Local Law Advisor - Retainer (Project Management Support Specialist)

Job categories Legal

Vacancy code VA/2025/B5131/29962

Department/office ECR, AUMCO, Albania

Duty station Home based

Contract type Local ICA Specialist

Contract level LICA Specialist-10

Duration Up to 155 working days within 1 years, with possibility of extension subject to performance and availability of funds.

Application period 07-Apr-2025 to 22-Apr-2025

Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement.

Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.

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Background Information - Job-specific

UNOPS in Albania

UNOPS Office Albania is part of the UNOPS European and Central Asia Regional Office in Geneva and is under the oversight of the UNOPS Austria Multi-Country Office (AUMCO) in Vienna. UNOPS Albania was established in 2020 to develop and implement UNOPS’ growing portfolio of projects in the country, it has been supporting the Government of Albania to Build Back Better in facing the challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic and the earthquake prior to it. Currently it also implements a project in the area of digitalisation of the justice system. The office has around 25 personnel. You can read more about the work of UNOPS Albania on our website www.unops.org/albania and on social media. We are looking for a Project Manager for a new project related to property rights and state cadastre who wants to join our dynamic team.

Austria Multi-Country Office (AUMCO)

The Austria Multi-Country Office (AUMCO) is part of the UNOPS Europe and Central Asia Region (ECR). AUMCO works through its country offices like UNOPS Albania with regional governments, international financial institutions, bilateral donors and other partners to assist in the realization of their development objectives – making progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and furthering the objectives set forth in the Paris Agreement. Through its country offices, it has administered a diverse portfolio of projects and global programmes. This includes providing support to partners through sustainable infrastructure development, procurement and project management services, partner personnel and transactional services, grant management, and the provision of technical and advisory services.

Project Information

Albania's land administration system is undergoing a critical transformation to enhance land governance, transparency, and economic development. The modernization of cadastral records, first-time property registration, and the implementation of an EU-compatible Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) are essential to improving property rights, ensuring legal certainty, and aligning with EU accession requirements. Despite progress in digitalizing ownership records and making land services accessible online, Albania continues to face challenges in data accuracy, incomplete property registration, and legal inconsistencies.

The project will be implemented by UNOPS over a duration of three and a half years, ensuring a structured and efficient approach to capacity building, system development, and service enhancement. UNOPS will collaborate closely with national authorities and stakeholders to facilitate sustainable improvements in land administration.

Key activities under this project include:

Capacity building for the State Cadastre Agency SCA and relevant institutions to ensure effective system integration and service delivery.
Digitization of cadastral maps to improve data accessibility and reduce discrepancies.
First-time property registration in priority cadastral zones to strengthen land tenure security.
Enhancing cadastral data quality through systematic data correction and verification.
Developing an LPIS framework aligned with EU standards to improve land use monitoring and subsidy allocation.

The principal beneficiaries of the project are the State Cadastre Agency and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. By improving land governance, legal certainty, and service efficiency, this project will foster a transparent and accountable land administration system, increase investment opportunities, and enhance Albania’s readiness for EU accession. Ultimately, it will contribute to economic growth, sustainable land management, and improved public trust in property rights.

UNOPS is now seeking experts who can support the project with advisory in these key activities. The experts will be hired as retainers and be called on as needed.

Functional Responsibilities

Under the supervision and guidance of the Senior Project Manager, the Local Law ...

Under the supervision and guidance of the Senior Project Manager, the Local Law Advisor is responsible for providing support to the project team for the implementation of the activities, as follows:

Legal Analysis: Assess existing national laws, regulations, and policies relevant for the implementation of project activities and provide the overview of the legislative base related to the identified processes and data flows;; identify potential legal gaps, risks and compliance issues, and if necessary propose the judicial amendments.
Stakeholder Engagement and Legal Updates: Regularly consult with stakeholders, including government agencies, judicial institutions, and EU representatives, to stay informed about developments on property rights, state cadastre and land parcel management. Monitor changes in national laws, regulations, and best practices, adapting strategies to address emerging legal risks and ensure alignment with current standards.
Alignment with EU Regulations, Standards and Integration: Analyze and consider relevant EU regulations, standards, practices, and requirements related to property rights, land parcel management and administration. Ensure that project activities and outputs align with EU acquisand support Albania's broader objectives of harmonization with EU frameworks.
Technical and Quality Support: Contribute to the design and development of proposed solutions by offering relevant legal analysis and advisory support, ensuring compliance with national and EU regulations. This includes evaluating legal gap analysis, including addressing data protection and privacy concerns.
Risk Assessment and Mitigation: Support the project manager in conducting preliminary risk assessments to identify factors that could impact project viability from 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.

The advice provided by the Local Law Advisor will be limited to providing necessary local law advice in the context of project implementation and the matters listed above. Any issue that relates to other legal matters shall be referred to UNOPS Legal Group.

Matters falling under the purview of UNOPS Legal Group include, but are not limited, to the following:

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.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) preferably in...

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: ICA Retainer Contract level: Local ICA Support 10 (ICS-10) ...

Competencies

Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and ex...

Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organization. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organization.

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.

Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.

Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Additional Information

Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. Applic...

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.

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TOGETHER, WE BUILD THE FUTURE

UNOPS – an operational arm of the United Nations – supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by successfully implementing its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world.

Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development.

We are proud of our people. The UNOPS family brings together approximately 160 nationalities, represented by over 5,000 UNOPS personnel as well as some 7,800 personnel recruited on behalf on our partners. Spread across 80 countries, our workforce is rich in diversity and culture – with inclusion at its core.

We understand the importance of balancing professional and personal demands and offer several flexible working options.

Explore what we offer here.