Legal Officer

Org. Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Secretary-General is responsible for the investment of the assets of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF). The Secretary-General has delegated this responsibility to the Representative of the Secretary-General (RSG) for the investment of the assets of the UNJSPF. The RSG heads the Office of Investment Management (OIM), which manages an approximately $80+ billion multi-asset, global investment portfolio, about 85% of which is actively managed in house. Asset classes under management comprise of global equities, fixed income, foreign exchange, private equity, real estate, infrastructure, timber and commodities. OIM’s staff are all based in New York and come from over 30 countries. For more information, please visit OIM’s website at https://oim.unjspf.org/. This position is located in the Legal Team within OIM. The Legal Officer will report to the Senior Legal Officer.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Legal Officer may be responsible for the following duties: • Handles a range of issues related to constitutional, international, public, private, administrative law as relate to the activities of the Office of Investment Management in connection with the investment of the assets of the UNJSPF, including the interpretation and application of constitutive, legislative and other instruments governing, in consultation with senior Legal Officers. • Conducts extensive legal research and analysis and prepare studies, comparative studies, briefs, reports and correspondence. • Undertakes review of legal documents, instruments, or other material including contracts and supporting documentation relating to global public and private market investments and for goods and services required by the Office of Investment Management, identifies important issues, similarities, and inconsistencies, etc. • Prepares or assists in the preparation of drafts of background papers, studies, reports, in the field of relevant banking and investment law, etc. • Assists in the preparation of legal opinions/advice on international public or private law issues as relate to the activities of the Office of Investment Management and which may require application of the provisions of the United Nations Charter, General Assembly resolutions and decisions and interpretation and application of UNJSPF’s regulations and rules, policies and guidance documents. • Assists in the preparation of agreements with governments, and other public and private entities, as well as in the negotiation and settlement of claims and disputes and in handling private international law matters related to the activities of the Office of Investment Management in connection with the investment of the assets of the UNJSPF. • Assists committees, task forces, expert groups and other bodies, including preparation of materials, summaries of issues, meeting reports, etc. • Assists in representing the Organization before arbitral tribunals in connection with disputes arising out of the activities of the Office of Investment Management. • Provides legal advice on human resources; reviews administrative matters. • Collects and analyzes data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. • Provides guidance to more junior staff. • Performs other duties as assigned.

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. 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. • 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 is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Admitted to the bar, or otherwise qualified to practice law, in a Member State of the United Nations, is required. An advanced university degree in law with specialization in international investment, banking, commercial law or corporate law is desirable.

Job – Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in business or commercial law with significant experience in investment matters, including legal analysis, research and writing, acquired at a law firm or at the legal department of a global investment institution, government or multilateral development bank, is required. Experience in drafting investment management agreements and/or documentation relating to derivatives transactions, and private markets investment transactions (private equity, real estate, infrastructure) representing limited partners and/or fund managers is desirable. Experience in drafting and negotiating financial service and technology licensing agreements is desirable. Legal experience with pension funds and/or other global investment institutions is desirable. Two or more years of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is desirable.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

• 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 Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. • Appointment at the United Nations is subject to mandatory adherence to the United Nations Financial Disclosure Programme. An appointment to the Office of Investment Management (OIM) of the UNJSPF additionally requires compliance with the rules and regulations pertaining to OIM’s Code of Ethics, Personal Securities, Gift and Hospitality policies. • For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or under-represented in the UN Secretariat as of 29 Feb 2024, are strongly encouraged to apply: Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, China, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Germany, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Libya, Liechtenstein, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu.

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. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile 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.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.