Legal Affairs Specialist, P-4, Office of Executive Director, Rome, PAT 133709

Legal Affairs Specialist, P-4, Office of Executive Director, Rome, PAT

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

UNICEF’s Legal Team in the Office of the Executive Director supports the organization’s business units around the world – our clients – by delivering strategic legal solutions through collaboration. We provide legal advice that is risk‑informed, timely, responsive, and pragmatic. We empower clients and build their capacity to self‑help. We proactively engage with clients to anticipate trends and challenges and develop systemic solutions; and we protect UNICEF by identifying legal, reputational and other risks, and helping to mitigate those risks. Our lawyers are based in several UNICEF locations, including in Rome, Italy.

The Legal Affairs Specialist will provide legal advice to internal clients on data protection matters, including interpretation of the Policy on Personal Data and Privacy and related regulatory documents, data protection in relation to a broad spectrum of agreement and MOUs, and any other data protection matters, as well as supporting other business units globally on a broad spectrum of legal matters ranging from commercial contracts, disputes, and institutional matters. Legal Affairs Specialist will report to the Senior Legal Affairs Specialist who reports to the Chief Legal Counsel.

We seek to hire an experienced lawyer to join the Legal Team in Rome, Italy under a fixed‑term appointment. The initial appointment will be for two years, with the possibility of extension subject to organizational needs and satisfactory performance.

How can you make a difference

Members of the UNICEF Legal Team are expected to be open‑minded and resourceful, responsive, and dynamic, transparent and approachable, and clear and authoritative. The overall direction of the Legal Team is set by the Chief Legal Counsel in New York.

The Legal Affairs Specialist is expected to work autonomously, collaborating regularly with other team members, all under the supervision of the Senior Legal Affairs Specialist.

Lead responsibilities

• Provide substantive legal advice on data protection and privacy matters related to partnerships with governments, international financial institutions, commercial and financial transactions, institutional matters (including privileges and immunities), policy development and interpretation, human resources matters (except tribunal cases), and dispute resolution.
• Collaborate closely with the UNICEF Data Protection Team and teams across the organization at headquarters/divisional and regional/country office levels in various development and humanitarian contexts.
• Represent the Legal Team in the Data Protection Programme Working Group, advising on development and roll‑out of implementation plans, tools, guidance, and joint training.
• Advise on and negotiate data protection framework agreements, data processing agreements, and governance of UNICEF digital products.
• Advise on data breaches and remedial actions, as well as other information security incidents.
• Interpret decisions, regulations, rules, procedures, and other elements of the UNICEF regulatory framework, including the Policy on Personal Data Protection & Privacy.
• Develop and provide training and capacity building to teams across the organization, and share knowledge proactively.
• Support projects managed by the Team (legal knowledge management, office governance, case management) throughout their lifecycle, including design & planning, stakeholder engagement, monitoring & evaluation.
• Take on other tasks and duties as required.

Professional attributes

• Be conscious of the bigger picture, connect dots, identify trends, and develop solutions.
• Take ownership and demonstrate initiative, creativity, resourcefulness, and pro‑activity.
• Communicate with clients regularly, maintain high levels of responsiveness, keep supervisors informed, and manage expectations.
• Apply a risk‑based, forward‑looking, strategic approach, demonstrating coherence and rigor.
• Exercise good judgement and involve supervisors timely when needed.

Minimum requirements

• Education : Advanced university law degree (LL.B. post‑graduate, LL.M., or J.D.) in a relevant field such as international or commercial law, or a first‑level law degree with at least two additional years of qualifying experience.
• Work Experience : Minimum eight (8) years of progressively responsible legal practice in a relevant field (e.g., data protection law) within a law firm, private practice, or international organization.
• Skills :
  • Expertise in data protection law and practice.
  • Client‑oriented problem‑resolution approach.
  • Excellent research, legal writing, and drafting skills.
  • Strong verbal, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, with discretion in handling sensitive matters.
• Language : Fluency in English; proficiency in another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) is desirable.

Desirables

• Experience at the country level, particularly in development, fragile settings, and humanitarian contexts.

UNICEF’s Core Values and Competencies

• Core Values: Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Sustainability (CRITAS)
• Competencies:
  • Builds and maintains partnerships.
  • Demonstrates self‑awareness and ethical awareness.
  • Drive to achieve results for impact.
  • Innovates and embraces change.
  • Manages ambiguity and complexity.
  • Thinks and acts strategically.
  • Works collaboratively with others.

Equal Opportunity Statement

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, and is committed to a workforce that reflects the diversity of children globally. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, including neuro‑divergence. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. Selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and may be required to provide additional documentation.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance and visa or inoculation requirements as applicable.

Mobility and Humanitarian Context

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service. UNICEF is committed to staying and delivering in humanitarian contexts; therefore, staff at all levels and functional areas can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response.

Contact

For more information, visit our website or apply through the UNICEF Careers portal.

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