Legal Assistantnew

Organizational Setting

Applicants for National positions at General Service level must be legally authorized to live and work in the country of recruitment at the time of application. Any job offer is subject to evidence from the candidate to have obtained and be able to maintain the legal status to live and work in the country of recruitment, in this case, Italy.

IFAD staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the President of IFAD. In accordance with IFAD's Human Resources Policy, the President can decide to assign them to any of the activities of the Fund. 

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty and hunger. It does so by investing in rural people. IFAD finances programmes and projects that increase agricultural productivity and raise rural incomes, and advocates at the local, national and international level for policies that contribute to rural transformation. 

Corporate Services Support Group (CSSG) comprises of:  (i) Office of the President and the Vice-Presidents (OPV) (ii) Office of the General Counsel (LEG), (iii) Office of Audit and Oversight (AUO); (iv) Office of Strategic Budgeting (OSB), (v)  Quality Assurance Group (QAG), (vi) Change, Delivery and Innovation Unit (CDI); (vii) Office of Enterprise Risk Management (RMO) and (viii) Ethics Office (ETH), a stand-alone unit.

The Office of the General Counsel (LEG) provides advice to IFAD's Management and Governing Bodies on all legal aspects of IFAD's operations and administration as IFAD strives to mobilize resources for agricultural development in its Member States. LEG provides legal advice in relation to the project-related operations of the Fund and holds the responsibility for drafting and negotiating the agreements with IFAD's borrowing Member States and non-governmental organizations that provide the legal framework for project implementation. Legal Counsel works directly with Country Portfolio Managers and the other members of Project Development Teams to provide legal advice on project design and implementation. In addition to project work, LEG provides legal advice on a broad range of institutional and corporate/administrative issues. These include the interpretation, implementation and periodic revision of IFAD's Basic Documents, the functioning of its Governing Bodies, the investment of its Reserve Fund and all legal aspects and implications relating to HR issues, procurement and privileges and immunity. LEG also represents IFAD at any judicial or extrajudicial litigation before national and international courts and tribunals. The Office of the General Counsel is directly accountable to the President of IFAD.

The incumbent reports and works under the supervision of a Deputy General Counsel (DGC), and a Senior Legal Officer.

Job Role

The incumbent is accountable for communications, operational and administrative support services to enhance the smooth running of the division and its workflow and management of information. The legal services include preparing advance draft legal instruments and documents, including potential amendments to IFAD's basic legal texts, for review, ensuring that activities are consistent with the Agreement Establishing IFAD. The incumbent also drafts and proposes internal LEG's guidelines and assists the development of legal databases, tracking systems and other modalities, in order to providing proactive, creative advice and cost-effective, practical solutions, to meet the unique needs and critical circumstances, while identifying and mitigating potential risks in IFAD's legal and project related activities. The incumbent's duties require the performance of specialized paralegal functions, which include, among others, basic legal researching, proofreading, cite-checking and drafting skills.

Key Functions and Results

1. COMMUNICATIONS & WORKFLOW: The incumbent organizes and facilitates the communications and workflow within LEG to enhance the efficiency and timeliness of operations and outputs. Accountabilities typically include: 
¿    Screening incoming legal documentation, identifying administrative actions to be taken, including alerting the DGC and all Legal Officers of pending/urgent matters and deadlines requiring timely attention;
¿    Managing incoming and outgoing e-mails and telephone calls; acting as the point of contact for other divisions and providing continuity of information, particularly during the DGC's and all Legal Officers' absences; 
¿    Preparing initial drafts of legal documents, proofreading legal instruments to ensure consistency of terminology, meeting notes and other correspondence; 
¿    Researching legal databases and preparing a basic analysis of the research obtained; 
¿    Communicating sensitive information to higher level managers, including providing routine information pertaining to the work of LEG ; 
¿    Finalizing legal documents for signature and participating in official ceremonies, including signing ceremonies; 
¿    Maintaining the supervisor's calendar; 
¿    Maintaining LEG's filing and reference systems (digital and traditional) including official legal instruments and research documents which are crucial for the retention and identification of substantive IFAD legal documentation; 
¿    Maintaining and updating corporate IT platforms. 

2. OPERATIONAL SUPPORT: The incumbent organizes and facilitates LEG's work to ensure integrity in the use of resources and adherence to established rules and procedures. Accountabilities typically include: 
¿    Coordinating with other divisions and monitoring all project related documentation for meetings to be attended by the DGC and all Legal Officers, including negotiations and signing ceremonies; 
¿    In-putting data in systems and reporting activities with functional role as originator; 
¿    Adapting internal procedures and tracking systems for correspondence and documents, verifying work is completed in accordance with IFAD standards and within established deadlines; 
¿    Monitoring work progress and priority cases; 
¿    Organizing meetings and workshops; 
¿    Coordinating and organizing official travel and administering staff attendance and leave; 
¿    Identifying and extracting information from various sources and preparing briefing notes; 
¿    Registering agreements with the United Nations Treaties System, and overall processing of loans and grants for execution.

3. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT: The incumbent ensures the full range of office support to the supervisor. Accountabilities typically include: 
¿    Preparing briefing materials for official trips or meetings; 
¿    Drafting responses to written inquiries on routine and non-routine questions; coordinating responses to sensitive inquiries; 
¿    Following up on established deadlines and ensuring timely submissions by staff of reports, correspondence and other documents; 
¿    Reviewing all outgoing correspondence and official documents for style, factual and grammatical accuracy, as well as, conformance with established guidelines and procedures and standards; 
¿    Preparing correspondence for the supervisor's signature, undertaking informal translations of correspondence if necessary, and, reviewing translations of legal instruments if required. 

4. MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: The incumbent is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of assigned IFAD resources, including equipment, supplies and, as applicable, staff supervised.

Key Performance Indicators

The incumbent reports to the DGC and a Senior Legal Officer and supports him/her on various complex matters, such as, the compilation and coordination of work products, ensuring deadlines are met and that established rules and procedures are followed. The work is standardized; yet the incumbent must apply a good knowledge of guidelines, such as correspondence handbooks, leave procedures, among others, to operationally support LEG. Key performance indicators go beyond the timeliness and accuracy of work to include planning and organizing LEG's work.

Working Relationships

Incumbents at this level represent the supervisor in communications involving the exchange of non-routine information, coordinating, and following up on deadlines as well as establishing and maintaining communications with counterpart staff within IFAD and with counterparts in partner organizations. Communications require tact and discretion. They may provide guidance and direction to temporary or more junior staff.

Job Profile Requirements

Organizational Competencies:

Level 1:

• Building relationships and partnerships - Builds and maintains effective working relationships
• Communicating and negotiating - Communicates effectively; creates understanding between self and others
• Demonstrating leadership - Personal leadership and attitude to change
• Focusing on clients - Focuses on clients
• Learning, sharing knowledge and innovating - Continuously seeks to learn, shares knowledge & innovates
• Managing performance and developing staff -
• Managing time, resources and information - Manages own time, information and resources effectively
• Problem-solving and decision-making - Demonstrates sound problem-solving and decision-making ability
• Strategic thinking and organizational development - Personal influence
• Team working - Contributes effectively to the team

Education:

• Level - High school diploma is required.

Experience:

• Minimum of 4 years of progressively relevant experience is required. 
• Experience in secretarial and/or administrative task is required. 
• Position-specific experience: Prior experience working at a Legal Division/Department and/or experience with legal instruments is highly desirable.
• Knowledge relevant to sovereign and non-sovereign matters is an asset;

Languages:

• Required English (4 - Excellent) 
• Desirable: French, Spanish, or Arabic (3 - Good) and Italian 

Skills:

• Record management: Know-how in record keeping (e.g. proper handling of records and systems to preserve institutional memory, including correspondence logs, office filing and reference systems, etc.)
• Knowledge strategy & management: Extensive expertise in knowledge management & dissemination strategies
• Legal Research, interpretation and analysis: Know-how to conduct in-depth legal research (on a wide range of institutional, corporate, operations, finance and investment issues related to the functions, structure, investments and operations of the Fund) and to analyse and interpret legal instruments (e.g. as treaties, constitutions, statutes, rules and regulations and other legal materials on institutional, corporate, operations, finance and investment issues relevant to IFAD's work)
• Legal drafting: Know-how in drafting legal instruments including financing agreements, policy frameworks (including principles and guidelines), internal rules and regulations and other materials governing the activities of IFAD; drafting of briefs and other documents for submission to international standard-setting entities, internal appeals bodies and external judicial bodies.
• Client orientation: Strong critical thinking combined with communication skills to liaise between the business and technologies to understand business problems and needs, document requirements and identify solutions
• Confidentiality & Discretion: Establishes self and division as trusted advisor to internal stakeholders by maintaining high level of discretion and confidentiality in assignments; demonstrates sound judgement when dealing with sensitive and/or confidential matters; drives good governance and is a "Culture Carrier" demonstrating IFAD institutional conscience through their work.
• Problem solving: Strong systemic and structured thinking, ability to identify and dissect problems into components and formulate a comprehensive set of creative viable and sustainable solutions and strategies
• Written communication: Clear, succinct and convincing written communication in the language needed for specific role; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language (e.g. for drafting of position papers, briefings, etc.)

Other Information

• Applicants for National positions at General Service level must be legally authorized to live and work in the country of recruitment at the time of application, in this case, Italy. Any job offer is subject to evidence from the candidate to have obtained and be able to maintain the legal status to live and work in the country of recruitment, in this case, Italy.

• In line with policy, IFAD accepts either the UN Language* Proficiency Levels, as well as the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Proficiency is considered to be met at Level C, if administered by FAO or by any other UN agency, and at Level `C1 and above', if attained through external accredited language institutions aligned with the Common European Framework for Languages Standards (CEFR).  When the candidate's Personal History Form (PHF) indicates that the candidate completed high school and/or university studies in a non-mother tongue language from a school or university in which the language in question is an IFAD official language required by the job opening and job description, the candidate may be exempted from language proficiency testing as determined by IFAD's People and Culture Division (PCD).

• In the interest of making most cost-effective use of funds and resources, we are only able to respond to applicants who are short-listed for interview. Candidates who do not receive a response within three months of the closing date should consider their application unsuccessful.

• Candidates shortlisted may be invited to participate in a screening assessment and Interview

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• In accordance with IFADs provisions, all new staff members will normally be placed at the first step in the grade level for which they have been selected. For information on IFADs remuneration package, please visit IFADs compensation and benefits page on our website. Applicants are invited to use the ICSC compensation calculator to estimate the salary and benefit entitlements.  See here. 

• IFAD is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic, social or political background, colour, nationality, religion, age, gender, disability, marital status, family size or sexual orientation in line with its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy and the Policy to prevent and respond to sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse. 

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