The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.

This post is located in UNEP’s Corporate Services Division at the Nairobi duty station. Under the supervision of the Director Corporate Services Division, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

Responsibilities

• Independently handle a wide range of multi-discipline, highly complex, and often sensitive and/or conflicting legal matters involving issues relating to international, public, private and administrative law, to include interpretation and application of instruments.
• Provide authoritative legal advice on diverse range of highly complex or novel substantive and procedural questions of law, which may include those related to administration, staff relations and management, institutions support, procurement and contracts engagement in partnerships with donors or implementing partners and other operational matters, including on the establishment and administration of programmes and associated trust funds, etc.
• Serve as an expert in one or more areas of concentration, coordinate and cooperate with other legal officers or trial attorneys across the UN system, guides and supervises the work of junior officers;
• Lead the general management and administration of the unit, organize and prioritize the workload and provide general coordination and supervision of assignments as regards the legal work and managing associated budgets for unit travel etc..
• Oversee the administrative law requirements of the organization; ensure code and conduct cases are appropriately managed; acts as the key liaison officer for investigations managed by Office of Internal Oversight services (OIOs) , leads on management of investigative cases to be managed directly by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
• Supervise the defense and pursuit of claims, and disputes or prosecution of criminal cases on behalf of the organization; negotiate settlement of major claims and prepare legal documentation relating to such settlements.
• Represent, supervise the representation of the organization on major cases in tribunal and administrative proceedings, including disciplinary cases and staff appeals.
• Provide legal advice to senior officials on the interpretation of personnel policies, regulations and rules, including the review of administrative implications of Administrative Tribunal judgments; coordinate the preparation or amendment of administrative issuances and verifies their consistency with the Staff Regulations and amendments of administrative issuances and verifies their consistency with the staff regulations and rules.
• Advise on and supervise the review, negotiation and drafting of major contracts, agreements, institutional and operational modalities, legal submissions/motions, and other legal documents; develop new legal modalities to meet unique needs/circumstances.
• Contribute to review and design of new, or new applications of, legal instruments, policy, guidelines and systems. Identify policy gaps and propose development of instruments and guidelines to address these particularly as it relates to partnerships and special arrangements made with institutions for programme delivery
• Organize and supervise research studies and the preparation of legal opinions, as well as perform extensive legal research and analysis on highly complex or novel legal issues/questions and prepare legal opinions, studies, briefs, reports, and correspondence
• Serve on various standing boards, committees, ad hoc working groups and task forces, as required; promote the work of the United Nations and represents the organization at meetings, conferences and seminars.
• Supervise and participate in preparing legal publications of the unit.
• Perform any other related duties assigned.