Legal Officer, P3

LEGAL OFFICER, P3 UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME (UNEP), LAW DIVISION Sokify is pleased to present this exciting opportunity with the United Nations Environment Programme, the world's foremost authority on environmental matters and advocate for global environmental protection. The Law Division stands at the heart of UNEP's mission, driving environmental law and governance initiatives globally. This division delivers critical technical assistance, capacity building, and advisory services while championing thought leadership on complex environmental governance challenges, including those tied to Multilateral Environmental Agreements. As secretariat to the Fifth Montevideo Programme—a landmark ten-year intergovernmental initiative adopted in 2019—the division advances environmental rule of law and strengthens national capacities worldwide. In collaboration with the Industry and Economy Division, it also administers programmes supporting legal technical assistance and capacity building in sustainability and circular economy practices, with particular focus on textile value chains. THE ROLE As Legal Officer at the P3 level, you will drive multiple workstreams across technical assistance, advisory services, and research. Your technical responsibilities include administering and implementing environmental law and governance programmes under the Montevideo Programme framework, managing sustainability and circularity initiatives, and drafting agreements and contracts with governments, NGOs, and public and private entities. Your advisory function encompasses addressing complex issues spanning constitutional, international, public and administrative law, interpreting and applying Multilateral Environmental Agreements at national levels, identifying synergies across multiple agreements, and tackling emerging topics like circular economy across value chains. You will author background papers, legislative texts, legal commentaries, and opinions on international public law matters, while organising seminars and symposia and servicing high-level intergovernmental meetings and negotiations. Your research contribution involves conducting extensive comparative legal studies, analysing environmental governance trends, reviewing legal documents, synthesising data through visualisations, and mentoring junior staff members. QUALIFICATIONS You hold a Master's degree or equivalent in international environmental law or a closely related field emphasising environmental law, or alternatively, a first-level university degree paired with substantial qualifying professional experience. Your professional background spans a minimum of five years in progressively responsible roles involving environmental law or governance, with demonstrated expertise in legal analysis, research, writing, and negotiation within international or multicultural contexts. You bring at least three years of project or programme management experience in environmental governance, environmental law, or sustainable development, coupled with proven experience delivering technical assistance and capacity building in environmental law. Your professional portfolio includes work on procedural or institutional matters of intergovernmental bodies. Additional assets include familiarity with sustainability and circular economy issues across value chains, minimum two years of service within the UN common system, an international organisation or intergovernmental organisation, and two or more years of experience in data analytics. You are fluent in English at UN Level II proficiency; Spanish or French at UN Level I is valued. Sokify particularly welcomes applications from female candidates for this position.