Background
The Director of the Legal Support Office, Bureau of Management (LSO/BOM), provides legal services of the highest possible standard for UNDP, UNCDF and UN Volunteers. The Director ensures that LSO/BoM provides legal advice to headquarters units, regional centers and country offices, on all aspects of the mandate and operational issues, covering administrative, corporate and institutional legal matters. LSO/BOM is organized in two practice groups – the Administrative Law Practice Group and the Corporate and Institutional Law Practice Group staffed by 13 professionals and 4 support staff in New York, and 4 additional professionals through matrixed arrangements in regional centers and country offices. The Director of LSO/BoM ensures adequate resources for the Office from regular and other resources. The Director also serves as the main interlocutor for UNDP’s liaison to the UN Office of Legal Affairs and represents UNDP’s interests and those of its affiliated funds in the HLCM Legal Network and the UNDG Legal Group.
Duties and Responsibilities
Provide direction for, and lead a wide-range of multidisciplinary legal matters relating to the interpretation and application of international, public, private and administrative law, in the following broad areas:
- Legal status, authorities, privileges and immunities, and relationships with UNDP Governing Bodies, Programme Country and Partner Governments;
- Corporate, commercial and private law matters, including legal support to the Organization’s financial and procurement operations;
- Administrative law matters relating to the Organization’s relationship with its staff members, including legal support to human resources management issues.
- Provide the highest quality advice to the UNDP Administrator and the Associate Administrator, through the Assistant Administrator and Director/BoM, and his/her senior management team on legal and related policy matters.
- Prepare and/or negotiate standard and non-standard legal instruments and contractual arrangements, including complex commercial contracts, agreements to implement UNDP operational and programmatic activities with various development partners.
- Prepare and/or negotiate standard and non-standard legal instruments and agreements for the receipt of contributions, as well as settlement of claims arising therefrom, in accordance with the applicable policies and procedures as well as provide advice on questions of interpretation of such instruments and arrangements.
- Prepare and/or negotiate in coordination with relevant regional and central bureaus and country offices, as appropriate, standard basic assistance agreements with countries, host country agreements, office agreements and other partnership agreements to support UNDP’s objectives and activities in accordance with existing policies and procedures, and provide advice on questions of interpretation and implementation of such instruments.
- Represent the Organization before the internal system of justice, handling cases at the first stage of formal appeal (management evaluation stage) and at the court of first instance (UN Dispute Tribunal).
- Advise senior management on the handling of staff disciplinary matters with thorough analysis of the situation supported by relevant Regulations and Rules and jurisprudence.
- Provide leadership and legal advice towards ongoing alignment and implementation of evolving programme initiatives, strategies and operational practices, from the corporate, institutional and administrative law perspective, including lessons drawn from jurisprudence from the internal system of justice.
- Promote knowledge in UNDP of the applicable legal framework and compliance therewith through online legal content and facilitation of live learning events for staff and managers at all levels.
- Lead and manage and ensure development of an innovative and effective team of legal advisors.
- Prepare annual work plans that are aligned to BoM and corporate priorities ensuring engagement of staff and adequate assignment of financial and human resources towards the effective and efficient achievement of these plans.
- Coordinate, as appropriate, with the UN Secretariat’s Office of Legal Affairs in accordance with standing working arrangements.
- Represent UNDP’s interests and those of its affiliated funds in the HLCM Legal Network and the UNDG Legal Group, on issues of harmonization of legal practices in general, covering issues of corporate, institutional or administrative law, including the internal system of justice, as appropriate.
Impact of Results:
The key results of the post are effective and efficient protection of the Organization’s legal interests in all areas of work; through the provision of the highest quality advice, reduction of legal exposure in programmatic, operational and human resource-related areas. In this context, identification and implementation of innovative solutions and best practices that address the priorities of UNDP and its affiliated funds.
Competencies
Corporate Competencies:
- Demonstrates integrity and fairness by modeling UN values and ethical standards
- Treats all people fairly without favoritism
- Displays cultural and gender sensitivity and adaptability
- Shows strong corporate commitment, and ability to partner with internal and external stakeholders
- Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP and its affiliated funds
Functional Competencies:
Knowledge Management and Learning:
- Contributes legal content to all policies, as applicable
- Develops and leads online content on the UNDP legal framework
- Creates other live learning events
Development and Operational Effectiveness:
- In depth knowledge of several areas of international, public, private and administrative law
- Ability to lead formulation of strategies and their implementation;
- Excellent drafting and presentation skills
- Ability to plan and organize work programme
- Ability to effectively lead multiple teams
Management and Leadership:
- Focuses on impact and results
- Leads teams effectively with ability to foster an environment which promotes good performance, open communication, integrity, self development and innovation, and shows conflict resolution skills
- Consistently approaches work with energy and positive, constructive attitude
- Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills, including ability to deliver briefings to diverse target audiences as well as to conduct effective meetings with senior management and other stakeholders
- Able to adapt presentation, coaching and capacity building style/methods to the audience and cultural context as well as developmental context, ability to transfer knowledge
- High gender and intercultural sensitivity, tact and diplomacy, able to resolve conflict
- Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors
- Excellent team-player willing to assume additional responsibilities and able to operate under pressure and tight deadlines
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- A minimum of a Masters degree or equivalent in law. Member of a national bar.
Experience:
- At least fifteen (15) years of progressively more responsible positions including experience in several of the relevant areas of law, including several years of senior level experience in a comparable organization (such as an international or public sector organization).
- Experience with the United Nations system is highly desirable.
Language Requirements:
- Fluency in written and spoken English is a requirement, and proficiency in another UN language is a plus.