Senior Legal Officer, P-5

United Nations Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar

Geneva, Switzerland

Org. Setting and Reporting

The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) was established by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 39/2, adopted on 27 September 2018. The creation of the Mechanism was welcomed by the General Assembly in its resolution 73/264, adopted on 22 December 2018. This position is located within the Independent Investigative Mechanism on Myanmar (IIMM) and is based in Geneva, Switzerland. The Senior Legal Officer works under the overall direction of the Head, and the direct supervision of the Deputy Head of the IIMM.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority the Senior Legal Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

Coordinates, manages and directs teams of investigators, legal officers and analysts in the collection and analysis of information and evidence in a manner that enables its use in ongoing and future criminal investigations and prosecutions of persons responsible for the most serious international crimes committed in Myanmar since 2011;
Supervises the collection of information and evidence from diverse sources in accordance with relevant international standards and internal policies and protocols, and the strategic development and implementation of investigation plans, ensuring the including of SGBC and CAAC as appropriate;
Supervises the production of analytical reports assessing the collected evidence, including in relation to SGBC and CAAC, to ensure the sufficiency of evidence of serious international crimes as well as the criminal conduct and responsibility of individuals for those crimes pursuant to the applicable international criminal law, humanitarian law and human rights law;
Reviews requests for assistance and information from national, regional or international authorities to facilitate their investigations and proceedings, and supervises the preparation of evidentiary and analytical materials for sharing with such authorities;
Performs extensive legal research and analysis, and provides authoritative legal advice on highly complex substantive and procedural questions of law;
Makes recommendations to senior management in his/her area of expertise on strategic and operational issues concerning the implementation of the IIMM’s mandate, and participates in the development and implementation of the IIMM’s governance and management framework;
Other duties as may be required.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: In-depth knowledge of national and international criminal law (both substantive and procedural) and the functioning of criminal prosecutions at the national and international levels; extensive experience in applying legal expertise to analyzing a diverse range of highly complex and novel legal issues and problems and in developing innovative and creative solutions, or in prosecuting complex criminal cases; original and creative thinking, independent and impartial judgment and discretion in handling major legal issues/cases; capacity to absorb and analyze large volumes of material; superior skills in legal writing and expression and ability to prepare indictments, briefs, opinions and related documents; a high degree of commitment to ensuring the professionalism to the IIMM’s work; demonstrated planning, management and organizational skills and ability to coordinate the work of teams and individuals, ensuring the quality and timelines of outputs and good understanding of the dynamics of working in an international environment. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing;
PLANNING AND ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently;
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;
MANAGING PERFORMANCE: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly;
JUDGEMENT/DECISION-MAKING: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in law is required. A first level university degree in law in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible professional legal experience, with a minimum of seven years working on international criminal law cases at either the national or international level, is required;
Extensive experience in working on large and complex criminal cases in a multi-disciplinary team environment is required;
Experience investigating, prosecuting or adjudicating criminal cases at the international level is desirable;
Experience drafting or reviewing indictments (or the equivalent) is desirable;
Experience working on issues related to Myanmar conflicts, political and military structures and/or demography is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of one of the Myanmar languages is desirable.

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