Senior Legal Officer

Overview

To provide independent, authoritative, and practical legal advice and services to enable the Organization to implement its mission of global public health consistently within its mandate and to protect its resources, reputation, integrity, and responsibility to its Member States.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide high quality legal advice on international administrative law, administrative, personnel and internal justice matters.
• Advise on privileges and immunities (P&I) matters to WHO and affiliated entities.
• Advise on parliamentary proceedings and appearances before court.
• Represent WHO, IARC, UNAIDS and UNICC before the ILOAT.
• Represent the Office of the Legal Counsel on WHO internal committees or bodies.
• Provide general protection of WHO's legal interests in specific areas.
• Participate in LEG's work related to WHO governing bodies.
• Supervise and coordinate the work of more junior staff and personnel.
• Act as officer-in-charge during the absence of the Principal Legal Officer, IAL, when requested.
• Perform other functions of a legal nature as may be required.

Required Experience

• Subsequent extensive experience of public international law and, in particular, international administrative law.
• Ten years of experience as a lawyer, including at least seven years performing legal functions within an international organization or government.
• Demonstrated experience at the international level is required, including relevant professional experience gained in an international context and/or outside the applicant home country.
• Proven experience in the presentation and communication of legal considerations to non-lawyers and in a time-sensitive and comprehensible manner.
• Practical litigation experience.
• Experience working in the jurisdictional set-up of the United Nations system.
• Experience in advising on the legal ramifications of a wide range of issues arising in an international organization (legal risk assessments, settlement negotiations, disciplinary matters, privileges and immunities, etc.).

Qualifications

• Advanced university degree (Master's level degree or above) in law or another relevant field.
• Professional legal qualification, such as having passed a national bar exam, or professional experience conducting litigation as an advocate in a court or tribunal.

Other Details