Legal Officer at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Under the direct supervision of the Head, Green Climate Fund Coordination Office, the incumbent will serve as a Legal Officer in UNEP’s engagement with the Green Climate Fund Secretariat, and will be responsible for the following duties:

Responsibilities

• Tracking the policies, rules, regulations, procedures, obligations, and other requirements of the Green Climate Fund and advising on the legal implications for UNEP.
• Advising on UNEP’s compliance with the Green Climate Fund policies and fiduciary requirements.
• Coordinating with relevant UNEP Divisions and offices to ensure full and timely compliance with Green Climate Fund policies and fiduciary requirements, fostering both pro-active and remedial action as necessary;
• Planning, monitoring and ensuring compliance with policies, rules, regulations, obligations and other requirements of the Green Climate Fund; including internal operating procedures and other mechanisms as appropriate for both full funding proposals and readiness grants.
• Reviewing all Green Climate Fund project submissions (to ensure compliance with UNEP’s fiduciary accreditation level) and advising on areas for improvement as necessary.
• Performing extensive legal research and analysis and preparing due diligence reports, determinations, briefs and correspondence, in particular to meet Green Climate Fund requirements related to Prohibited Practices, Anti-money laundering, Fraud and corruption; providing legal advice to the unit/division.
• Reviewing, advising and negotiating on and drafting complex contracts, agreements, institutional and operational management alternatives, or legal submissions and other legal documents related to the Green Climate Fund and engaging the relevant divisions and offices and other departments as required.
• Working with Portfolio and Task Mangers to negotiate all terms sheets and Funded Activity Agreements (FAAs) between UNEP and Green Climate Fund and related documentation for all approved Green Climate Fund projects and contributing to their effectiveness and execution.
• Preparing and submitting all relevant corporate reports required for the Green Climate Fund under UNEP Accreditation Master Agreement and Funded Activity Agreements (FAAs), including the annual self-assessment report; Preparing all re-accreditation and upgrade accreditation applications for UNEP’s engagement with Green Climate Fund as necessary.
• Coordinating input into and drafting high-quality briefing notes and other management communications for Green Climate Fund Coordination Office and / or senior management as required.
• Serving as liaison officer with the Senior Legal Advisor in Corporate Services Division for advice and guidance related to the Green Climate Fund as and when needed to allow for alignment with UNEP corporate position.

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of, and ability to apply, legal principles, concepts and procedures and terminology for review, examination, and processing of a range of legal documents. Knowledge of various legal research sources, including electronic, and ability to conduct research and analyze information on a wide range of legal issues. Knowledge of the civil law and/or common law legal systems and principles. Ability to interpret and apply legislative instruments, develop and present results, recommendations, and opinions clearly and concisely. Ability to draft legal papers and work under pressure. Ability to apply good legal judgment in the context of assignments given. 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
• 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 audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
• 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.
• PLANNING & ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in law. A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.

Work Experience

• A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in law, including legal analysis, research and writing is required.
• Experience working with UN entities and/or inter-governmental organizations on public corporate legal issues is highly desirable.
• Experience in providing advice to governments or non-government organizations on environmental projects compliance issues is a distinct advantage.
• Experience working with the Green Climate Fund on fiduciary standards and development of corporate agreements is desirable.
• Experience with UN or similar organization is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Working knowledge of another UN Official language is an advantage.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

Appointment against this post is for an initial period of one year and may be subject to extension.

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

The United Nations is Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. On-line applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira "Need Help?" link

Internal Applicants – when completing the PHP, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up to date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you.

Individual contractors and consultants who have worked within the UN Secretariat in the last six months, irrespective of the administering entity, are ineligible to apply for professional and higher temporary or fixed-term positions and their applications will not be considered.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations 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. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

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 internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the 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 on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.