Senior Legal Officer

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

28 May 2026-23:59-GMT+01:00 Central European Time (Rome)

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.

WHY JOIN WFP? 

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.

• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.

• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.

• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

GSU Senior Legal Officer, Global Staff Union (CST Regular)

Under the general supervision of the GSU President, the Senior Legal Officer will be responsible for the following:

A. Strategic leadership and management of GSU Legal Service

• 1. Lead and coordinate the full scope of GSU legal activities, ensuring alignment with Union priorities and WFP’s regulatory framework.
• 2. Supervise and guide GSU Legal Officer (P3) and legal consultants; assign cases and tasks; ensure quality and timeliness of outputs.
• 3. Oversee the engagement of external legal counsel as authorized by the GSU Staff Council.
• 4. Contribute to optimal allocation and management of legal resources to support GSU, its members and recognized local staff unions or associations globally.

B. Legal advice and representation

• 5. Serve as the primary source of authoritative legal advice to the GSU President, the Executive Committee and the Staff Council on employment and administrative law matters.
• 6. Provide legal support to GSU members on employment and administrative law matters. Evaluate evidence, prepare case files. Advise clients on recommended legal strategies and ensure timely implementation of agreed GSU Legal Service actions.
• 7. Support negotiations to resolve disputes in the best interest of members.
• 8. Review or draft agreements and settlement documents.
• 9. Provide expert guidance on staff relations issues, disciplinary matters, and other sensitive employment disputes.
• 10. Represent or support the representation of employees in internal appeals and before the ILO Administrative Tribunal.
• 11. Conduct or oversee comprehensive legal analysis of individual cases, including staff relations issues, disciplinary matters and other sensitive issues.
• 12. Make recommendations for the President’s consideration on any structural improvements needed for the GSU Legal Service.

C. Policy Review, Analysis, and Advocacy

• 13. Provide legal advice to all GSU consultations with WFP Management.
• 14. Review and assess WFP policies, directives, and administrative issuances; prepare legal briefs and recommendations to inform GSU positions.
• 15. Identify systemic risks, legal gaps, and inconsistencies in WFP’s policy formulation and application; propose measures to improve conditions of service and the internal justice system.
• 16. Monitor and analyse decisions, resolutions, and reports issued by UN entities (GA, ICSC, HLCM, JIU, etc.). Contribute to GSU advocacy on common system issues.
• 17. Support GSU in its work as member of the Coordinating Committee of International Staff Unions and Associations (CCISUA) as well as any GSU member elected to any specific CCISUA role (e.g., Bureau member, taskforce member, etc.).

D. Legal research and drafting

• 18.Prepare research-grounded legal opinions, memoranda, briefs, advisory notes, and reports on relevant legal matters and policy documents.
• 19. Conduct legal risk assessments and advise on mitigation strategies relevant to GSU activities.

E. Governance support and stakeholder engagement

• 20. Provide legal support to the GSU President and Staff Council, including servicing committees, working groups, and consultations with management.
• 21. In consultation with GSU President, liaise with WFP Staff Relations, Legal and other departments with a view to facilitating resolution of cases.
• 22. In consultation with GSU President, liaise with Staff Federations and other UN system bodies on common system and internal justice issues.
• 23. Contribute to the functions of the GSU Secretariat including the preparation of written communications, legal updates and policy bulletins, for dissemination to GSU members.
• 24. Brief staff on legal and policy developments and promote understanding of GSU’s role and services.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education: Advanced University degree in Law, or First University degree in Law with additional relevant experience and training in international or employment law. Must be qualified to practice or admitted to practice by a recognized national or state bar or law society.

Experience:

Minimum eleven (11) years of progressively responsible professional experience in the legal field, with substantial exposure to international administrative/UN employment law (P5 expectation). Demonstrated experience in litigation or representation before administrative tribunals (e.g., ILOAT). Proven experience advising staff, managing sensitive staff relations issues, and supervising legal professionals. Strong knowledge of WFP/FAO Regulations, Rules, and Manuals.

Familiarity with decisions of UN bodies (GA, ICSC, HLMC, JIU) and their implications for staff. Previous experience with UN Staff Associations/Unions or staff legal assistance services is an asset.

Knowledge & Skills:

• In depth expertise in international legal principles, concepts, procedures and terminology for review, examination and processing of a range of legal documents, evidence gathering. • Knowledge of various legal research sources, techniques and ability to interpret and apply complex legislative instruments and draft legal papers. • Practical knowledge of tribunal procedures. • Demonstrated ability to design new concepts, policies and applications. • Strong initiative-taker and demonstrated ability to take independent decisions. • Strong business acumen and strategic thinking. • Solid communication, negotiation and interpersonal skills. • Strong time management and priorities management skills. • General knowledge of UN system policies, rules, regulations and procedures.

Languages:

Fluency (level C) in English language. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or Portuguese (a WFP working language) is desirable.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

 

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

 

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

 

WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact:  [email protected]

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

 

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

 

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruiting system. We do not consider CVs or applications sent by email, LinkedIn, or any other channel.

• We strongly recommend that your Workday profile is accurate and complete, and that all sections are filled in, including your employment history, academic qualifications, language skills, and UN grade (if applicable). Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.

• If you experience technical issues while submitting your application, you may contact us at [email protected]. Please note that this email is only for technical issues with an application - unsolicited applications or documents sent to this inbox will not receive a reply.

• At the application stage, the only required documents are your CV and Cover Letter. Additional documents (passport, certificates, recommendation letters, etc.) may be requested later in the process.

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.