Legal Consultant

OED/Legal, New York /Remote no travel, 4 months

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to advocacy

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF Legal maintains the institutional record of UNICEF host country agreements, basic cooperation agreements, exchanges of letters and related treaty instruments governing its privileges, immunities and operational presence worldwide. As part of this record, a 2025 Legal Office review identified (a) instruments requiring registration with the United Nations Treaty Section (UNTS), and (b) instruments for which UNICEF currently holds only a UNTS Limited Publication and should seek full version(s) for UNICEF’s records.

Article 102 of the UN Charter requires treaties and international agreements to be registered with UNTS. Registration ensures transparency, preserves the official treaty record, and enables the agreement to be invoked before UN organs, including the International Court of Justice.

The consultancy will support UNICEF in regularizing its treaty records by sourcing missing full texts, determining if entry-into-force requirements have been satisfied and initiating UNTS registration where possible.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here: ToRTMC0005217.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have...

Minimum requirements:

Education: OTHER: The consultancy requires experience in legal records management, institutional archives, international agreements, governance documentation, information management, research, or a related field involving the organization, review and retrieval of official records. Experience working with the United Nations system, international organizations, government institutions or comparable multilateral environments is desirable.
Work Experience: Minimum three years of experience in treaty practice, treaty registration, and/or legal records management.

Skills: Strong document review, research and analytical skills.

Experience maintaining trackers, databases or records-management systems.
Ability to assess documentary evidence and identify missing information.
Ability to coordinate with multiple stakeholders and institutions across different jurisdictions and time zones.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and document management tools

Language Requirements: Fluency in English required. Knowledge of French and Spanish desirable.
Desirables:

Experience with the United Nations system, international organizations, government treaty offices, archives, registries or institutional record-keeping functions.
Familiarity with international agreements, treaty practice, treaty registration or related institutional processes.
Experience working with historical legal records, official archives or treaty collections. .

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):

An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
Cover letter
A separate financial proposal (only acceptable in the format of the linked template) Financial proposal TMC0005217.xlsx

Remarks: If the TOR or financial proposal documents are not downloadable on certain recruitment platforms, please visit our official page Vacancies | UNICEF Careers.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Legal Consultant, OED/Legal, New York /Remote no travel, 4 months, # 595418