Legal Officer (Nuclear and Treaty Law)
No red flags detected. This vacancy appears to follow standard recruitment practices.
Organizational Setting
The Office of Legal Affairs, which reports directly to the Director General, provides legal services of the highest possible standards to the Director General, the Secretariat and to the organs and bodies of the IAEA, as well as to Member States, regarding the implementation of the IAEA's activities.
The Nuclear and Treaty Law Section provides legal advice and support to the Director General’s Office and the Secretariat in the areas of nuclear safety, security and liability, as well as nuclear energy, nuclear applications and technical cooperation. It is also responsible for the IAEA's depositary function as well as the IAEA Legislative Assistance Programme, providing advice and training to Member States on legal frameworks governing the safe, secure and peaceful uses of nuclear technology.
Main Purpose
Under the guidance of the Section Head, the incumbent contributes specialized expertise in nuclear law, particularly in the areas of nuclear safety, security, and liability. As a member of the team, the incumbent prepares legal instruments, texts and related documentation and provides advice on their interpretation and implementation, as well as on national nuclear legislation.
Role
The Legal Officer (Nuclear and Treaty Law) serves as a subject-matter expert and an active member of a team comprising eight lawyers and three support staff within the Nuclear and Treaty Law Section.
The incumbent provides high-quality professional input to support the development and implementation of OLA’s projects across all areas of nuclear law and within the framework of the IAEA Legislative Assistance Programme.
Functions / Key Results Expected
Implement the Section's projects in nuclear safety, security and liability as well as other areas.
Provide legal expertise to the Secretariat in the implementation of its activities, and meetings of Member States held pursuant to relevant legal instruments on nuclear safety, security and liability adopted by or under IAEA auspices.
Develop guidance material, analytical studies, and recommendations on the interpretation and implementation of the relevant instruments.
Represent OLA and deliver legal advice and lectures during IAEA missions and other events, including those promoting adherence to and implementation of relevant instruments.
Contribute to the implementation of the IAEA Legislative Assistance Programme and its overall workplan, including, by advising Member States on their draft and enacted national nuclear legislation.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Section Head.
Core Competencies(Competency Framework)
| Name | Definition |
|---|---|
| Communication | Communicates orally and in writing in a clear, concise and impartial manner. Takes time to listen to and understand the perspectives of others and proposes solutions. |
| Achieving Results | Takes initiative in defining realistic outputs and clarifying roles, responsibilities and expected results in the context of the Department/Division’s programme. Evaluates his/her results realistically, drawing conclusions from lessons learned. |
| Teamwork | Actively contributes to achieving team results. Supports team decisions. |
| Planning and Organizing | Plans and organizes his/her own work in support of achieving the team or Section’s priorities. Takes into account potential changes and proposes contingency plans. |
Functional Competencies
| Name | Definition |
|---|---|
| Analytical thinking | Analyses information to identify cause and effect relationships and correlations. Identifies critical elements and assesses consequences of different courses of action and proposes solutions. |
| Judgement/decision making | Consults with supervisor/manager and takes decisions in full compliance with the Agency’s regulations and rules. Makes decisions reflecting best practice and professional theories and standards. |
| Technical/scientific credibility | Ensures that work is in compliance with internationally accepted professional standards and scientific methods. Provides scientifically/technically accepted information that is credible and reliable. |
Required Expertise
| Function | Name | Expertise Description |
|---|---|---|
| Legal | Agency's Statute, Rules of Procedures, Regulations, Practices and Precedents | Knowledge of and ability to analyse and apply the IAEA Statute, Rules of Procedure, Regulations, Practices and Precedent. |
| Legal | International Law | Knowledge of the broad principles of public international law. |
| Legal | Legal Drafts | Ability to draft clear, concise documents setting out facts and arguments in an accurate manner. |
| Legal | Policy Development | Ability to support policy development within the scope of the relevant legal framework. |
Qualifications, Experience and Language skills
Higher Degree (e.g. Juris Doctor) or Advanced Law Degree required, admitted to practice in a national bar or equivalent.
Minimum of seven years of relevant experience including at least 5 years at international level, in particular within the UN System.
Proven experience in preparing legal drafts.
Excellent command of written and spoken English essential. Knowledge of another official IAEA language (i.e. Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) an asset.
Excellent oral and written command of English. Knowledge of other official IAEA languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) is an asset.
Remuneration
The IAEA offers an attractive remuneration package including a tax-free annual net base salary starting at US $86027 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance), a variablepost adjustment [link removed]which currently amounts to US $ 44820*, dependency benefits, rental subsidy [link removed], education grant [link removed], relocation [link removed] and repatriation expenses [link removed]; Other benefits include 6 weeks' annual leave, home leave travel [link removed], pension plan [link removed]and health insurance. [link removed] More information on the conditions of employment can be found at: https://www.iaea.org/about/employment/professional-staff/conditions [link removed]
General Information
- The IAEA's paramount consideration in the recruitment of staff member is to secure employees of the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity.
- Staff Members shall be selected without any unfair treatment or arbitrary distinction based on a person's race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, disability, age, language, social origin or other similar shared characteristic or trait.
- The IAEA is committed to gender equality and to promoting a diverse workforce. Applications from qualified women and candidates from developing countries are strongly encouraged.
- Applicants should be aware that IAEA staff members are international civil servants and may not accept instructions from any other authority. The IAEA is committed to applying the highest ethical standards in carrying out its mandate. As part of the United Nations common system, the IAEA subscribes to the following core ethical standards (or values): Integrity [link removed], Professionalism [link removed] and Respect for diversity [link removed].
- The IAEA has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and the IAEA, including sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination.
Evaluation process
- The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the selection criteria stated in the vacancy announcement. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information. Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise, which may be followed by a competency-based interview.
- Candidates under serious consideration for selection may be subject to reference and background checks as part of the recruitment process.
Appointment information
- Appointment is subject to a satisfactory medical report.
- Staff members may be assigned to any location.
- Candidates appointed to posts in the Professional and higher categories are subject to IAEA rotation policy [link removed] and their maximum tour of service shall normally be seven years.
- The IAEA retains the discretion not to make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade or with a different contract type, or to make an appointment with a modified job description or for shorter duration than indicated above.
