the Organization, in accordance with the provisions of the ICAO service code.

ICAO staff members are expected to conduct themselves in a manner befitting their status as international civil servants. In this connection, ICAO has incorporated the 2013 Standards of Conduct for the International Civil Service into the ICAO Personnel Instructions.

ICAO offers an attractive benefit package to its employees in accordance with the policies of the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC).

The statutory retirement age for staff entering or re-entering service after 1 January 2014 is 65. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete a term of appointment will normally be considered.

Remuneration:Level P-4 Rate

Net Base Salary per annum+Post Adjustment (net) per annum (*)

USD 74,913 USD $34,760

(*) Post Adjustment is subject to change.

United Nations Considerations

In accordance with ICAO Staff Regulations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard shall be paid to the importance of recruiting staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible and ensuring equal gender representation. Subject to the foregoing, selection of staff members shall be made without distinction as to race, sex or religion, nor shall there be any discrimination on account of any disability of a candidate who meets the qualifications required to perform the tasks. Unless otherwise permitted under the ICAO Staff Regulations, appointment and promotion of staff members shall be made on a competitive basis.

Candidates will not be considered for employment with ICAO if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts.

Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, Inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on "Manuals" hyper-link on the upper right side of the Inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in Inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised in Inspira will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

ICAO does NOT charge any fees or request money from candidates at any stage of the recruitment process, nor does it concern itself with bank account details of applicants. Requests of this nature allegedly made on behalf of ICAO are fraudulent and should be disregarded.

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