United Nations Office Nairobi (UNON) Current Jobs in Kenya: Recruitment for Legal Assistant

POST TITLE: LEGAL ASSISTANT, G6

DEPARTMENT/ OFFICE: United Nations Office at Nairobi

DUTY STATION: NAIROBI

POSTING PERIOD: 19 January 2012-18 February 2012.

JOB OPENING NUMBER: 12-LEG-UNON-22468-R-NAIROBI (O)

UNITED NATIONS CORE VALUES: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity

Org. Setting and Reporting.

The post is located in the United Nations Dispute Tribunal (UNDT). The Dispute Tribunal hears and decides cases filed by or on behalf of current and former staff members appealing administrative decisions alleged to be in non-compliance with their terms of appointment or contract of employment. The Tribunal conducts hearings, issues orders, and renders binding judgements. It is located in Geneva, Nairobi and New York, but it may also decide to hold sessions at other duty stations. (http://www.un.org/en/oaj/dispute).

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Under the general supervision of the Registrar and the direct supervision of the Legal Officer, UNDT, the incumbent's responsibilities will be:

• Conducting basic research on assigned cases, using existing legal files and alternative sources; verifying facts, identifying citations, precedents, issues to be addressed and drafting statements of findings, for review by Legal Officers;
• Assisting in the maintenance of a body of legal reference files to ensure rapid retrieval of critical information; reviewing material and determining appropriate file classification category; identifying material for inclusion in files; participating in initiatives to enhance existing systems for records management and retrieval, including development of proposals for consideration;
• Reviewing, verifying and processing legal instruments, ensuring conformity to relevant guidelines and requirements; extracting key data and updating database, monitoring requisite follow-up actions, approvals;
• Independently handling a variety of relatively complex verbal and written inquiries from internal and external parties, including providing detailed information on processes and procedures related to a range of legal activities, instruments and issues;
• Servicing various meetings, preparation of notes for the Legal Officer, establishing log and assigning document identification symbols;
• Maintaining internal databases on cases for tracking and trend analysis; generating a variety of standard and non-standard statistical and other reports from various databases and posting of documents on the website;
• Providing general office support services ; processing, drafting, editing, proofreading and finalizing for signature/approval a variety of correspondence and other communications, specialized legal documentation; performing budget preparation input monitoring and implementation in IMDIS; setting up and maintaining files/records (electronic and paper); scheduling appointments/meetings, monitoring deadlines;
• Providing guidance and training to less experienced staff;
• Performing other ad hoc duties as may be assigned.

JOB COMPETENCIES:

Professionalism: 

• Knowledge of organizational legal framework, relevant legal processes, procedures and terminology for review, examination, preparation and processing of legal documents,
• Ability to conduct research using diverse legal research sources (including electronic sources on the internet, intranet and other data bases),
• Ability to review and synthesizes information and present findings and recommendations in a required format,
• Knowledge of information management, classification and retrieval systems,
• Ability to show tact and discretion in dealing with high-ranking officials and with confidential matters and materials,
• Shows pride in work and in achievements; 
• Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results;
• shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.

Teamwork: 

• Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; 
• Is willing to learn from others;
• Places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; 
• Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Planning and Organizing: 

• Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments and adjusts priorities as required; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Client Orientation: 

• Considers all those to whom services are provided to be "clients" and seeks to see things from clients' point of view; 
• Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect;
• identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions;
• Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; 
• Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects;
• Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Technological Awareness: 

• Keeps abreast of available technology; 
• Understands applicability and limitation of technology to the work of the office; 
• Actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; shows willingness to learn new technology.

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

• Completion of secondary school education is required,
• Supplemental training in legal studies, administration, accounting or other relevant field will be an advantage,
• A minimum of six years of responsible experience in administration, conference servicing, general office support or related area is required, of which two are in a paralegal/judicial environment,
• Experience in an international environment would be an advantage.

LANGUAGES:

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat,
• For the post advertised, fluency in written and oral English is required,
• Knowledge of another UN official language will be an advantage.

ASSESSMENT METHOD:

• Evaluation of qualified candidates for this position may include a substantive assessment which may be followed by a competency-based interview.

SPECIAL NOTICE:

• Appointment against this post is on a local basis,
• External candidates will be considered only when no suitable internal candidate from the duty station is identified,
• The candidate is responsible for any travel expenses incurred in order to take-up the appointment. Staff members are subject to the authority of and assignment by the Secretary-General,
• All staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

METHOD OF APPLICATION:

All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. Online applications will be acknowledged where an email has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgment within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application if necessary.

UNITED NATIONS CONSIDERATIONS:

The United Nations shall place no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. (Charter of the United Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

NO FEE:

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS' BANK ACCOUNTS.