Grade: P3
Vacancy no.: RBC/P/NORMES/2025/13
Publication date: 28 March 2025
Application deadline (midnight Geneva time): 28 April 2025
Job ID: 12924
Department: NORMES
Organization Unit: LIBSYND
Location: Geneva
Contract type: Fixed Term
The following are eligible to apply:
Applications from candidates who have already separated from ILO service upon retirement or early retirement, will not be considered.
The ILO values diversity among its staff and welcomes applications from qualified female candidates. We also encourage applicants with disabilities. If you are unable to complete our online application form due to a disability, please send an email to ilojobs@ilo.org.
The ILO welcomes applicants with experience in working within ILO constituents (governments, employers’ and business membership organizations, and workers’ organizations).
Applicants from non- or under-represented member States, or from those member States which staffing forecasts indicate will become non- or under-represented in the near future would be particularly welcome. A list of these countries can be found here: ILO Jobs: Non- and under-represented Member States
In addition to the interviews and tests that any candidate may be required to take, successful completion of the ILO Assessment is required for all external candidates and any internal candidate applying to a higher category.
Notwithstanding the general considerations set out in the ILO Staff Regulations, this vacancy announcement is the only authoritative document pertaining to the qualifications required for this position. The minimum required qualifications were determined in view of the specific duties and responsibilities of this position.
The specific language requirements for this position are detailed hereunder. However, external candidates applying for the professional category vacancies and whose mother tongue is not one of the working languages of the Office (English, French and Spanish), shall be required to possess a fully satisfactory working knowledge of at least one of the ILO working languages. If appointed, they will be expected to acquire a knowledge of a second working language of the Office during their initial years of service.
The position is located in the Freedom of Association Branch (LIBSYND) within the International Labour Standards Department (NORMES). In accordance with the ILO’s Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work, NORMES strives to enhance the relevance of international labour standards to the world of work and to ensure their role as a useful means of achieving the constitutional objectives of the Organization. More specifically, NORMES is responsible for: (i) designing and implementing the ILO standards-related activities in accordance with the standards policy adopted by the Governing Body; (ii) supporting and servicing all the supervisory bodies of the ILO, and (iii) the promotion of Office-wide coherence and cooperation on international labour standards.
The Legal/Labour Law Officer will contribute to the activities of the Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining Units within the LIBSYND Branch. These units provide support to the supervisory bodies and technical assistance to the countries on the freedom of association and collective bargaining issues covered by international labour standards.
The main role of the position is to contribute to the support provided by LIBSYND to the ILO supervisory bodies, in particular the Committee on Freedom of Association and the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations.
The incumbent works under direct supervision of the Head of the Collective Bargaining Unit.
1. Provide a range of legal and policy services to support the areas of international labour standards and labour law, with a focus on ILO Conventions concerning freedom of association, collective bargaining, industrial relations and tripartite consultations (see inter alia the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87); the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98); the Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144).
2. Examine reports by governments and observations by employers’ and workers’ organizations on international labour standards. Examine complaints alleging non-compliance with international labour standards and prepare draft comments, reports or other documents as required.
3. Conduct comparative and gap analyses of national law and practice of Member States with international labour standards and draft comments, taking into account inputs from headquarters departments and field offices and comments of ILO supervisory bodies. Prepare comments on draft laws and regulations to support technical advice on labour law. Draft technical notes and contributions to memorandums of technical comments on draft national legislation and to other documents as required.
4. Undertake legal research and analytical/comparative studies on issues relating to international labour standards and/or national law and practice, concerning freedom of association and collective bargaining taking into account gender mainstreaming considerations. Propose research topics, draft terms of reference for research consultants and contribute to the review of their work.
5. Draft replies to requests for information on matters relating to international labour standards and/or comparative labour law and practices and other legal issues with respect to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
6. Provide legal and policy inputs to, draft and peer review notes, reports and other Office documents in relation to international labour standards and/or comparative labour law and practices and other legal issues related to freedom of association and collective bargaining. Prepare comments on draft labour legislation and other legal instruments and documents.
