The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the UN agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all

Responsibilities

• Serves as a recognized expert in one or more areas of concentration, and independently handle a wide range of multidiscipline, highly complex, and often sensitive and/or conflicting legal matters involving issues relating to international, public, private and administrative law, to include interpretation and application of instruments in that area of concentration; in Tribunals, conducts trials and appeals as the Prosecuting Attorney (leader of the prosecution team), on behalf of the Prosecutor before the Chambers.
• Coordinates and direct teams of other legal officers or trial attorneys, guides and supervises the work of junior officers; may assist the Director/Deputy Director in general management and administration of the unit, organizing and prioritizing the workload and providing general coordination and supervision of assignments as regards the legal work.
• Makes various types of recommendations to senior officials of substantive units with respect to actions to take; recommendations are usually accepted as proposed.
• Provides authoritative legal advice on diverse range of highly complex or novel substantive and procedural questions of law, which may include those related to administration and management, institutions support, procurement and contracts, peacekeeping and other operational matters, separately administered programmes and funds, etc.
• Organizes and supervises research studies and the preparation of legal opinions, as well as performs extensive legal
• research and analysis on highly complex or novel legal issues/questions and prepares legal opinions, studies, briefs, reports,
• and correspondence.
• Advises on and supervises the review, negotiation and drafting of major contracts, agreements, indictments, institutional and operational modalities, legal submissions/motions, and other legal documents; develops new legal modalities to meet unique needs/circumstances.
• Services 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.
• Supervises the defense and pursuit of claims, disputes or prosecution of criminal cases; negotiates settlement of major claims and prepares legal documentation relating to such settlements.
• Represents, or supervises the representation of, the organization on major cases in tribunal and administrative proceedings, including disciplinary cases and staff appeals; in Tribunals, represents the Prosecutor in trials and appeals before the Chambers where applicable.
• Provides legal advice to senior officials on the interpretation of personnel policies, regulations and rules, including the review of administrative implications of Administrative Tribunal judgments; coordinates the preparation of revisions to the staff regulations and to all series of the Staff Rules; coordinates the preparation or amendment of administrative issuances and verifies their consistency with the Staff Regulations and amendments of administrative issuances and verifies their consistency with the staff regulations and rules.
• Serves on various standing boards, committees, ad hoc working groups and task forces, as required; promotes the work
• of the United Nations and represents the organization at meetings, conferences, seminars, etc.
• Contributes to review and design of new, or new applications of, legal instruments, policy, guidelines, systems, etc.
• Supervises and participates in preparing legal publications of the unit.
• Leads team members efforts to collect and analyze data and provides insight to identify trends or patterns for data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. Ensures that everyone can discover, access, integrate and share the data they need.
• Performs other related duties as may be assigned.

Requirements

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of international legal procedures and instruments, including criminal law, both substantive and procedural. Ability to apply legal expertise to analyzing a diverse range of complex and unusual legal issues and problems and in developing innovative and creative solutions in supporting the implementation of human settlement and related humanitarian projects and programmes. Strong analytical skills and ability to conduct comprehensive legal research on a range of issues, including those of a unique and/or complex nature; proficiency in legal writing and expression and ability to prepare legal briefs, opinions, indictments or legal submissions/motions, and a variety of legal instruments and related documents. Ability to lead and cross-examine witnesses and make substantial legal arguments before Chambers of judges, or if required to take responsibility for the presentation of case before the UNDT and UNAT. Discretion and sound judgment in applying legal expertise to sensitive, complex legal issues arising in the work of the organization, including those in conflict and post conflict situations. Strong negotiating skills and ability to influence others to reach agreement. Ability to work to tight deadlines and handle multiple concurrent projects/cases. Knowledge of contemporary international relations and of the UN system, organization and interrelationships. The ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. 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.
• CLIENT ORIENTATION: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.
• LEADERSHIP: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow; empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.
• 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 the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

• Advanced university degree, (Masters degree or equivalent), in international law or related field is required. A first-level university degree in law in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is desirable.

Work Experience

• A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in law, obtained in the legal office of an international intergovernmental organization, or a government, including legal analysis, research and writing is required.
• A minimum of seven (7) years’ experience in providing legal and policy advice to intergovernmental bodies such as the Executive Boards and Governing Bodies, UN Member States, senior government officials, partners and other stakeholders on matters relating to their respective mandates, rules of procedure and supporting their meetings is required.
• A minimum of five (5) years’ experience in the drafting, reviewing, negotiating and developing of international agreements and other legal instruments such as Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), Host Country and Conference Agreements between the United Nations and Member States and other stakeholders, is required.
• A minimum of five (5) years’ experience in legal representation in matters related to the United Nations or similar international organization’s internal justice system, including legal representation before the United Nations Dispute Tribunal and United Nations Appeals Tribunal or similar Tribunal is required.
• Professional legal experience in managing a legal office and supervising the work of legal officers in the United Nations system or similar international system including the preparation of its workplan, strategic plan and financial documents is desirable.
• Professional legal experience in an international intergovernmental organization providing advice in the conceptualization, implementation and legal review of human settlements, housing and humanitarian projects particularly in conflict and post conflict situations is desirable.
• Professional experience in handling issues related to sustainable urbanization and related programmes including interacting with the various stakeholders is desirable.
• Experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another United Nations official language is desirable