Job Description

Special Notice:

The ICAO Assembly recently reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing gender equality and the advancement of women by supporting UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.”

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for ICAO positions, especially in the Professional and higher level categories.

ICAO Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity.

THE ORGANIZATIONAL SETTING

The Legal Affairs and External Relations Bureau (LEB) undertake the international air law programme with a view to strengthening the international legal framework to address current and emerging civil aviation challenges effectively through the Chicago Convention, its Annexes and other air law instruments. LEB further provides advice and assistance on legal and external relations matters generally and in support of other Strategic Goals and Enablers of ICAO and develops and implements the communications programme.

Pursuant to the ICAO Strategic Goal of International Civil Aviation Convention, other Treaties, Laws and Regulations Address All Challenges, LEB carries out two projects under the international air law programme: (i) promoting widespread ratification and implementation of international air law instruments, and (ii) facilitating the development of international air law instruments and guidance material in response to emerging challenges and opportunities. The Director of LEB serves as Secretary to the Legal Committee and LEB also supports various working groups, task forces and study groups in conducting research and study of subjects of international law, in particular, international air law. LEB provides comprehensive Secretariat support for the administration of the settlement of differences pursuant to Chapter XVIII of the Chicago Convention.

In supporting other Strategic Goals and Enablers of ICAO, LEB provides legal advice and opinions to the ICAO Member States, Governing Bodies, President of the Council and the Secretary General, and other ICAO Bureaus and Regional Offices on any issue of law, and in particular on international law and air law; reviews all agreements and contracts; participates in the system of administration of justice; and performs the treaty depositary and aeronautical arrangements registration functions of the Organization.

With regard to external relations matters, LEB is responsible for maintaining close and harmonious working relations with Member States; serving as focal point for the Organization’s relations with the Host Government; carrying out liaison and protocol functions; and monitoring and providing policy guidance and advice on current political events which might affect ICAO.

In terms of communications, LEB develops and implements a comprehensive communications programme and acts as the principal point of contact for all media-related activities.

LEB is the focal point for all matters related to the functions of ICAO as the Supervisory Authority of the International Registry pursuant to the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment (Cape Town, 2001) (Cape Town Convention) and the Protocol to the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment on Matters specific to Aircraft Equipment (Cape Town 2001) (Aircraft Protocol). The incumbent is expected to act independently in focal point and other matters. The incumbent provides technical supervision of a junior Legal Officer for work on behalf of the Supervisory Authority.

The incumbent reports directly to the Deputy Director of the Legal Affairs and External Relations Bureau (DD/LEB) who will provide supervision including guidance on procedural matters, delegation and distribution of tasks, and decisions on priorities.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Function 1 (incl. Expected results)

Serves as lead officer on behalf of the Supervisory Authority of the International Registry (IR), independently handling a wide range of multi-discipline and complex legal matters involving the IR, achieving results such as:

Provide advice on diverse substantive and procedural questions necessary to ensure that an efficient notice-based electronic registration system is maintained to implement the objectives of the Cape Town Convention and Aircraft Protocol.
Provide general guidance, as necessary, to the Registrar of the IR, the entity responsible for the operation of the registry established under the Cape Town Convention and Aircraft Protocol.
Monitor IR practices for conformity with the Convention, Protocol and the Regulations and Procedures for the International Registry (Doc 9864).
Organize and co-conduct periodic auditing of the IR.
Coordinate the work of the Supervisory Authority, liaising with other Bureaus as appropriate.
Act as Secretary for the Commission of Experts of the Supervisory Authority of the International Registry (CESAIR), including the preparation of meeting documents, working papers, notes for the Chairperson, reports and summaries of the meetings.
Develop amendments to the Rules of Procedure for CESAIR (Doc 9893).
Review and develop the Registrar’s proposed amendments to the Regulations and Procedures for the International Registry (Doc 9864).
Conduct extensive legal research and analysis on topics related to the Convention, Protocol and IR, and prepare legal opinions, along with related recommendations where necessary.
Review IR subcontracts, budgets, and high-level reports.
Review and edit facilitatory changes proposed by the Registrar to the IR system, for presentation to CESAIR.
Closely monitor IR litigation, providing guidance to the Registrar as needed.
Conduct negotiations on behalf of the Supervisory Authority with regard to the contract for the operation of the IR and ensure all milestones under the contract are respected.
Prepare the annual estimated costs of the Supervisory Authority and reconcile the expenditures at year’s end.
Represent the Supervisory Authority at meetings, conferences, seminars, and present on the Convention and Protocol.
Develop the periodic Report of the Supervisory Authority to the Contracting States of the Convention and Protocol.
Address complaints against the Registrar.

Function 2 (incl. Expected results)

Reviews/advises on proposals by the Registrar to conduct new business activities outside of its core IR function, and monitors the development and progression of such activities following their approval by the Supervisory Authority, achieving results such as:

Develop and review working papers and terms, conditions and restrictions with respect to proposed new business activities of the Registrar, for presentation and consideration by CESAIR and the Council.
Review and advise on terms and conditions for users of the Registrar’s new business activities to ensure, inter alia, no overlap with the IR.
Closely monitor and conduct audits of the Registrar to ensure there is no detrimental effect on, or material lessening of, the IR as a result of its operating new business activities.

Function 3 (incl. Expected results)

Manages the Organization’s treaty depositary work for multilateral treaties, achieving results such as:

Receive and assess instruments of deposit, declarations and reservations for treaties to which ICAO acts as depositary.
Develop and review correspondence with States, the United Nations (UN) and other organizations relating to the above.
Conduct legal research on topics related to treaty law and provide accurate legal analysis / legal opinions of the findings, along with related recommendations, where necessary.
Assist States, the UN, specialized agencies of the UN, COSPAS-SARSAT and UNIDROIT on matters relating to the above.
Organize and supervise the Treaty Event at ICAO Assemblies.
Prepare meeting documents for promotion of treaties, in particular, the international air law instruments.
Supervise and ensure the quality of the work of legal assistants relating to treaty depositary functions.