7. Participate in the development, planning and implementation of technical assistance activities related to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
8. Provide technical support to meetings, workshops and other events. Participate as a member of the secretariat of International Labour Conference and Governing Body committees and other official meetings, including preparation of documents, taking notes, drafting records of meetings and reports and assisting in resolving procedural and legal questions.
9. Draft and/or provide technical input into the development, peer review and editing of legal and policy knowledge products and tools and contribute to their dissemination. Provide evidence-based content for knowledge-sharing tools and platforms for validation by senior staff.
10. Participate in the identification of capacity development needs of constituents in relation to ILO Standards on freedom of association and collective bargaining and make proposals on how to address them. Prepare related training and learning materials and activities in collaboration with the International Training Centre in Turin (ITC-ILO) and/or with other relevant partners as applicable. Deliver presentations and training adapted to specific audiences.
11. Support national tripartite consultations to strengthen ILO normative action and/or effective labour market governance based on the promotion of freedom of association and collective bargaining. Participate in UN inter-agency and other stakeholder meetings, working groups and consultations to engage on technical issues with potential and existing partners and explain and promote international labour standards and social dialogue as effective means to achieve decent work and exchange research and share good practices.
12. Provide inputs into the formulation of legal and policy components of development cooperation projects. Provide technical backstopping support for project implementation, monitoring and reporting activities and support resource mobilization.
13. Contribute to the preparation of the work unit’s workplans in the framework of the programme and budget that respond to constituents’ needs.
14. Maintain up-to-date knowledge on international labour standards and relevant labour law developments in the assigned areas of work.
15. Perform other relevant duties as assigned.
Advanced level university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in law.
A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in law with an additional two years of relevant experience, in addition to the experience stated below, will be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
At least five years of experience in international labour law and/or industrial relations.
Excellent command of Spanish and a working knowledge of a second working language of the Organization (English, French). A working knowledge of a third working language would be an advantage.
In addition to the ILO core competencies, this position requires:
Knowledge and technical/behavioural competencies
Good knowledge and understanding of legal principles of labour law and ability to apply legal principles, concepts and procedures and terminology for review, examination, and processing of a range of legal documents.
Good knowledge of international labour standards, the ILO supervisory system and the application of related principles and procedures.
Knowledge of the substantive nature of the Organization’s work programmes and activities.
Ability to share knowledge and provide guidance in the assigned technical area.
Good research and analytical skills.
Good drafting skills.
Good communication skills.
Ability to present and promote the area of work and the ILO's position on it.
Ability to maintain effective and collaborative working relationships with stakeholders and work well in a tripartite context.
Ability to adapt quickly to new IT software and systems.
Ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-responsive, non-discriminatory and inclusive behaviour and attitudes.
Conditions of employment
For more information on conditions of employment, please visit the ILO Jobs International Recruitment page.
Important Information
Any officials of the General Service category interested in applying to this position are hereby informed that, if selected, they will be offered the salary and allowances applicable to the grade of the position applied for, which may result in substantial changes in their take-home remuneration. In accordance with Article 3.4 of the Staff Regulations, the salary of an official, upon promotion, shall in no case be greater than the maximum salary of the grade to which he or she was promoted. For any questions or clarifications, please contact your HR partner at hrpartner@ilo.org
Recruitment process
Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application form. To apply, please visit the ILO Jobs website. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.
Evaluation (which may include one or several written tests and a pre-interview competency-based assessment centre) and the interviews will tentatively take place during the 3 to 4 months following the application deadline. Candidates are requested to ensure their availability should they be short listed for further consideration.
Depending on the location and availability of candidates, assessors and interview panel members, the ILO may use communication technologies such as Skype, Video or teleconference, e-mail, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates at the different stages of the recruitment process, including assessment centres, technical tests or interviews.
The ILO has zero tolerance for acts of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and is determined to ensure that all staff members and all beneficiaries of ILO assistance do not suffer, directly or indirectly, from sexual exploitation and abuse.
To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organisation, the ILO may conduct a background verification of candidates under consideration.
Fraud warning
The ILO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process whether at the application, interview, processing or training stage. Messages originating from a non ILO e-mail account - @ilo.org - should be disregarded. In addition, the ILO does not require or need to know any information relating to the bank account details of applicants.