The recruitment policy of the WTO is to seek to attract and retain staff members offering the highest standards of competence, efficiency and integrity.
As an Equal Opportunities Employer, the WTO gives full regard to merit and diversity.
.
Vacancy Notice No.: EXT/F/19-55
Title: Counsellor, Senior Dispute Settlement Lawyer
Grade: 10
Contract Type: Fixed-term
Starting Salary: CHF 160,669 net per annum (approximate)
Issued On: 22 August 2019
Application Deadline: 19 September 2019
Division: Rules
Duration: Two years with the possibility of extension
Other Conditions:
In accordance with WTO Staff Regulations and Staff Rules and WTO Pension Plan Regulations.
The World Trade Organization offers an attractive compensation package including an annual net salary (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance), dependency benefits, pension plan, health insurance scheme, separation grant and 30 days annual leave. Benefits for internationally recruited staff may include travel and removal expenses on appointment and separation, installation grant, education grant, rental subsidy and home leave.
Additional information on the compensation package is provided on the WTO website:
https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/vacan_e/compensation_e.htm
.
The Secretariat of the WTO is seeking to fill two (2) positions of Counsellor, Senior Dispute Settlement Lawyer.
General Functions
.
The Rules Division is responsible for all aspects of WTO work, legal and technical, in the areas of trade remedies (anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard measures), subsidies, Trade-Related Investment Measures (TRIMS), civil aircraft, and state trading enterprises. The Division facilitates and actively assists in negotiations, consultations, and monitoring of implementation, and provides implementation assistance, counselling and expert advice to WTO Members, in each of these areas. The Rules Division also provides full support to panels for disputes in these areas, which collectively account for roughly one-half of all WTO disputes.
Reporting to the the Director of the Division, the principal responsibilities of the position of Counsellor, Senior Dispute Settlement Lawyer include serving as lead lawyer on complex disputes and supervising more junior lead lawyers and other staff in the cases assigned to those staff, and otherwise contributing substantive, legal and policy expertise to the other areas of the Division's work.
The specific duties include but are not limited to:
1.Supervise dispute settlement teams led by, and serve as formal supervisor of, more junior lawyers in the Division, providing substantive, legal, and procedural guidance, training, coaching, and feedback.
2.In the formal supervisory capacity, in coordination with the Director and the other Senior Dispute Settlement Lawyers in the Division, work with the supervisees to set their objectives, review their output (legal drafts and other), conduct their performance reviews, and support the development of their knowledge and skills, including by identifying and facilitating their participation in formal and informal training activities.
3.Deliver substantive legal advice and assistance to adjudicators and other lawyers, and serve as lead lawyer and team leader, in complex disputes.
4.Conduct and direct research on complex substantive legal, technical and procedural issues arising in the context of WTO dispute settlement proceedings. Prepare, and direct and review the preparation of, written analyses and legal opinions on these and other complex and/or novel issues.
5.Deliver written and oral advice on legal and substantive technical and policy questions, and otherwise assist in these matters chairpersons of bodies and negotiating groups, other WTO Divisions, the Director-General, and WTO Members, as appropriate, on matters within the Division's areas of responsibility, independently or as part of a team.
6.Contribute to the Division's general work in support of dispute settlement (procedural matters, panel composition, etc.), and in support of Committees and other bodies.
7.Deliver technical assistance and training on matters within the Division's areas of responsibility. Contribute to, and direct the development and updating of, training materials, internal research materials, and WTO publications.
8.Build and maintain relationships with adjudicators and WTO Members in order to serve the WTO as appropriate, while scrupulously maintaining neutrality and observing ethical obligations including the WTO's Dispute Settlement Rules of Conduct.
9.Maintain close relations with colleagues in other Divisions of the Secretariat on issues of mutual concern.
10.Represent the WTO Secretariat in various public and academic activities in Geneva and abroad that address WTO dispute settlement matters and legal issues of relevance to the WTO.