Function 4 (incl. Expected results)

Provides legal support and advice to diplomatic conferences, commissions, committees, task forces, expert groups and other bodies, achieving results such as:

Serve as Secretary or Assistant Secretary of and prepare and/or oversee the preparation of meeting documents, including working papers, notes for the Chairperson and Director, reports and summaries of the meetings, coordinating with various Bureaus as needed.
Develop and review the travaux preparatoires for diplomatic conferences.

Function 5 (incl. Expected results)

Provides legal Secretariat support and legal advice to the Assembly, Council, Secretariat, and Member States of ICAO and other organizations, achieving results such as:

Participate in negotiations and meetings requiring legal advice or expertise.
Develop and review working papers on legal subjects for meetings.
Handle administrative and/or protocol matters relating to meetings, such as collection and verification of credentials, communication with delegations, etc.
Develop and review working papers and reports related to the work programme of the Organization in the legal field.
Prepare timely and appropriate replies to correspondence, enquiries, inter-office memoranda and other requests having legal implications.
Conduct legal research, draft legal opinions or legal memoranda, studies, briefs and reports on questions that may arise in the various bodies of the Organization.
Contribute to the review and design of new or new applications of, legal instruments, policy, guidelines.

Function 6 (incl. Expected results)

Performs other related duties, as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education

Essential

An advanced level university degree (master’s degree or academic equivalent) in law, including public and private international law, air law, or a related field, is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience in law, including international law, air law, or a related field, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced level university degree.

Desirable

Membership in a professional bar association.

Professional experience

Essential

A minimum of seven (7) years’ experience in increasingly responsible positions in the practice of public and private international law, preferably with specialization in the field of international air law and treaty law, of which at least five years should have been in the service of a national government or international organization.
Experience in working with the Cape Town instruments, ideally with regard to the functioning of the International Registry.
Experience in treaty depositary work.
Experience in the analysis and drafting of legal opinions and instruments.
Experience in reviewing and synthesizing legal information and presenting findings and recommendations in a required format.

Desirable

Practical experience in assisting with negotiations at the international level.
Practical experience in the legal work and procedures of a notice-based electronic registration system.

Languages

Essential

Fluent reading, writing and speaking abilities in English.

Desirable

A working knowledge of any other language of the Organization (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish).

COMPETENCIES

Professionalism: Sound analytical and legal drafting skills; knowledge of, and ability to apply, legal principles, concepts, procedures and terminology for review, examination, and processing of a range of legal documents; knowledge of various legal research sources, including electronic, and ability to conduct research and analyze information on a wide range of legal issues; familiarity with the depositary functions and treaty practices of international organizations; ability to produce reports and papers on legal issues and to review and edit the work of others; ability to interpret and apply legislative instruments, develop and present results, recommendations, and opinions clearly and concisely; ability to apply sound legal judgment in the context of assignments given; 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

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.

Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style, and format to match the audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

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.

Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.

Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Creativity: Actively seeks to improve programmes or services; offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs; promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas; takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks "outside the box"; takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things; is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.

Technological Awareness: Keeps abreast of available technology; understands applicability and limitations of technology to the work of the office; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; shows willingness to learn new technology.

Commitment to Continuous Learning: Keeps abreast of new developments in own occupation/profession; actively seeks to develop oneself professionally and personally; contributes to the learning of colleagues and subordinates; shows willingness to learn from others; seeks feedback to learn and improve.

Vision: Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks; clearly communicates links between the Organization’s strategy and the work unit’s goals; generates and communicates broad and compelling organizational direction, inspiring others to pursue that same direction; conveys enthusiasm about future possibilities.

Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands; 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.

Empowering Others: Delegates responsibility, clarifies expectations, and gives staff autonomy in important areas of their work; encourages others to set challenging goals; holds others accountable for achieving results related to their area of responsibility; genuinely values all staff members' input and expertise; shows appreciation and rewards achievement and effort; involves others when making decisions that affect them.

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.

Building Trust: Provides an environment in which others can talk and act without fear of repercussion; manages in a deliberate and predictable way; operates with transparency; has no hidden agenda; places confidence in colleagues, staff members and clients; gives proper credit to others; follows through on agreed upon actions; treats sensitive or confidential information appropriately.

Judgment/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 that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

It should be noted that this post is to be filled on a fixed-term basis for an initial period of 3 years (first year is probationary for an external candidate).

ICAO staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the Secretary General and may be assigned to any activities or offices of the Organization, in accordance with the provisions of the ICAO service code.

ICAO staff members are expected to conduct themselves in a manner befitting their status as international civil servants. In this connection, ICAO has incorporated the 2013 Standards of Conduct for the International Civil Service into the ICAO Personnel Instructions.

ICAO offers an attractive benefit package to its employees in accordance with the policies of the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC).

The statutory retirement age for staff entering or re-entering service after 1 January 2014 is 65. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete a term of appointment will normally be considered.

Remuneration: Level Net Base Salary + Post Adjustment(net)

P-4 per annum per annum(*)

USD $ 86,027 USD $32,518

(*) Post Adjustment is subject to change.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates must complete an on-line application form. To apply, please visit: ICAO Careers website.

NOTICE TO CANDIDATES

ICAO does NOT charge any fees or request money from candidates at any stage of the selection process, nor does it concern itself with bank account details of applicants. Requests of this nature allegedly made on behalf of ICAO are fraudulent and should be disregarded.

Apply on Organization Website

Similar Jobs