About Us

The Office of the Legal Adviser provides legal advice and support to the Director-General, the Divisions and Branches of the Secretariat, and States Parties on a wide range of legal issues. In doing so, the Office ensures that the Organisation’s activities are conducted in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and relevant rules, policies and agreements.

The primary responsibility of the Office is to assist in the interpretation and implementation of the CWC, the decisions and rules of procedure of the policy-making organs, the internal legislation of the Organisation, and various sources of public international law.

The Office advises on commercial matters, the development of new internal administrative policies and procedures, and personnel-related administrative issues. Its legal services include assistance in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating international agreements and interpretation of the Headquarters Agreement between the OPCW and the Host Country.

General Information

• Contract Type
  Fixed-term Professional
• Grade
  P4
• Total Estimated monthly remuneration depending on post adjustment and family status: USD
  9,962
• Closing Date
  21/08/2024

Responsibilities

Job Summary

The Office of the Legal Adviser (LAO) provides legal advice, upon request, on the implementation and interpretation of the CWC, OPCW Staff Regulations and Interim Staff Rules, OPCW Financial Regulations and Rules, administrative directives, privileges and immunities, facility agreements, relationship agreements with other international organisations, technical cooperation, procurement of goods and services, credential issues, etc.; negotiates privileges and immunities agreements with Member States; supports the Director-General and the Technical Secretariat on other internal matters; delivers presentations on the CWC and legal activities of the Technical Secretariat to relevant meetings organised by other intergovernmental organisations, to the general public, academics, and others; represent the OPCW in meetings of UN system legal advisers and other legal fora; represents the OPCW in cases before the International Labour Organisation Administrative Tribunal; supports Member States and policy-making organs on general legal matters.

Main Responsibilities

The main focus of this position will be the provision of legal advice and assistance on administrative law issues and operational activities of the technical secretariat:

• Research and draft legal opinions on administrative law issues (e.g., in respect of claims, allegations and complaints, investigations, disciplinary matters, etc.), some of which are complex and/or sensitive in nature;
• Review or prepare legal opinions and studies as requested by the Office of the Director-General and other divisions, branches or offices of the Secretariat on the interpretation of internal rules and procedures, such as the Financial Regulations and Rules, the Staff Regulations and Rules, relevant decisions of the Policy-Making Organs and other internal legislation;
• Draft the OPCW submissions to, and appear before, the OPCW Appeals Council and/or the ILO Administrative Tribunal and research, as required, other issues in respect of recourse matters.

Provision of legal advice on the implementation of the convention:

• Draft legal opinions on issues related to the implementation of the Convention as requested by the Office of the Director-General, the Policy-Making Organs or their subsidiary bodies;
• Analyse and provide legal advice on the implementation and application of the Convention’s verification regime, as requested by the Office of the Director-General and other divisions, branches or offices of the Secretariat;
• Review and assist in the negotiation of agreements with Member States relating to the implementation of the CWC verification regime and on the privileges and immunities of the OPCW.

Provision of legal support for general administrative and operational activities of the office of the legal adviser:

• Draft or review drafts of miscellaneous reports and correspondence of a legal nature, as required;
• Serve as panel member in the recruitment of staff for the Office of the Legal Adviser;
• Direct, provide training, supervise and review the work of staff at lower levels and, as required, serve as First Reporting Officer for the purposes of performance appraisal.

Perform other duties as required.

To view the complete job outline, please click here.

Qualifications and Experience

Education

Essential:

Advanced university degree in law. A first level university degree in law with at least nine years relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Knowledge and Experience

Essential:

• At least seven years of progressively responsible experience in international organisations, government service, or private legal practice (or 9 year with a first degree).
• Experience on international administrative law as practiced in international organisations.
• Experience handling staff’s appeals within the internal justice system of an international organisation and/or before international administrative tribunals.

Desirable:

• Knowledge and/or experience in the following would be an asset: litigation experience before the ILOAT, knowledge of the ILOAT’s jurisprudence, international law, disarmament law, personal data and privacy law, and/or the legal aspects of the United Nations common system or the OPCW.

Skills and Competencies

• Excellent communication skills – both written and oral; and good negotiation skills;
• Excellent legal drafting skills;
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in legal research;
• Leadership skills, maturity and good judgement;
• Strong planning and organisational skills, and ability to work under pressure of time and urgent deadlines;
• Flexibility and problem solving skills;
• Tact, discretion and the ability to work harmoniously in a multi-cultural environment.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English and the ability to conduct negotiations in English are essential;
• A good working knowledge of and the ability to conduct negotiations in one of the other official languages of the OPCW (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish) would be an asset.

Additional Information

This fixed-term appointment is for the duration of two years with a six-month probationary period, and is subject to the OPCW Staff Regulations and Interim Staff Rules.

The OPCW is a non-career organisation with limited staff tenure. The total length of service for Professional staff shall not exceed 7 years.

The mandatory age of separation at the OPCW is 65 years.

The Director-General retains the discretion to not make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade, or to make an appointment with a modified job description. Several vacancies may be filled.

Only fully completed applications submitted before the closing date and through OPCW CandidateSpace will be considered. Only applicants under serious consideration for a post will be contacted.

Fixed-term staff members participate in the OPCW Provident Fund. A monthly staff contribution is met with a doubled amount by the OPCW under the provisions for social security. As the OPCW is exploring membership of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF), staff participation in the Provident Fund may be replaced by participation in the UNJSPF effective 1 January 2025.

Applications from qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged.

OPCW General Terms and Conditions

Important notice for applicants who are currently insured under the Dutch Social Security system

Although headquartered in the Netherlands, the OPCW is not a regular Dutch employer but a public international organisation with its own special status. Please be advised that if you are currently insured under the Dutch Social Security system, you will be excluded from this system as a staff member of the OPCW. You will consequently be insured under the organisation’s system. The above also applies to your dependents unless they are employed by a regular Dutch employer, they are self-employed in the Netherlands, or are receiving Dutch social security payments.

Please refer to the website of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment for more information about the possible consequences for you and your dependents, such as exclusion from ‘AWBZ’ and ‘Zorgverzekeringswet’ coverage: ‘Werken bij een internationale organisatie’.