11.Undertake other tasks as may be assigned by the Director.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS Education:
.
Advanced university degree in law, including studies in international trade law. Studies in international economics are desirable.
Licensed or eligible to be licensed to practice law in at least one municipal jurisdiction.
Knowledge and skills:
.
A successful candidate must have the technical expertise and knowledge, as well as the skills and ability, to guide, empower and motivate dispute settlement teams assigned to particular disputes, including more junior lawyers and support staff, to produce excellent quality work to tight deadlines. S/he must be able to build and maintain motivation and a positive spirit in supervised teams working under intense pressure.
A successful candidate must possess and demonstrate significant leadership and organizational skills and experience (motivating the team, planning and organizing work, providing constructive and effective feedback, creatively solving problems, and working effectively in a resource-constrained environment).
A successful candidate must demonstrate an expert level of knowledge in international trade law and litigation. He/she must have an excellent knowledge of economic and legal issues relating to the WTO, including in particular in the area of trade remedies.
This includes thorough knowledge of the WTO Agreements within the Division's areas of responsibility.
A successful candidate must possess and demonstrate an in-depth, expert theoretical and practical knowledge of both the technical and policy aspects of trade remedies. Particularly important in this regard is expert knowledge of and recent experience in, the quantitative, legal, and policy aspects of dumping and subsidization analysis in the context of domestic trade remedies investigations.
S/he must also possess an expert level of legal and policy drafting skills, as well as excellent oral communication skills, including presentation and advocacy skills, in English.
S/he must possess highly developed tact and discretion, and a high level of political awareness and sensitivity.
S/he must have the proven ability to interact and work with others in a harmonious and effective way, including as team leader, in a diverse international setting .
Intellectual flexibility, creativity, and the ability to find solutions, are essential.
High ethical standards and strict adherence to established rules of conduct are required, as is the ability to ensure adherence by supervisees to such rules.
Work Experience:
.
A minimum of 12 years relevant practical experience, including extensive supervisory experience and proven success leading teams of lawyers and other staff in a legal environment. Experience as a legal practitioner in either the public or private sectors, including considerable practical experience in trade law, trade litigation and dispute settlement mechanisms. Significant recent practical experience in the conduct of or participation in domestic trade remedies proceedings also is required, with recent experience in a domestic trade remedies authority a considerable advantage.
Languages:
.
Fluent knowledge of English and an expert level of drafting skills in English is essential (at a level corresponding or equivalent to
C2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)), including a demonstrated ability to write accurately, concisely and quickly, and to review and edit efficiently and effectively the written work of other lawyers on complex legal and policy matters. A good knowledge (oral and written) of French and/or Spanish would be an asset.
Additional Information:
.
The position may be offered at a lower grade if the selected candidate does not fully meet all the required qualifications.
Only applications from nationals of WTO Members will be accepted.
The WTO may use various communication technologies such as video or teleconference for the assessment and evaluation of candidates. The recruitment process may also involve the use of various forms of testing, assessment centres, interviews and reference checks.
Candidates not selected whose performance in the selection process nevertheless shows them to be suitable for a similar position may be kept on a roster for up to 12 months, and may subsequently be called upon as and when the need arises for additional resources.
--- OFFICE(19)/69 .
APPLICANTS MAY BE REQUIRED TO SIT A WRITTEN EXAMINATION
.
APPLICANTS WILL BE CONTACTED DIRECTLY IF SELECTED FOR AN INTERVIEW.
.
Please note that all candidates must complete an online application form.
To apply, please visit the WTO's E-Recruitment website at: erecruitment.wto.org. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.
All applicants are encouraged to apply online as soon as possible after the vacancy has been posted and well before the closing date - Geneva (Switzerland) time - stated in the vacancy announcement.
PLEASE NOTE THAT APPLICATIONS RECEIVED AFTER THE CLOSING DATE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED
The WTO is a non-smoking environment
