Legal Officer

Provides authoritative advice on complex public international law and United Nations institutional matters, prepares legal opinions and instruments, negotiates agreements, represents the Organization in expert forums, and guides junior lawyers handling sensitive multidisciplinary cases.

• Advise on complex substantive and procedural questions of public international law
• Research and analyse legal issues and prepare opinions, briefs, studies and correspondence
• Draft, review and negotiate complex agreements and other legal instruments
• Develop legal modalities for novel institutional circumstances
• Represent the United Nations in boards, committees, working groups and conferences
• Direct or supervise junior legal officers on significant legal matters
• Review and design legal instruments, policies and guidelines

• Advanced university degree in public international law, or first-level university degree with two additional years of qualifying experience
• At least seven years of progressively responsible public international law experience, including legal analysis, research and writing
• At least two years of service in a government legal office or the legal secretariat of an international organization
• English at UN Level II in reading, writing, listening and speaking

• Experience preparing and negotiating international agreements
• Experience with privileges and immunities of international organizations
• Experience with procedural and institutional issues in an international organization
• At least two years of legal work with the United Nations or a related intergovernmental organization

• Public International Law
• Legal Research
• Legal Analysis
• Legal Drafting
• Agreement Negotiation
• Legal Advisory
• Institutional Law
• Team Supervision

• Temporary position available until 31 December 2026