Principal Officer, Legal Services & Research, April 2024

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.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Principal Officer, Legal Services & Research

Location: Abuja
Institution: ECOWAS Community Court of Justice
Grade: P5
Status: Permanent
Department: Research
Directorate: Research and Documentation
Division: Legal Services & Research
Line Supervisor: Director, Research And Documentation

Role Overview

Under the supervision of the Director, Research and Documentation, the incumbent shall undertake legal research and analysis, write legal opinions and report on various issues pertaining to the judicial work of the Court and its day-to-day functioning, while providing legal support to the Staff and other services of the Court, as required.

Supervising:

Senior Research Officers
Research Officers

Roles and Responsibilities
Managerial Duties:

Lead the Research team in conducting legal research and analysis on assigned cases, monitor staff performance and ensure quality of work and output delivery within prescribed deadlines;
Identify and apply motivational incentives and innovative research methodologies, while providing guidance and leadership throughout the research process, from conceptualization, through data collection and analysis to the writing of sound legal opinions, comprehensive contract and partnership agreements, and rigorous academic paper presentations;
Design and Initiate projects and programs on research tools development, including thematic reports, legal texts collection, index of jurisprudence, practice guides and literature review within the ambit of the Court’s mandate and jurisdiction;
Contribute to the development and implementation of legal research strategies, policies, guidelines and procedures, in accordance with statutory requirements, international standards and professional best practices;
Provide regular performance feedback to the Director and share relevant information with the Research team, as appropriate;
Preparing budget submissions, developing annual procurement and work plans, securing necessary approvals, monitoring implementation and ensuring regular performance reporting.

Technical Duties:

Study and advise on the rules, practice and jurisprudence of the Court;
Undertake and supervise legal research and analysis on pending cases before the Court;
Draft legal briefs and opinions on various legal issues of Community interest;
Produce thematic reports and a subject-matter Index of the jurisprudence of the Court;
Prepare and review draft contracts and partnership agreements involving the Court;
Provide legal advice and support in respect of staff career management in accordance with the ECOWAS Staff Regulations;
Produce academic papers and presentations on the practice and jurisprudence of the Court;
Provide legal support and advice to the Staff and other services of the Court, as required;
Prepare the draft annual budget and work program of the Research and Legal Service;
Assist the Director in the management and coordination of the Research and Legal Service;
Assist and Represent the Director, as required, in meetings and work sessions of both statutory and ad hoc committees;
Report to the Director on all official activities and tasks performed;
Perform any other task as may be assigned.

Academic Qualifications and Experience

Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Law, with a specialization in Human Rights and Humanitarian Laws, International Law, Administrative or economic law from a recognized University;
10 years of progressively responsible experience in administrative law or related areas including 2 years relevant international work and 5 years at a supervisory level;
Knowledge of ECOWAS regulations and rules, policies, procedures and operations;
Demonstrated professional competence and mastery of administrative law and judicial procedures and ability to review and edit the work of others and manage the functioning of an office and its staff members;
Strong analytical skills and ability to conduct comprehensive legal research on a range of issues including those of a unique or complex nature;
Professional experience in legal representation and practice, including legal research, analysis and writing of court processes within the judicial system, in a law firm or a legal office of an intergovernmental organization, a state agency or a human rights NGO;
Excellent knowledge of international law and ability to apply legal expertise in analyzing complex legal issues and developing innovative legal solutions;
Knowledge of the practice and procedure of international Courts and Tribunals;
Knowledge of Legal issues arising out of regional integration processes and international and regional mechanisms on the promotion and protection of human rights;
Strong drafting skills and ability to prepare sound legal briefs, submissions and opinions;

Age Limit:

Be below 50 years old. This provision does not apply to internal candidates.

