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 for the investment of the assets of the UNJSPF (RSG). The RSG heads the Office of Investment Management (OIM), which manages approximately $80+ billion multi-asset class, global investment portfolio, about 85% of which is actively managed in-house. Asset classes under management comprise global equities, fixed income, foreign exchange, private equity, real estate, infrastructure, timber and commodities. OIM’s staff are all based in New York but 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 legal issues related to investments, including the review and interpretation of a broad range of documentation relating to transactions in global public and private markets.

• Serves as a lead officer in one or more areas of concentration, and independently handles a wide range of multi-discipline and complex legal matters involving issues of international, public, private and administrative law, to include interpretation and application of instruments in that area of concentration.

• Provides legal advice on diverse substantive and procedural questions of considerable complexity, which may include those related to administration and management, governance, procurement and contracts and other operational matters.
• Performs extensive legal research and analysis and prepares legal opinions, studies, briefs, reports and correspondence; provides legal advice to the unit/division and briefs OIM senior management.

• Participates on internal task forces, expert groups and other bodies, including preparation of background materials, summaries of issues, meeting reports, etc.

• Reviews, advises on and drafts complex contracts, agreements, institutional and operational modalities, or other legal documents; develops new legal modalities to meet unique needs/circumstances.

• Serves on various standing boards, committees, ad hoc working groups and task forces, as required; promotes the work of the United Nations, including the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund and represents the Organization at meetings, conferences, seminars, etc.
• Coordinates and direct teams of other legal officers dealing with significant problems as required, and/or mentors and supervises the work of junior officers on specific projects.

• Contributes to review and design of new, or new applications of, legal instruments, policy, guidelines, etc.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Knowledge of business and investment law and instruments, including business law relating to corporate finance, public and private market investment transactions, capital markets transactions and instruments and other commercial transactions. Ability to apply legal expertise to analyzing a diverse range of complex and unusual legal issues and problems and in developing innovative and creative solutions. Strong analytical skills and ability to conduct comprehensive legal research on a range of issues, including those of a unique and/or complex nature; proficiency in legal writing and expression and ability to prepare legal briefs, opinions, and a variety of legal instruments and related documents. Discretion and sound judgment in applying legal expertise to sensitive, complex legal issues. Strong negotiating skills and ability to influence others to reach agreement. Ability to work to tight deadlines and handle multiple concurrent projects/cases. 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in law is required. A first level university degree in law in combination with an additional two years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Admission to the practice of law in the Member State of the candidate’s nationality, or in another 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.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in transactional law, including legal analysis, research and writing, acquired at a law firm or at the legal department of a global investment institution, international organization, government or multilateral development bank, is required. (Qualifying years of experience are calculated following the receipt of the university degree in law recognized by the United Nations)

Experience in drafting and negotiating investment management agreements and/or documentation relating to derivatives transactions, and private market investment transactions (private equity, real estate, infrastructure) is desirable.

Professional legal experience working in the legal office of an international organization is desirable.

Experience providing legal advice to pension funds and/or other global investment institutions is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the UN 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 underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 31 March 2022, are strongly encouraged to
apply: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei
Darussalam, Cabo Verde, China, Comoros, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic People’s Republic
of Korea, Djibouti, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti,
Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya,
Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco,
Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Norway, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea,
Paraguay, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Somalia,
South Sudan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, 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.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side 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.