Director, Institutional and Administrative Unit

Vacancy Number: 2121

Job Profile

The Director, Institutional and Administrative Unit provides advice and assistance to the General Counsel on institutional and administrative matters and ensures legal service delivery to several departments, all in accordance with the institutional strategy, in order to support the execution of the OPEC Fund’s mandate and achievement of its targets and objectives. The incumbent also advises on host country matters, human resources, and procurement matters, and is responsible for coordinating the legal services provided to Finance, including on all treasury and capital market activities of the OPEC Fund.

Duties and Responsibilities

Policy development and implementation

• Provides input to or leads the development or review of institutional and/or departmental strategy and objectives.
• Leads the legal team responsible for Institutional, Administrative and Capital Market activities in implementing its annual work program and ensuring the achievement of its mid- to long-term goals, strategic targets and annual objectives.

Legal services

• Coordinates the provision of legal services to Finance, including: (a) negotiating all legal agreements relating to the rating process, the OPEC Fund borrowing program in the international capital market, and the listing of securities on approved stock exchanges; (b) drafting and negotiating documents relating to the investment of the liquidity portfolio in the capital or money markets; (c) replenishment of OPEC Fund resources; and (d) tax exemptions.
• ​Coordinates the negotiation of the terms and conditions of institutional procurement contracts covering buildings, goods and services, IT hardware and software, as well as other capital investment activities. Also advises on compliance with procurement policy and other rules and regulations

Legal advice

• Provides legal advisory support on all human resource matters, including on recruitment, administration of compensation and benefits, HR Policies Framework and HR Rules & Procedures, the Staff Code of Conduct, and handling of employee disputes.
• ​​​Provides advice on matters relating to the Headquarters Agreement between the OPEC Fund and the Republic of Austria, particularly in respect of the privileges, immunities and exemptions extended therein to the OPEC Fund and its employees.
• Drafts/responds to Notes Verbale and requests from the Host Country in connection with the Headquarters Agreement and directly liaises with the authorities of the latter on behalf of the OPEC Fund.
• Assists the General Counsel in advising on constitutional and corporate legal issues arising from the interpretation and application of the Agreement Establishing the OPEC Fund, by-laws and financial regulations, and drafting legal documents relating to membership of the OPEC Fund, membership contributions to the resources of the OPEC Fund, and the creation of special funds.
• Identifies issues of legal importance related to the international status of OPEC Fund, conducts/supervises research and analysis on such legal issues and brings them to the attention of the General Counsel for consideration, with recommendations and an agreed action plan.

Leadership and direction

• Leads, mentors and assesses the team, providing goals and expectations, feedback and technical guidance to optimize their performance and enhance service delivery quality.
• ​​​​​​​Contributes to the development and maintenance of the knowledge assets of Legal Services as well as capacity building and knowledge sharing within the department and organization
• ​​​​​​Supports the General Counsel in management of the strategic objectives of Legal Services

​​​​​​​​​​​Stakeholder management and engagement

• Represents the OPEC Fund in any legal or dispute resolution proceedings assigned by the General Counsel and liaises with external counsel as required. ​​​​​​​
• ​​​​​​​Works with external stakeholders (authorized officials of partner countries/institutions, law firms, the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representatives of other VBIOs and other counterparties) and internal stakeholders (e.g. all OPEC Fund departments/units on the subject of legal services and advice on an ongoing basis).​​​​​​​

Carrying out other tasks assigned by the General Counsel that are related to the job function.

Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s degree in Law and admission to the Bar or equivalent.​​​​​​​
• A minimum of 15 years relevant professional experience, of which 5 years should have been at an international development finance institution/ international law firm.​​​​​​​
• A minimum of 5 years relevant professional experience at a senior level.
• Fluent in English.

​​​​​​​Competencies

• Leadership & People Management – The ability to guide and empower team members effectively; cultivate a positive work climate; delegate tasks skillfully and nurture team members’ growth.
• Results Orientation – The ability to set ambitious targets for self and the team; drive progress toward objectives; initiate actions to achieve desired outcome,
• Creativity, Initiative & Innovation – The ability to nurture novel concepts and inventive approaches; take calculated risks to foster innovation; identify chances for process enhancements and expansion.
• Trustworthiness, Ethics & Governance – The ability to act with integrity and transparency; safeguard confidentiality; demonstrate ethical decision-making and interactions; to adhere to organizational regulations and ethical benchmarks, foster a culture of compliance and strong governance; ensure team members understand and adhere to protocols.
• Business Alignment- The ability to align team objectives and undertakings with broader organizational aims; make decisions contributing to the organization’s strategic direction.
• Sense of Responsibility– The ability to demonstrate ownership and accountability in tasks and outcomes; uphold reliability and commitment to fulfilling responsibilities, guiding the team member’s sense of responsibility and fostering a culture of dependability.
• Problem Solving Ability – The ability to identify issues adeptly, delve into root causes, and devise pragmatic solutions; demonstrate ingenuity and resourcefulness in overcoming challenges, guiding the team’s approach to complex problem-solving