UNOPS supports the implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner. Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices, always satisfying or surpassing our partners’ expectations. A flexible structure and global reach means that we can quickly respond to our partners’ needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale.

Compliance with certain legal requirements is crucial for the effective implementation of UNOPS’ activities, to manage parties’ expectations and understanding of their respective rights and obligations, as well as to manage UNOPS’ risks and protect UNOPS in case of disputes and exposure to liability.

The Legal Group provides in-house legal advice and review of administrative law, institutional law and commercial law matters, reviewing UNOPS documents and agreements where required, and managing claims and disputes brought by or against UNOPS.

The primary responsibility of the Management Specialist will be to provide coordination support to the General Counsel and the Legal Group and to facilitate the efficient and smooth functioning of the Group through improved communication, knowledge management, and operational support to the various activities of the Legal Group.

Under the supervision of the General Counsel, the Management Specialist will be responsible for the following duties:

Coordination

• Plan, coordinate and monitor the Group’s network of vendors/service providers (external counsel, legal technology services providers, translators, etc.), including coordination of procurement processes for the hiring of vendors/service providers, negotiations with vendors/service providers to ensure cost-effective services and quality and timely service, supporting the timely payment of invoices and maintaining an updated record of existing contracts with vendors/service providers and corresponding invoices and payments.
• Oversee, manage and optimize the comprehensive communication strategy within the Group, including coordinating, drafting and editing, and facilitating correspondence and interactions with other organisational groups and external clients. Ensure seamless and effective communication flows for enhanced collaboration and stakeholder engagement.
• Create and implement an electronic filing system to organise correspondence related to matters handled by the Legal Group, including commercial disputes and personnel claims, to ensure a complete record of legal files.
• Offer comprehensive secretarial, administrative and logistical support to the General Counsel and legal advisors of the Legal Group. This encompasses the management of schedules, timely reminders of legal deadlines, orchestration of meetings, training sessions, retreats, and events, coordination of travel arrangements, drafting of meeting minutes, reports and notes, compilation and organisation of critical information and documents, and the responsible upkeep of distribution lists for both internal and external working groups.
• Coordinate (with other units, where necessary) and prepare the delivery of responses to requests from audit and similar bodies, to make sure all requests are answered in an accurate and timely manner.
• Assist the General Counsel and other legal advisors with any other administrative support arising for the day-to-day operations of the Group and for key events (e.g. conferences, retreats, VIP visits, etc.).

Development and Planning

• Support the development and implementation of the Legal Group’s short- and long-term strategic roadmap by translating the Group’s goals and priorities into workplans, collaborating with Group members to steer, monitor and report on progress while gaining consensus from multiple stakeholders where necessary.
• Ensure the management and monitoring of the Group’s budget, including maintaining up-to-date records of cost centers allocated to expenses and corresponding expiry dates. Assessment of expenditure in the Legal Group (travel, contracts, resources, office premises, etc.) for previous years; estimate of new requirements and preparation of budget plans for designated areas of work.

Knowledge Management and Knowledge Sharing

• Establish, maintain and act as the administrator of a functioning case and knowledge management system for the Legal Group, including by setting up document libraries, updating guides and intranet pages, and generally facilitating knowledge building and knowledge sharing within the Legal Group and externally. Support to the formalization and dissemination of lessons learnt and best practices in the Group.
• Support the Legal Group through document creation (slides/charts/spreadsheets/word documents), setting up/managing project management tools, running regular reports and extracting data for analysis that will help guide decision making, creating (organisational) charts and surveys, testing new applications and implementing (technical) changes.
• Simplify and streamline processes as well as select and implement digital tools necessary for the proper functioning of the Group, by keeping abreast of the latest developments and trends in the legal technology sector, including contract management and document management.
• Participate in trainings for new programs/functionalities/upgrades/processes, conduct technical trainings for team members, and develop and maintain associated internal educational materials.

Monitoring and Reporting

• Collect input and feedback related to patterns and trends to enable data analytics and propose efficient and relevant process and system improvements to ensure legal services are aligned with the organisation’s changing needs and objectives.
• Prepare and review operational reports with the aim of identifying risks and/or areas of improvement and providing inputs for an action plan.
• Drive the change management associated with these initiatives and compile KPIs for monitoring these activities.

Education:

• A Bachelor’s degree preferably Business Administration, Public Administration, Office Administration, Administrative Management, or related fields is required.
• A Master’s degree will be considered an asset and may substitute for 2 of the required years of experience.

Experience:

• Seven (7) years of relevant experience in business administration or office administration, or administrative management or paralegal administration or related, preferably in a law firm or legal office of a government agency or international organisation is required.
• Proficiency in Google Suite and Microsoft Office (MS Teams, Powerpoint, Outlook PowerBi, Excel and SharePoint) is desired.
• UN experience is a strong asset but not a requirement.

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.
• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.