Overview
The Head, Office of Legal Affairs (H/OLA) oversees the preparation of authoritative legal advice to the Secretary General, ensuring the Office of Legal Affairs provides a common and consistent approach to diverse substantive and procedural questions of considerable complexity. The role supervises unit personnel and performance, legal advice, administrative reporting, and organizational arrangements.
Key Responsibilities
- Providing and overseeing the provision of expert and timely legal advice on the interpretation of the regulatory framework of the Organization, including the Financial and Staff Regulations, Rules, Instructions and other administrative issuances, and reviews drafts and proposed amendments thereto; and reviewing drafts other administrative issuances (e.g., policy guidance, guidelines) and verifying their consistency with the Regulations, Rules and Instructions;
- Providing and overseeing the provision of expert and timely legal advice on the full scope of multi-disciplinary, complex and novel legal issues relating to the function of the Organization, including concerning the legal status and privileges and immunities of the OSCE and its officials.
- Providing and overseeing the provision of expert and timely legal advice on the drafting, negotiation and interpretation of legal instruments, including international agreements, protocols, exchange of letters, memoranda of understanding or other legal arrangements concluded on behalf of the Organization with participating States, international organizations and other entities;
- Providing and overseeing the provision of expert and timely legal advice on contractual matters, as required, including dispute resolution, intellectual property rights, insurance and data protection; overseeing the drafting and negotiation of leases and high value and complex commercial contracts with senior officials in the Secretariat, Institutions and Field Operations;
- Providing and overseeing the provision of expert and timely legal advice on procedural issues arising in OSCE decision-making bodies;
- Managing staff performance, portfolios and assignments, providing feedback as necessary;
- Performing other related duties as required.
Required Experience
- A minimum of ten years of directly related and progressively responsible professional-level experience, including at least eight years in the legal service of an international organization and/or national diplomatic service;
- Proven extensive knowledge of international administrative law and/or public international law, including the legal frameworks, practice and procedure of international organizations;
- Demonstrated managerial and supervisory experience, including over staff and financial resources.
Qualifications
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor's or equivalent) and a second-level university degree in Law are required.