ECOWAS Key Competencies:

Ability to lead in assigned programs and projects by providing the necessary managerial and operational expertise required for the fulfillment 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;
Ability to respect chain of command in an appropriate manner;
Excellent self-management skills, demonstrating ethics and integrity, confidentiality 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.
Ability to be diplomatic, tactful 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 managing conflict regardless of cultural differences /positions, gender differences, and encourage other staff to overcome cultural and gender bias and differences;
Ability and responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work;
Ability to serve the interest of culturally diverse multinational teams/organizations/communities and persons with disability without prejudice and bias.
Understanding of the ECOWAS organizational structure, associated dynamics and expectations as required to collaborate, participate, contribute and lead effectively;
Knowledge of the ECOWAS mandate, strategic plan/priorities as well as the economic, political and social situation and trends in member states, 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 ECOWAS rules and procedures in order to appropriately interpret and apply directive text, provide technical advice, coach others and assess performance.
Ability to analyze a situation by using indicators to assess the costs, benefits, risks, and chances for success, in making decisions;
Ability to pull together information from different sources to identify the cause of problems, consequences of alternative causes of action, potential obstacles and ways to avoid the problem in the future;
Ability to break down very complex situations/information into simple terms 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 or disconnects where established methods and procedures are inapplicable or no longer effective.
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 and editing skills;
Exhibit active listening skills to encourage stronger communication amongst team members, to show care and make them feel valued and to drive employee engagement in all institutions and agencies;
Ability to give constructive feedback, provide recognition, address shortcomings and motivate direct reports to work at peak performance;
Proficiency in information communication technologies(ICT);
Fluency in oral and written expressions in one of the ECOWAS official languages of the Community (English, French & Portuguese). Knowledge of an additional one will be an added advantage.
Organizational and project/program management skills with significant experience identifying timelines, targets, costs and resources necessary to deliver on operational/program/project outputs in line with result based management approach;
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 use participatory approach in project planning and 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, control resources, and to comply with policies, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Annual Salary
UA66, 123.98, USD104, 330.42

Application Closing Date
12th December, 2020.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should download the Application Form below, fill it out correctly; attach a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a Motivation Letter and send to: [email protected] using the Job Title as the subject of the email.

Click here to download Application Form (Ms Word)

Click here for more information

More Information

Job City Abuja

Abuja

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

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.

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

We are recruiting to fill the position below:Job Title: Principal Officer, Legal Services & ResearchLocation: Abuja Institution: ECOWAS Community Court of Justice Grade: P5 Status: Permanent Department: Research Directorate: Research and Documentation Division: Legal Services & Research Line Supervisor: Director, Research And Documentation

Role Overview

Under the supervision of the Director, Research and Documentation, the incumbent shall undertake legal research and analysis, write legal opinions and report on various issues pertaining to the judicial work of the Court and its day-to-day functioning, while providing legal support to the Staff and other services of the Court, as required.

Supervising:

Senior Research Officers
Research Officers

Roles and Responsibilities Managerial Duties:

Lead the Research team in conducting legal research and analysis on assigned cases, monitor staff performance and ensure quality of work and output delivery within prescribed deadlines;
Identify and apply motivational incentives and innovative research methodologies, while providing guidance and leadership throughout the research process, from conceptualization, through data collection and analysis to the writing of sound legal opinions, comprehensive contract and partnership agreements, and rigorous academic paper presentations;
Design and Initiate projects and programs on research tools development, including thematic reports, legal texts collection, index of jurisprudence, practice guides and literature review within the ambit of the Court’s mandate and jurisdiction;
Contribute to the development and implementation of legal research strategies, policies, guidelines and procedures, in accordance with statutory requirements, international standards and professional best practices;
Provide regular performance feedback to the Director and share relevant information with the Research team, as appropriate;
Preparing budget submissions, developing annual procurement and work plans, securing necessary approvals, monitoring implementation and ensuring regular performance reporting.

Technical Duties:

Study and advise on the rules, practice and jurisprudence of the Court;
Undertake and supervise legal research and analysis on pending cases before the Court;
Draft legal briefs and opinions on various legal issues of Community interest;
Produce thematic reports and a subject-matter Index of the jurisprudence of the Court;
Prepare and review draft contracts and partnership agreements involving the Court;
Provide legal advice and support in respect of staff career management in accordance with the ECOWAS Staff Regulations;
Produce academic papers and presentations on the practice and jurisprudence of the Court;
Provide legal support and advice to the Staff and other services of the Court, as required;
Prepare the draft annual budget and work program of the Research and Legal Service;
Assist the Director in the management and coordination of the Research and Legal Service;
Assist and Represent the Director, as required, in meetings and work sessions of both statutory and ad hoc committees;
Report to the Director on all official activities and tasks performed;
Perform any other task as may be assigned.

