Deputy General Counsel, Institutional Affairs

Deputy General Counsel, Institutional Affairs

World Bank Group

Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org

The Institutional Administration Practice Group (LEGIA) within LEG provides a wide range of legal advice to internal clients throughout the World Bank Group, including matters related to employment, ethics, trademark, procurement, tax, and real estate, among others. In some cases, LEGIA also provide advice to IFC, MIGA and ICSID. LEGIA is responsible for managing the Bank’s external litigation worldwide, ensuring the protection of the Bank’s privileges and immunities and disputing liability claims. LEGIA also represents the World Bank management in internal employment litigation before the World Bank’s Administrative Tribunal by preparing written pleadings and, when necessary, participating in oral proceedings that can include oral arguments of points of law, as well as evidentiary proceedings involving the examination of witnesses.

The ideal candidate will have proven litigation and arbitration experience, and be able to advise on litigation strategies. This experience can be based on direct experience as a litigator, oversight and management of complex litigation matters in an in-house capacity, or equivalent experience. The ideal candidate will also be able to provide advice to management on appropriate risk mitigation strategies to minimize potential liability.

The selected candidate will also need to demonstrate hand-on experience in some of the areas covered by LEGIA’s team of specialized lawyers. S/he will serve as a resource to other lawyers in the Legal Vice Presidency, including the Chief Counsels of the other practice groups, who may have questions or concerns that they would like to address with the selected candidate. They will look to her/him for leadership and direction in all institutional administration matters that are of concern to them. The Deputy General Counsel will be expected to represent the General Counsel in matters delegated to her or him, including special assignments or institutional activities as needed.

As a senior staff in LEG management team, the selected candidate will lead a team of lawyers to ensure that prompt, competent, and high quality legal advice is provided to all client groups with the World Bank Group. S/he will be responsible for resource management, coaching and mentoring all staff within the unit, regardless of grade or seniority.

The selected candidate will report to the Senior Vice President & Group General Counsel.

Duties & Accountabilities:

The Deputy General Counsel provides expert legal advice to officials of the Bank, and sometimes to IFC, MIGA and ICSID, across a broad spectrum of legal issues in the area of institutional administration, often involving questions of first impression. The selected candidate must be able to work independently and confidentially to analyze the most complex legal issues, and to provide prompt, credible, and reliable advice to Bank officials, including the Bank’s most senior officials, as well as to Board Officials. The selected candidate must bring demonstrated judgment and ability to balance legal as well as organizational interests so as to enable the Bank to achieve outcomes that minimize or eliminate legal risk while enabling it to engage in those activities that may be pursued within the mandate of the Bank’s Articles of Agreement.

Specifically, s/he will be expected to manage a specialized team of lawyers in LEGIA and lead LEG and/or his/her team’s engagements with clients in the following areas, in coordination with the World Bank Group General Counsel:

Privileges and Immunities

Coordinating outside litigation

Management of legal risk

Board Committees work

Administrative Tribunal matters

Legal advice to various corporate departments (e.g., Human Resources, Ethics, Pension, etc.) on a variety of matters.

Legal support to Regional and Country Offices

Team Management

Since this is a leadership position, the selected candidate will be expected to have strong experience leading, coaching and mentoring lawyers and non-lawyers in the team, modeling and fostering a sense of unit mission and team identity, towards the creation of a collegial team environment that is mutually supportive and results-oriented. S/he will need to effectively manage resources and implement processes and systems to maximize efficiency for the department and legal vice presidency

This position and work program will involve frequent interaction with the following:

The Executive Directors and the Corporate Secretariat.

Senior Management Team, Vice Presidents and Senior Directors of the Bank.

Regional leadership teams, Country Directors and Country Managers.

Outside counsel for the World Bank, regarding litigation matters, real estate transactions, and third- party disputes, and legal advice on possible institutional actions.

World Bank Group Corporate and Administrative Offices

Officials in Government and other international organizations.

