Legal Officer, IAEA Legislative Assistance Programme Lead(P4)
JOB DETAIL
Organizational Setting
The Office of Legal Affairs, which reports directly to the Director General, provides legal services of the highest possible standards to the Director General, the Secretariat and to the organs and bodies of the IAEA, as well as to Member States, regarding the implementation of the IAEA’s activities.
The Nuclear and Treaty Law Section provides legal advice and support to the Office of the Director General and the Secretariat in the areas of nuclear safety and security (including civil liability for nuclear damage), nuclear energy, nuclear applications and technical cooperation. It is also responsible for the IAEA’s depositary function as well as the IAEA’s legislative assistance programme, providing advice and training regarding legislative frameworks governing the safe and peaceful uses of nuclear energy to Member States.
Main Purpose
Reporting to the Section Head, the Legal Officer, IAEA Legislative Assistance Programme Lead, contributes specialised nuclear law knowledge and experience and project management experience to the planning, implementation and evaluation of the activities within the IAEA Legislative Assistance Programme covering all branches of international and national nuclear law and all geographic regions, including as Technical Officer, the design and implementation of the relevant Technical Cooperation Projects. S/he liaises with internal and external stakeholders including Member State officials and prioritises legislative assistance activities based on identified needs. The incumbent prepares legal opinions and advice and analyses legal instruments and documents in all areas of nuclear law. Also, s/he prepares and reviews advice for Member States on the implementation of the relevant international legal instruments, safety standards and nuclear security guidance. The incumbent assists Member States in drafting corresponding national legislation and in adhering to and implementing the relevant international instruments. Finally, in consultation with the Section Head, coordinates and supervises the legislative assistance work of the Section by prioritising and assigning tasks to other Legal Officers and staff, as well as providing input and guidance to ensure quality and consistency and to support timely delivery of work products.
Role
The Legal Officer, IAEA Legislative Assistance Programme Lead, is a subject matter expert and an active member of a team of eight lawyers and four support staff within the Nuclear and Treaty Law Section and provides high quality professional input in developing further and implementing OLA’s projects in all areas of nuclear law and the IAEA’s Legislative Assistance Programme.
Functions / Key Results Expected
- Plan, implement, coordinate, monitor and evaluate activities within the framework of the IAEA’s Legislative Assistance Programme and in light of other Agency assistance activities to ensure the efficient and effective management of the assigned resources.
- Draft advice related to the application, interpretation and implementation of international legal instruments adopted by and under IAEA auspices, in particular in the areas of nuclear safety, security and civil liability for nuclear damage, as well as safety standards and nuclear security guidance.
- As a substantive contributor, prepare advice to Member States regarding their respective national nuclear legislation within the Legislative Assistance Programme.
- Develop and implement legislative assistance work-plans in cooperation with Member States officials, based on a needs assessment.
- Prepare studies, briefs, correspondence and recommendations on the aforementioned topics for the Head of Section and Director.
- Organise and participate in nuclear law seminars, workshops and training courses including the annual Nuclear Law Institute.
- Represent OLA and deliver advice and key lectures during IAEA’s missions and other events including those to promote adherence to and implementation of international nuclear legal instruments adopted under IAEA auspices.
- Lead, train and mentor other staff in providing legislative assistance, in particular, in the review of national nuclear legislation.
- Lead and participate in projects to support the implementation and strengthening of the Section’s work and the Legislative Assistance Programme.
- Assume other duties as determined by the Head of Section.
Competencies and Expertise
Core Competencies
| Name | Definition |
|---|---|
| Communication | Communicates orally and in writing in a clear, concise and impartial manner. Takes time to listen to and understand the perspectives of others and proposes solutions. |
| Achieving Results | Takes initiative in defining realistic outputs and clarifying roles, responsibilities and expected results in the context of the Department/Division’s programme. Evaluates his/her results realistically, drawing conclusions from lessons learned. |
| Teamwork | Actively contributes to achieving team results. Supports team decisions. |
| Planning and Organizing | Plans and organizes his/her own work in support of achieving the team or Section’s priorities. Takes into account potential changes and proposes contingency plans. |
Functional Competencies
| Name | Definition |
|---|---|
| Analytical thinking | Analyses information to identify cause and effect relationships and correlations. Identifies critical elements and assesses consequences of different courses of action and proposes solutions. |
| Judgement/decision making | Consults with supervisor/manager and takes decisions in full compliance with the Agency’s regulations and rules. Makes decisions reflecting best practice and professional theories and standards. |
| Technical/scientific credibility | Ensures that work is in compliance with internationally accepted professional standards and scientific methods. Provides scientifically/technically accepted information that is credible and reliable. |
Required Expertise
| Function | Name | Expertise Description |
|---|---|---|
| Legal | International Law | Knowledge of the broad principles of public international law. |
| Legal | Legal Drafts | Ability to draft clear, concise documents setting out facts and arguments in an accurate manner. |
| Legal | Policy Development | Ability to support policy development within the scope of the relevant legal framework. |
Asset Expertise
| Function | Name | Expertise Description |
|---|---|---|
| Legal | Agency’s Statute, Rules of Procedures, Regulations, Practices and Precedents | Knowledge of and ability to analyse and apply the IAEA Statute, Rules of Procedure, Regulations, Practices and Precedent. |
Qualifications, Experience and Language skills
- An advanced law degree with good academic record.
- Minimum of seven years of relevant experience, including at least 5 years at the international level.
- Proven ability to prepare legal drafts and review national nuclear legislation.
- Solid experience in the interpretation and application of international legal instruments; with an emphasis on those in the nuclear field.
Excellent oral and written command of English. Knowledge of other official IAEA languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) is an asset.
Remuneration
The IAEA offers an attractive remuneration package including a tax-free annual net base salary starting at US $77326 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance), a variable post adjustment which currently amounts to US $ 36189*, dependency benefits, rental subsidy, education grant, relocation and repatriation expenses; 6 weeks’ annual vacation, home leave, pension plan and health insurance
Applications from qualified women and candidates from developing countries are encouraged
Applicants should be aware that IAEA staff members are international civil servants and may not accept instructions from any other authority. The IAEA is committed to applying the highest ethical standards in carrying out its mandate. As part of the United Nations common system, the IAEA subscribes to the following core ethical standards (or values): Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for diversity. Staff members may be assigned to any location. The IAEA retains the discretion not to make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade or with a different contract type, or to make an appointment with a modified job description or for shorter duration than indicated above. Testing may be part of the recruitment process
