Director, Public International Law

Directorate of Legal Advice and Public international Law (DLAPIL)

Description & Requirements

Your Team

The Directorate of Legal Advice and Public International Law (DLAPIL) provides legal advice to the Secretary General and the Council of Europe’s institutions and bodies on institutional and strategic issues, including the current reform process or on relations with member states and other strategic partners.

In providing legal advice to the Secretary General both at the strategic decision-making level and in the daily handling of legal issues, DLAPIL ensures that the Organisation’s activities are carried out in accordance with its founding instruments, international law, and other applicable rules, including its internal regulations. DLAPIL advises the Secretariat on any legal matters, contributes to the elaboration of the internal legal framework and decisions, reviews agreements and contracts, supports negotiations with governments and other organisations, and handles disputes and legal claims.

DLAPIL also assists the Secretary General in his functions as depositary of the Council of Europe treaties, co-ordinates the work of the Committee of Legal Advisers on Public International Law (CAHDI), assists the Advisory Panel of Experts on Candidates for Election as Judge to the European Court of Human Rights and provides legal assistance to the organs of the Council of Europe Development Bank.

Your Role

As a Director of Legal Advice and Public International Law, you will:

Legal Advice:

• ensure the integrity and quality of legal analyses produced by the team, in the interest of the Organisation, and maintain the highest standards of rigour and excellence in fulfilling the Directorate's mandate as entrusted by the Secretary General;
• ensure strategic legal monitoring of topical issues so as to continuously strengthen the team's expertise and ability to analyse and anticipate legal problems;

Leadership and Staff Management:

• lead, inspire and support a team of 15 to 20 professionals working at different levels of responsibility; clearly define roles within the Directorate;
• review performance and encourage the development of direct collaborators so as to support the relevance of the team's legal skills and knowledge;
• optimise internal communication, promote cooperation and team spirit, and foster a harmonious and stimulating work environment;

Communication and Representation:

• present complex legal issues in a concise and accurate manner, whether in formal or informal settings, to enable informed decision-making;
• ensure an excellent level of communication with internal and external stakeholders;
• represent the Secretary General at his request at internal or external events or in the context of bilateral or multilateral negotiations;
• promote the values and interest of the Council of Europe both within the Organisation and externally.
• have at least 10 years of relevant professional experience in roles of increasing responsibility, including at management level, in legal advice, preferably in matters related to public international law and the law of international organisations;
• demonstrate substantial professional experience in team management and leadership;
• have very good knowledge of one of the two official languages of the Council of Europe and good knowledge of the other.

You must also:

• be a citizen of one of the member States of the Council of Europe and fulfil the conditions for appointment to the civil service of that state;
• have discharged any obligation concerning national service (military, civil or comparable);
• not be the parent, child, stepchild or grandchild of a serving staff member of the Council of Europe;
• be under the age of 65 years.

Your application must demonstrate to what extent you have the competencies listed below. To help you doing so, feel free to consult our competency framework .

• Managerial - Vision and Strategic Insight
• Interpersonal - Service orientation
• Interpersonal - Negotiating
• Interpersonal - Communication
• Professional and technical expertise:
  • solid knowledge and practical experience of public international law and of the law of international organisations.
• Operational - Planning and work organisation
• Operational - Results orientation
• Interpersonal - Resilience
• P rofessional and technical expertise
  • proven record of substantial participation in reform processes of large public organisations or corporate restructuring in the private sector;
  • knowledge of Council of Europe institutions, legal instruments and treaties.

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