Academic Qualifications and Experience

Master's degree (or equivalent) in Law, with a specialization in Human Rights and Humanitarian Laws, International Law, Administrative or economic law from a recognized University;
10 years of progressively responsible experience in administrative law or related areas including 2 years relevant international work and 5 years at a supervisory level;
Knowledge of ECOWAS regulations and rules, policies, procedures and operations;
Demonstrated professional competence and mastery of administrative law and judicial procedures and ability to review and edit the work of others and manage the functioning of an office and its staff members;
Strong analytical skills and ability to conduct comprehensive legal research on a range of issues including those of a unique or complex nature;
Professional experience in legal representation and practice, including legal research, analysis and writing of court processes within the judicial system, in a law firm or a legal office of an intergovernmental organization, a state agency or a human rights NGO;
Excellent knowledge of international law and ability to apply legal expertise in analyzing complex legal issues and developing innovative legal solutions;
Knowledge of the practice and procedure of international Courts and Tribunals;
Knowledge of Legal issues arising out of regional integration processes and international and regional mechanisms on the promotion and protection of human rights;
Strong drafting skills and ability to prepare sound legal briefs, submissions and opinions;

Age Limit:

Be below 50 years old. This provision does not apply to internal candidates.

ECOWAS Key Competencies:

Ability to lead in assigned programs and projects by providing the necessary managerial and operational expertise required for the fulfillment 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;
Ability to respect chain of command in an appropriate manner;
Excellent self-management skills, demonstrating ethics and integrity, confidentiality 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.
Ability to be diplomatic, tactful 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 managing conflict regardless of cultural differences /positions, gender differences, and encourage other staff to overcome cultural and gender bias and differences;
Ability and responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work;
Ability to serve the interest of culturally diverse multinational teams/organizations/communities and persons with disability without prejudice and bias.
Understanding of the ECOWAS organizational structure, associated dynamics and expectations as required to collaborate, participate, contribute and lead effectively;
Knowledge of the ECOWAS mandate, strategic plan/priorities as well as the economic, political and social situation and trends in member states, 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 ECOWAS rules and procedures in order to appropriately interpret and apply directive text, provide technical advice, coach others and assess performance.
Ability to analyze a situation by using indicators to assess the costs, benefits, risks, and chances for success, in making decisions;
Ability to pull together information from different sources to identify the cause of problems, consequences of alternative causes of action, potential obstacles and ways to avoid the problem in the future;
Ability to break down very complex situations/information into simple terms 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 or disconnects where established methods and procedures are inapplicable or no longer effective.
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 and editing skills;
Exhibit active listening skills to encourage stronger communication amongst team members, to show care and make them feel valued and to drive employee engagement in all institutions and agencies;
Ability to give constructive feedback, provide recognition, address shortcomings and motivate direct reports to work at peak performance;
Proficiency in information communication technologies(ICT);
Fluency in oral and written expressions in one of the ECOWAS official languages of the Community (English, French & Portuguese). Knowledge of an additional one will be an added advantage.
Organizational and project/program management skills with significant experience identifying timelines, targets, costs and resources necessary to deliver on operational/program/project outputs in line with result based management approach;
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 use participatory approach in project planning and 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, control resources, and to comply with policies, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Annual Salary UA66, 123.98, USD104, 330.42

Application Closing Date 12th December, 2020.

How to Apply Interested and qualified candidates should download the Application Form below, fill it out correctly; attach a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a Motivation Letter and send to: [email protected] using the Job Title as the subject of the email.Click here to download Application Form (Ms Word)Click here for more information

2021-12-13

Principal Officer, Legal Services & Research 2755 views10 applications

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