Internal Conflict Resolution staff, including Ombudsman, Mediation Services, Peer Review Services, and Administrative Tribunal staff.

Selection Criteria

Preferred Education/Experience:

Qualified to practice law in a Bank member country with a minimum of 15 years overall legal experience, with a strong grasp of the litigation and liability issues, as well as knowledge of the institution’s privileges, immunities and the ramifications of agreements on Bank operations. An ability to present well by articulating legal concepts and frameworks clearly, cogently and effectively is crucial to success in this role, as is good judgment, discretion and the ability to draft succinct, cogent documents on short notice. Experience as a litigator or managing complex international litigation is strongly preferred.

Excellent presentation skills. Ability to present issues and training to various audiences, both of Bank staff and of persons outside the Bank.

Mentoring/Coaching. Ability to effectively mentor staff in all the areas of the unit’s work, to empower them to work independently and to think creatively about the problems facing the organization, and to prepare them to take on increasingly large and significant responsibilities.

Required Competencies:

Independence

Able to advise or make decisions for the sole benefit of the organization in a multi-stakeholder and consultative environment. Makes transparent decisions, recognizing and accepting responsibility for actions and for the consequences of those decisions.

Knowledge Sharing

Holds peer review sessions with colleagues from across the organization and across regions. Acts and is seen as a sounding board or advisor for problem solving and general idea generation. Provides others with relevant on-the-job training and development opportunities.

Legal Negotiation

Has the ability to create a thoughtful strategy for generating consensus both inside and outside the Bank on divisive legal issues; remains diplomatic throughout negotiations. Recognizes that there are times when negotiation calls for an approach that is both principled yet flexible. Reaches out to colleagues and others to test strategy. Is seen as trustworthy by all those involved. Is able to lead complex negotiations.

Deliver Results for Clients

Develops and implements structures, processes and systems that track the empirical results achieved by the organization, and drives performance to the highest level. Motivates the organization to make decisions that create impact for clients, and to remove organizational obstacles to delivering results. Inspires the culture and creates norms and processes to hold self and others in the organization accountable for managing risk and delivering results that are financially, environmentally, and socially sustainable

Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries

Personally leverages the strengths of the institution to bring together differences in perspectives, experiences, cultures etc. in order to create the best solutions. Establishes and follows norms of robust debate that bring the best ideas to the forefront, and approaches conflicts as opportunities and problems to be solved. Role models WBG corporate citizenship by putting common corporate goals over individual or team goals when in conflict.

Lead and Innovate

Creates the structure and process to support the development of innovative solutions that are a source of competitive advantage and long-term sustainability for WBG. Develops and executes strategies by motivating, encouraging, and developing individuals to enhance their ability to create innovative approaches to get results. Works across the organization to support those using innovative approaches to achieve results (e.g., autonomy, time, resources). Develops partnerships and relationships to enable the WBG to achieve results through innovation.

Create, Apply and Share Knowledge

Reinforces a culture and enabling environment to ensure staff share, create, and reflect/apply knowledge (e.g., encourages staff to connect with others outside of their traditional networks and explore areas to innovate). Role models a learning culture by seeking out and being open to feedback, as well as effectively mentoring others, on how to improve contribution and impact through continuous learning and knowledge acquisition. Leverages experience and thought leadership to guide WBG’s strategy, receiving significant internal and external recognition. Forges strategic internal and external partnerships that enhance WBG’s ability to deliver solutions to clients and maintain leadership position among other development organizations

Make Smart Decisions

Evaluates decisions with an understanding of how they fit into the global context and WBG’s goals.

Leads the decision-making process by making timely decisions, ongoing analysis of the impacts of that decision, taking accountability, and modifying the decision if appropriate. Provides the space and empowers others to act decisively by clearly communicating expectations and with appropriate for decision-making authority

The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality, culture and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Poverty has no borders, neither does excellence. We succeed because of our differences and we continuously search for qualified individuals with diverse backgrounds from around the globe.