Head of the Department of Legal Matters/Principal Secretary of the Court

Org. Setting and ReportingThe International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It is composed of 15 judges, elected by the General Assembly and the Security Council. The Court has a twofold role: first, to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States; and, second, to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by duly authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies. The Court is the only principal organ of the United Nations not serviced by the Secretariat. The Court has its own administration, the Registry, which provides judicial support to the Court and acts as a permanent administrative organ. The Registry is headed by a Registrar, elected by the Court. The incumbent is appointed by the Court upon the recommendation of the Registrar (Rules of Court, Art. 25). The Head of the Department of Legal Matters/Principal Secretary of the Court reports to and works under the supervision of the Registrar. The Department consists of ten other lawyers and two assistants working under the Head's supervision. ResponsibilitiesThe Head of the Department of Legal Matters/Principal Secretary of the Court assists the Court in its judicial activity and provides other legal assistance to Members of the Court and the Registrar. The incumbent: - supervises the preparation of judicial texts, including preparatory documents for the Court’s deliberations, in English and French at all drafting stages, in liaison with the Court’s translation services; - supervises the preparation of and attending the Court’s meetings, and supervising the preparation of the minutes; - supervises the preparation of hearings, in collaboration with the Information Department; - prepares the schedule of the Court’s work; - provides secretarial assistance, as required, to committees of the Court, in particular drafting committees, with other members of the Department assigned to the case; - ensures that the staff members of the Department have the means and support required to successfully carry out, under optimal conditions, their respective tasks assisting the judicial work of the Court; - assigns tasks, as appropriate, to other members of the Department, notably the First Secretaries and Secretaries of the Court, ensuring an even workload and checking regularly that such tasks are completed satisfactorily; - supervises the work of the secretaries of the Rules Committee; - prepares case-related and all other diplomatic correspondence; - gives opinions on various judicial and legal questions and conducting legal research; - ensures and fosters effective cooperation between the Department of Legal Matters and the Registry’s other departments and divisions; - undertakes or oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Department, including preparation of budgets, reporting on budget/programme performance, evaluation of staff performance and evaluation of candidates for recruitment; manages, guides, develops, trains and mentors staff under his/her supervision and fosters teamwork and communication among staff; - performs other duties as required. CompetenciesProfessionalism: Knowledge of and extensive experience in the practical application of public international law. Excellent knowledge of the jurisprudence and procedure of the International Court of Justice. Ability to apply expertise to analyzing a diverse range of complex and unusual issues and problems and in developing innovative and creative solutions; Analytical skills and ability to conduct comprehensive research on a range of issues, including those of a unique and/or complex nature; Discretion and sound judgment in applying expertise to sensitive, complex issues, including legal and procedural questions; Knowledge of contemporary international relations and of the UN system; Ability to draft quickly, to prepare written reports that are clear, concise and meaningful and to review the work of others. Ability to communicate complex concepts orally, to defend and explain difficult issues with respect to key decisions and positions to Members of the Court, senior Registry officials and diplomats. 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. 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. Judgement/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. 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 improvement; 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. EducationAn advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in aw, with a specialization in public international law, is required. Job - Specific QualificationNot available. Work ExperienceA minimum of 15 years of relevant and progressively responsible professional work experience in the practice of public international law and international dispute resolution is required. Excellent knowledge of the procedure and jurisprudence of the International Court of Justice is required. Extensive experience in the drafting of complex legal documents is required. Experience in the management and supervision of multilingual and multicultural teams is required. Languages

English and French are the official languages of the Court. UN Level IV (Expert) in one of these languages is required. UN Level III (Advanced) in the other language is required. Knowledge of other official languages of the United Nations would be an asset. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).