Legal Officer

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.

WHY JOIN WFP? 

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.

• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.

• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.

• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

This position is based in Rome and reports to Senior Legal Officer LEGA.

THE ROLE

In consultation with senior Legal Officers, to provide a range of legal advice and services to support various WFP offices.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, within delegated authority):

• Undertake legal research and analysis, handle a range of multi-disciplinary legal matters including interpretation and application of various legal instruments in the relevant area of concentration to facilitate the provision of quality legal services.
• Review legal documents, identify and analyze issues, presenting findings and recommendations for internal review to contribute to the decision-making process.
• Assist in preparation of legal opinions or advice and background papers, studies, memoranda, reports and other legal documents to contribute to coherence and quality of legal documents.
• Contribute to the preparation of agreements and contracts with public and private entities including participation in negotiation and settlement of claims and disputes to meet unique client needs.
• Identify potential liabilities, particularly vis-à-vis third parties, and assist in the management of risks in WFP’s activities to contribute to well-informed decisions.
• Prepare and assess briefs of evidence to contribute to legal analysis and solutions.
• Assist in providing legal advice and interpretations and reviewing administrative decisions.
• Assist senior Legal Officers in servicing committees, task forces, expert working groups and other bodies with legal advice and preparation/review of legal documents to contribute to the formulation of WFP’s position.
• Other as required.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education: Advanced University degree in Law, or First University degree in Law with additional relevant experience and training in private, commercial or public Law. Must be qualified to practice or admitted to practice by a recognized national or state bar or law society.

Experience: Typically three years or more of relevant experience in law and provision of legal services.

Language: Fluency (level C) in English language. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or Portuguese (a WFP working language).

MORE ABOUT YOU:
You have:

• Knowledge of, and ability to apply, legal principles, concepts, procedures and terminology for review, examination and processing of a range of legal documents.
• Familiarity with investigation and disciplinary matters.
• Familiarity with UN legal framework .
• Knowledge of various legal research sources, techniques and ability to interpret and apply legislative instruments and draft legal papers.
• Business acumen.
• Strong time management skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact:  [email protected]

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruiting system. We do not consider CVs or applications sent by email, LinkedIn, or any other channel.

• We strongly recommend that your Workday profile is accurate and complete, and that all sections are filled in, including your employment history, academic qualifications, language skills, and UN grade (if applicable). Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.

• If you experience technical issues while submitting your application, you may contact us at [email protected]. Please note that this email is only for technical issues with an application - unsolicited applications or documents sent to this inbox will not receive a reply.

• At the application stage, the only required documents are your CV and Cover Letter. Additional documents (passport, certificates, recommendation letters, etc.) may be requested later in the process.

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.