Job Vacancy at Food and Agricultural Organization, Rome, Italy

Position: Legal Counsel

Responsibilities

• Advises the Director-General on legal matters and acts as legal adviser to the Organization’s governing and statutory bodies, including through the interpretation of the Constitution, General Rules of the Organization, Financial Regulations and other relevant instruments.
• Manages and directs the work of the Legal Office regarding national and international law relevant to FAO and coordinates its programmes, including the activities of the Development Law Service and the database on laws on food, agriculture and natural resources, FAOLEX.
• Represents the Organization in complaints filed with the administrative tribunals, in appeals to the Director-General or filed with the Appeals Committee, and in all other judicial and arbitration proceedings.
• Advises the Organization’s administrative and technical units, both at Headquarters and decentralized offices, on all constitutional and legal aspects of their activities.
• Oversees the legal aspects of relations with the Host Government and other governments, including on all matters pertaining to the privileges and immunities of the Organization, and international organizations.
• Leads and directs the elaboration, negotiation and follow-up of treaties and other legal instruments, as well as on legal aspects of the negotiation or implementation of agreements, including donor agreements and field projects.
• Ensures liaison with the United Nations and its Specialized Agencies, as well as other international organizations as required, on legal issues involving, or of interest to, FAO.
• • Ensures depositary functions with respect to treaties for which the Director-General is the depositary.
• Exercises overall management responsibility including planning for LEG’s programme of work, within the framework of the FAO Strategic Framework and the Medium Term Plan, as per results-based management principles.
• Provides budgetary and administrative direction, staff management, and coordination with other concerned units of FAO.
• Furthermore, performs other duties as required.

General Requirements

• Advanced university degree in law. In addition to that, demonstrated leadership and managerial skills of a high order.
• Relevant professional legal experience in a large organization. Similarly, relevant experience in international and/or intergovernmental organizations including  the UN common system is considered an asset
• Strong, independent mental attitude and the highest integrity. Similarly, ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of one of the other FAO languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish)