Principal Legal Officer, Litigation and Internal Matters 475 views2 applications


The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region

Principal Legal Officer, Litigation and Internal Matters

Institution: ECOWAS Commission
Grade: P5
Status: Permanent
Department: Office of the President
Directorate: Legal Affairs
Division: Litigation and Internal Matters
Line Supervisor: Director, Legal Affairs

Role Overview

  • Under the supervision of the Director, Legal Affairs, the Principal Legal Adviser, Internal Matters and Litigation will undertake legal advisory and dispute resolution roles and responsibilities and provide day-to-day legal support to the administrative functions of the ECOWAS Commission, its Agencies and Representative Offices.

Supervising:

  • Legal Officers, Litigation
  • Legal Officers, Internal Matters

Role and Responsibilities

  • Prepare legal opinions and advise on next steps in respect of internal and external claims.
  • Carrie out thorough investigations with a view to gathering facts, other information and documents required for prosecution or defense of matters involving the Commission, its agencies and special representative offices.
  • Prepare and Reviews Court and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) processes.
  • Represent the Commission, its agencies and special representative offices in prosecution or defense of cases in court/ADR.
  • Liaise with external counsel to ensure adequate representation of the Commission, its agencies and special representative offices in all dispute resolution proceedings.
  • Assist the Director, Legal Affairs in the implementation of mechanisms for updating Management of progress in respect of litigation and ADR.
  • Assist the Director, Legal Affairs in initiating and representing the Commission, its agencies and special representative offices in out-of-court settlement negotiations as required.
  • Ensure the implementation of court decisions and the awards/outcomes of arbitration/ADR proceedings.
  • Review, drafts and renews Service contract agreements arising from the procurement process;
  • Provide contract management of Service Contracts in consultation with the procurement unit and the user department.
  • Provide legal advice and support to the Human Resources directorate in respect of compliance with the ECOWAS Staff Regulations.
  • Advise the service directorates on legal aspects of administrative and internal control policy and procedure.
  • Represent the Director, Legal Affairs in committees where he is a statutory member or participant e.g. Recruitment Committee, Procurement Committee and staff disciplinary committee.
  • Represent the Director, Legal Affairs performing his duties in ad-hoc committees.
  • Prepare programs relating to legal and judicial policy harmonization of the community as conceived by the Director, Legal Affairs and assists in the monitoring of their implementation.
  • Prepare the draft budget of the Legal Affairs directorate and assists the Director, Legal Affairs in presenting same to Management.
  • Perform any other task assigned by his/her supervisor.

Academic Qualifications and Experience

  • Master’s degree (or equivalent ) in Law with a specialization in international , administrative or commercial or in a closely related field from a recognized university of recognized standing;
  • 10 years progressive experience in practice of Law, including Legal Analysis, research and writing with experience as a lawyer in the Legal Office of an intergovernmental organization or government with a minimum of 5years in a supervisory role;
  • Knowledge of international Law and ability to apply legal expertise in analyzing a diverse range of complex and unusual legal issues and problems and in developing innovative and creative solutions;
  • Excellent knowledge of Legal issues relating to the functions, structure and activities of international organization;
  • Knowledge and skill of comprehensive legal research on a range of issues including those of a unique and /or complex nature with a proficiency in Legal writing and ability to prepare legal briefs, opinion, or legal submissions and a variety of legal instruments and related documents.

Ecowas Key Competencies:

  • Ability to lead in assigned programmes and projects by providing the necessary managerial and operational expertise required for the fulfilment of the organization’s mandate
  • Ability to lead by example and organize teamwork to encourage cooperation to achieve targeted results, champion and build momentum for change and to bring about employee engagement; develops and implements internal controls for pilot program to manage potential barriers to implementation;
  • Excellent self-management skills, demonstrating ethics and integrity and displaying due regards for internal controls of rules, delegations and transparency;
  • Ability to bring together complementary skills/expertise, assess individual contributions and recognize/address accomplishments and shortcomings in a manner that brings continued success to the organization;
  • Knowledge of program management at the level usually acquired from a certification in program management.
  • Ability to research benchmarks and trends to bring about the best recommendations for the development and improvement of programs/projects that will best serve the community/organization;
  • Well-developed networking and interpersonal skills to seek feedback, information and data from a network of professionals from multiple countries/sectors/organizations and to identify and prioritize the most critical community requirements;
  • Ability to manage and co-ordinate client management initiatives   and make recommendations;
  • Ability to develop and implement best practices in client services ;
  • Ability to develop and implement stakeholder management plans, programs and initiatives to obtain buy-in on new initiatives, to better understand dissenting views, to obtain resources and to increase perceptions of success.
  • Diplomacy, tact and respect of other people from varied backgrounds, understanding diverse cultural views especially within west Africa with the ability to convert diversity into opportunities to improve program/operational outcomes;
  • Ability to create a diverse and inclusive interactive environment that benefits from diverse strengths bringing together innovative practices;
  • Ability to remain objective in appraisals, evaluations and in managing conflict regardless of cultural differences positions or opinions, and encourages staff to overcome cultural barriers and background differences;
  • Ability to serve the interest of a culturally diverse multinational teams/organizations/communities some disabled group without prejudice, bias or sympathy to a select group.
  • Solid understanding of the ECOWAS organizational structure, associated dynamics and expectations as required to collaborate, participate, contribute and lead effectively;
  • Knowledge of the Community mandate, strategic plan/priorities as well as the economic, political and social state/trends of member states, especially as pertains to own scope of work;
  • Knowledge of ECOWAS best practices, program management approaches and research techniques to lead and/or contribute to the development or assessment of programs, projects or initiatives;
  • Knowledge of the rules and procedures of ECOWAS in order to appropriately interpret and apply directive text, provide technical advice, coach others and assess performance.
  • Ability to analyze a situation by way of indicators (e.g. performance, technical) to assess the costs, benefits, risks, and chances for success, in making a decisions;
  • Ability to pull together information from different sources to identify the source of problems, consequences of alternative courses of action, potential obstacles and ways to avoid the problem in the future;
  • Ability to break down very complex situations/information into simple terms (using charts, diagrams, effective expository writing) to explain recommendations and conclusions aimed at solving problems or improving operations/programs/projects;
  • Ability to develop new insights into situations, apply innovative solutions to problems and to design new methods of addressing issues/disconnects where established methods and procedures are inapplicable, unavailable or no longer effective.
  • Fluency in one of the three official languages of ECOWAS (English, French, Portuguese) knowledge of an additional language will be an advantage;
  • Ability to communicate with impact, clearly and concisely in a succinct and organized manner conveying credibility & confidence when making presentations, setting expectations and explaining complex issues;
  • Ability to listen intently and correctly interpret messages from others and respond appropriately;
  • Accomplished technical writing skills (e.g. proposals, terms of reference, program assessments, blueprints, business processes) with well-developed editing;
  • Ability to give honest feedback, provide recognition, address shortcomings and motivate direct reports to work at peak performance.
  • Superior organizational and project/program management skills with significant experience identifying timelines, targets, costs and resources necessary to deliver on operational/program/project outputs;
  • Ability to set effective goals and targets for self, others, and the work unit and adjusting work or project priorities in response to changing circumstances;
  • Ability to identify gaps affecting the achievement of program/project expectations and to design and implement intervention plans required to build the desired task;
  • Ability to implement rigorous monitoring, and evaluation practices and to set in place regular reporting schedules relevant to key outputs;
  • Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals

Annual Salary
UA 66,123.98 – USD 104,330.42.

Method of Application

More Information

  • Job City Abuja
  • This job has expired!
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Before the creation of ECOWAS, the collective territory known as West Africa, from a regional point of view, was made up of an aggregation of states that had emerged from different colonial experiences and administrations which largely defined the boundaries of the 15 states domiciled in the area.

 Even though member states of the community, today make use of three different imported official languages (English, French and Portuguese), there are well over a thousand existing local languages including cross-border native tongues such as Ewe, Fulfulde, Hausa, Mandingo, Wolof, Yoruba, Ibo, Ga, etc. that constitute its over 300 million people tucked in a vast land of about 5.1 million square kilometres.

 Prior to colonialism, the area played host to many proud empires and kingdoms that spanned centuries some of which included Ghana, Mali Songhai, Wolof, Oyo, Benin and Kanem Bornu.

 The region’s cultural, linguistic and ecological diversity presents both opportunities and challenges for the integration process. The longing to combine forces politically and economically has always been recognised as a step forward in the desire to engender co-prosperity in the area.

 In this regard, the first effort at integration dates back to 1945 with the creation of CFA franc that brought the francophone countries of the region into a single currency union. Then in 1964, Liberian president William Tubman proposed an economic union for West Africa leading to an agreement which was signed in 1965 by the four states of Cote d’Ivore, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

 However, nothing concrete emanated from these until 1972 when Nigerian head of state Gen Yakubu Gowon and his Togolese counterpart Gnassingbe Eyadema toured the region in support of the integration Idea. Thanks to the drafts that emanated from their efforts as they formed the basis for the emergence of the treaty of Lagos in 1975 which birthed ECOWAS. The treaty of Lagos was initially limited to economic policies but emerging political events led to its revision and therewith the expansion of scope and powers in 1993.

 ECOWAS is meant to foster interstate economic and political cooperation. History is on its side in this regard. Dating back to pre-colonial times, West Africans have been among the world’s most mobile populations although much of the migration had been intra-regional. About 7.5 million West African migrants (3 percent of the regional population) are living in ECOWAS countries other than their own. The 1.2 million other migrants are dispersed mainly in North America and Europe. Estimated at about 149 million in 2013, women constitute over 50 percent of the region’s population. The cross-border migration of women as traders and business persons places them as potential champions for promoting integration, even though this is a reality that is yet to be fully exploited.

 Over the last few years, West Africa’s population witnessed strong growth, increasing from 70 million to nearly 300 million inhabitants between 1950 and 2010. By the end of 2014, it represents nearly 40% of the population of sub-Saharan Africa. According to the projections of the United Nations, the population of West Africa should reach between 550 and 600 million by 2050. It is the youngest region of the world. Also, with about 5 percent of the world’s population, with an area covering over 40 percent of sub-Saharan Africa, West Africa is the most densely populated on the continent.

 The diverse socio-cultural dimension of development should be a necessary building block for establishing peace and security in the region. Drawing strength from its past, leaders of the community have been making sacrifices to keep the shape of the political structure of the region. In 1976, Cape Verde, one of the two Lusophone countries in the region joined ECOWAS, and in December 2000 Mauritania withdrew its membership, having a

At all times, ECOWAS chief executive officers presiding either as Executive Secretaries or Presidents, deferred to the supreme organ of the community-the Authority of the Heads of State of Government for guidance. This body is usually headed by a Chairman. There have been 28 such Chairmen between 1978 to 2015.

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0 USD Abuja CF 3201 Abc road Fixed Term , 40 hours per week Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region

Principal Legal Officer, Litigation and Internal Matters

Institution: ECOWAS Commission Grade: P5 Status: Permanent Department: Office of the President Directorate: Legal Affairs Division: Litigation and Internal Matters Line Supervisor: Director, Legal AffairsRole Overview

  • Under the supervision of the Director, Legal Affairs, the Principal Legal Adviser, Internal Matters and Litigation will undertake legal advisory and dispute resolution roles and responsibilities and provide day-to-day legal support to the administrative functions of the ECOWAS Commission, its Agencies and Representative Offices.

Supervising:

  • Legal Officers, Litigation
  • Legal Officers, Internal Matters

Role and Responsibilities

  • Prepare legal opinions and advise on next steps in respect of internal and external claims.
  • Carrie out thorough investigations with a view to gathering facts, other information and documents required for prosecution or defense of matters involving the Commission, its agencies and special representative offices.
  • Prepare and Reviews Court and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) processes.
  • Represent the Commission, its agencies and special representative offices in prosecution or defense of cases in court/ADR.
  • Liaise with external counsel to ensure adequate representation of the Commission, its agencies and special representative offices in all dispute resolution proceedings.
  • Assist the Director, Legal Affairs in the implementation of mechanisms for updating Management of progress in respect of litigation and ADR.
  • Assist the Director, Legal Affairs in initiating and representing the Commission, its agencies and special representative offices in out-of-court settlement negotiations as required.
  • Ensure the implementation of court decisions and the awards/outcomes of arbitration/ADR proceedings.
  • Review, drafts and renews Service contract agreements arising from the procurement process;
  • Provide contract management of Service Contracts in consultation with the procurement unit and the user department.
  • Provide legal advice and support to the Human Resources directorate in respect of compliance with the ECOWAS Staff Regulations.
  • Advise the service directorates on legal aspects of administrative and internal control policy and procedure.
  • Represent the Director, Legal Affairs in committees where he is a statutory member or participant e.g. Recruitment Committee, Procurement Committee and staff disciplinary committee.
  • Represent the Director, Legal Affairs performing his duties in ad-hoc committees.
  • Prepare programs relating to legal and judicial policy harmonization of the community as conceived by the Director, Legal Affairs and assists in the monitoring of their implementation.
  • Prepare the draft budget of the Legal Affairs directorate and assists the Director, Legal Affairs in presenting same to Management.
  • Perform any other task assigned by his/her supervisor.

Academic Qualifications and Experience

  • Master's degree (or equivalent ) in Law with a specialization in international , administrative or commercial or in a closely related field from a recognized university of recognized standing;
  • 10 years progressive experience in practice of Law, including Legal Analysis, research and writing with experience as a lawyer in the Legal Office of an intergovernmental organization or government with a minimum of 5years in a supervisory role;
  • Knowledge of international Law and ability to apply legal expertise in analyzing a diverse range of complex and unusual legal issues and problems and in developing innovative and creative solutions;
  • Excellent knowledge of Legal issues relating to the functions, structure and activities of international organization;
  • Knowledge and skill of comprehensive legal research on a range of issues including those of a unique and /or complex nature with a proficiency in Legal writing and ability to prepare legal briefs, opinion, or legal submissions and a variety of legal instruments and related documents.

Ecowas Key Competencies:

  • Ability to lead in assigned programmes and projects by providing the necessary managerial and operational expertise required for the fulfilment of the organization’s mandate
  • Ability to lead by example and organize teamwork to encourage cooperation to achieve targeted results, champion and build momentum for change and to bring about employee engagement; develops and implements internal controls for pilot program to manage potential barriers to implementation;
  • Excellent self-management skills, demonstrating ethics and integrity and displaying due regards for internal controls of rules, delegations and transparency;
  • Ability to bring together complementary skills/expertise, assess individual contributions and recognize/address accomplishments and shortcomings in a manner that brings continued success to the organization;
  • Knowledge of program management at the level usually acquired from a certification in program management.
  • Ability to research benchmarks and trends to bring about the best recommendations for the development and improvement of programs/projects that will best serve the community/organization;
  • Well-developed networking and interpersonal skills to seek feedback, information and data from a network of professionals from multiple countries/sectors/organizations and to identify and prioritize the most critical community requirements;
  • Ability to manage and co-ordinate client management initiatives   and make recommendations;
  • Ability to develop and implement best practices in client services ;
  • Ability to develop and implement stakeholder management plans, programs and initiatives to obtain buy-in on new initiatives, to better understand dissenting views, to obtain resources and to increase perceptions of success.
  • Diplomacy, tact and respect of other people from varied backgrounds, understanding diverse cultural views especially within west Africa with the ability to convert diversity into opportunities to improve program/operational outcomes;
  • Ability to create a diverse and inclusive interactive environment that benefits from diverse strengths bringing together innovative practices;
  • Ability to remain objective in appraisals, evaluations and in managing conflict regardless of cultural differences positions or opinions, and encourages staff to overcome cultural barriers and background differences;
  • Ability to serve the interest of a culturally diverse multinational teams/organizations/communities some disabled group without prejudice, bias or sympathy to a select group.
  • Solid understanding of the ECOWAS organizational structure, associated dynamics and expectations as required to collaborate, participate, contribute and lead effectively;
  • Knowledge of the Community mandate, strategic plan/priorities as well as the economic, political and social state/trends of member states, especially as pertains to own scope of work;
  • Knowledge of ECOWAS best practices, program management approaches and research techniques to lead and/or contribute to the development or assessment of programs, projects or initiatives;
  • Knowledge of the rules and procedures of ECOWAS in order to appropriately interpret and apply directive text, provide technical advice, coach others and assess performance.
  • Ability to analyze a situation by way of indicators (e.g. performance, technical) to assess the costs, benefits, risks, and chances for success, in making a decisions;
  • Ability to pull together information from different sources to identify the source of problems, consequences of alternative courses of action, potential obstacles and ways to avoid the problem in the future;
  • Ability to break down very complex situations/information into simple terms (using charts, diagrams, effective expository writing) to explain recommendations and conclusions aimed at solving problems or improving operations/programs/projects;
  • Ability to develop new insights into situations, apply innovative solutions to problems and to design new methods of addressing issues/disconnects where established methods and procedures are inapplicable, unavailable or no longer effective.
  • Fluency in one of the three official languages of ECOWAS (English, French, Portuguese) knowledge of an additional language will be an advantage;
  • Ability to communicate with impact, clearly and concisely in a succinct and organized manner conveying credibility & confidence when making presentations, setting expectations and explaining complex issues;
  • Ability to listen intently and correctly interpret messages from others and respond appropriately;
  • Accomplished technical writing skills (e.g. proposals, terms of reference, program assessments, blueprints, business processes) with well-developed editing;
  • Ability to give honest feedback, provide recognition, address shortcomings and motivate direct reports to work at peak performance.
  • Superior organizational and project/program management skills with significant experience identifying timelines, targets, costs and resources necessary to deliver on operational/program/project outputs;
  • Ability to set effective goals and targets for self, others, and the work unit and adjusting work or project priorities in response to changing circumstances;
  • Ability to identify gaps affecting the achievement of program/project expectations and to design and implement intervention plans required to build the desired task;
  • Ability to implement rigorous monitoring, and evaluation practices and to set in place regular reporting schedules relevant to key outputs;
  • Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals

Annual Salary UA 66,123.98 - USD 104,330.42.

Method of Application

2019-05-26

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