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20672 Legal Officer (P)
Organization International Organization for MigrationLocation SwitzerlandType FULL TIMEPosted 7 May 2026Deadline 20 May 2026
Human Resources
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Full Description
The Office of Legal Affairs provides legal advice to the Director General, the Deputy Directors General, the regional offices, the country offices, and other departments and offices of the Organization. The Office provides support to ensure that the activities and operations of the Organization are carried out in accordance with the legal framework governing IOM, including the IOM Constitution, decisions of the governing bodies of IOM, the Unified Staff Regulations and Rules, the Financial Regulations and Rules, IOM instructions and international law.
The General and Administrative Law Division is responsible for:
- Advising on misconduct cases and the management of disciplinary processes, including the imposition of disciplinary and non-disciplinary measures.
- Reviewing the legality of contested decisions in formal Requests for Review by staff members.
- Representing the Organization in internal justice processes, including the Joint Appeals Review Board and the International Labour Organization Administrative Tribunal.
- Reviewing investigation reports and other findings of the Office of Internal Oversight in relation to IOM personnel.
- Reviewing policies related to management and human resources, including revisions to the Unified Staff Regulations and Rules, instructions and other issuances.
- Assisting with the roll-out of the Unified Staff Rules to local staff members in IOM country offices worldwide.
- Advising on privileges and immunities matters related to employment disputes, including on litigation filed in national courts.
- Preparing legal advice on the interpretation and application of personnel policies, contractual terms and complex administrative law matters.
- Reviewing contracts, agreements and templates for staff and non-staff personnel (including for internships, consultancies, escorts, loans, secondments, Junior Professional Officers, and settlements with staff members).
Under the overall supervision of the Head, General & Administrative Law Division and the direct supervision of the Senior Legal Officer, the Legal Officer will work in the General and Administrative Law Division (LEG-GL) and provide legal advice, recommendations and services related to the legal status, constitution, functions, rules and activities of the Organization, particularly involving human resources legal issues.
**Responsibilities and Accountabilities**
1. Provide legal advice to IOM offices on privileges and immunities issues arising from, for example, claims filed by staff or individual contractors before national authorities, arrest and detention of IOM personnel, tax exemption, affiliation of staff in the national security system etc.
2. Draft submissions on behalf of the Organization in administrative and tribunal proceedings, including before the Joint Administrative Review Board (JARB) and the International Labour Organization Administrative Tribunal (ILOAT).
3. Review Investigation Reports received from the Office of the Internal Oversight (OIO), make a legal assessment as to whether a disciplinary process is warranted, and either initiate a disciplinary process or draft legal advice on other measures to be taken.
4. Draft legal advice to senior officials on matters involving application of international administrative law, including recommendations for amicable settlement of litigation, final decisions by the Director General upon completion of the internal appeal process, disciplinary measures or other administrative measures upon completion of disciplinary processes; further assist in the implementation of these recommendations.
5. Attend internal and external meetings and conferences relevant to LEG-GL.
6. Perform such other duties as may be assigned.
**Required Qualifications and Experience**
**Education**
- Master’s degree in Law from an accredited academic institution with five years of relevant professional experience; or,
- University degree in the above fields with seven years of relevant professional experience.
Accredited Universities are those listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database.
**Experience**
- At least five years of relevant professional experience is required for candidates holding a Master's degree (seven years for candidates holding a University/ Bachelor's degree), including at least four years in International Administrative Law, with demonstrated experience over those years in: (i) staff misconduct cases, including disciplinary proceedings, and (ii) drafting internal justice system and ILOAT pleadings.
**Skills**
- Excellent writing and research skills; and,
- Knowledge of public international law, in particular knowledge of the ILOAT jurisprudence and international administrative law, are required.
**Languages**
All IOM staff members in all categories are required to be fluent in one of the IOM's official languages (English, French, Spanish).
For this position, fluency in English is required (oral and written).
Working knowledge of another official UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) is an advantage.
Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments.
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