Legal Specialist (Retainer)

• Infrastructure
• Procurement 
• Project Management (full service, back on track)
• HR and Transactional Services
• Grants Management 
• Technical and Advisory Services
• Project Information

• Legal Analysis: Assess existing national laws, regulations, and policies relevant for the implementation of project activities; identify potential legal gaps, risks and compliance issues.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Legal Updates: Regularly consult with stakeholders, including government agencies, judicial institutions, and EU representatives, to stay informed about developments in the justice sector. Monitor changes in national laws, regulations, and best practices, adapting strategies to address emerging legal risks and ensure alignment with current standards.
• EU Standards and Integration: Analyze and consider relevant EU standards, practices, and requirements related to national justice reform and EU integration. Ensure that project activities align with EU directives and support Albania's broader objectives of harmonization with EU frameworks.
• Technical and Quality Support: Contribute to the design and development of digital solutions by offering relevant legal analysis and advisory support, ensuring compliance with national and EU regulations. This includes evaluating legal gap analysis, addressing data protection and privacy concerns, and ensuring the interoperability of digital systems aligns with best practices and legal frameworks.
• Risk Assessment and Mitigation: Support the project manager in conducting preliminary risk assessments to identify factors that could impact project viability from technical and regulatory perspectives, and recommend proactive solutions.
• Due Diligence and Documentation: Prepare a due diligence checklist, document legal advice and compliance activities as requested by the supervisor. 
• Review and Advisory: Evaluate local best practices and research on copyright, intellectual property, data protection, information security, procurement, and contracting.

• Legal clearance and interpretation of engagements and any amendments thereof; 
• Legal clearance of deviations to and interpretation of General Conditions in UNOPS grant agreements and procurement contracts, including works contracts; 
• Legal advice related to disputes between UNOPS and external parties, including representation of UNOPS in legal proceedings; 
• Other legal advice related to UNOPS’ operations that does not require local law advice; 
• Legal advice related to UNOPS privileges and immunities and UNOPS’ status as a UN entity; 
• Administrative law advice and personnel disputes.

• Advanced university degree (master's or equivalent) in law, or a closely related area is required or a  first-level university degree in law (Bachelor’s or equivalent) from an accredited university in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

• At least 5 years experience in legal analysis and advising on national laws is required
• Familiarity with Albania's legal system and national regulations, as well as EU regulations especially in relation to the judiciary and public administration is required; 
• Demonstrated experience working on projects involving the legal aspects of developing, implementing, and deploying IT systems, ideally within the government sector
• Expertise in data protection and privacy laws (e.g., GDPR or local data protection regulations) and applying these principles to IT projects is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of cybersecurity legal issues, information security regulations, and best practices for protecting sensitive data and systems is an asset.

• Law

• Fluency in English and Albanian is required 

Contract type: ICA
Contract level: Local-ICA-10 (ICS-10) -  Retainer
Contract duration: Retainer basis for an estimated 160 days over a 3-year period, with the possibility of extension based on organizational needs.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses ( they take around 4 hours to complete)  in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.