Research Officer at Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Job Code: ECW/CCJ/RO/010
Grade: P2 / P3

Job Description

• Under the supervision of the Head of Division Legal Services and Research the incumbent shall, in accordance with the existing Regulations and professional standards, undertake legal research, analyse and write legal opinions and reports on various issues pertaining to the judicial work of the Court and its day - to - day functioning, while aiding the Head of division and other services of the Court, as required.

Responsibilities

• Study and provide opinions on the rules, practice, and jurisprudence of the Court.
• Undertake legal research and conduct analysis on pending cases before the Court.
• Draft briefs on pending cases for the attention of the relevant judges.
• Conduct research and prepare relevant information and evidence before the court hearing.
• Conduct research on areas relevant to the key priority areas of the court and provide papers on them.
• Draft legal briefs and opinions on various legal issues of interest to the Community.
• Prepare draft contracts and partnership agreements involving the Court.
• Produce academic papers and presentations on the work of the Court.
• Perform any other assigned tasks as might be assigned by the supervisor.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent) in Law, with a specialization in international, administrative or commercial law from a recognized university.
• 3 years progressively responsible experience as a lawyer in the legal office of an intergovernmental organization or government.
• Knowledge of theories, concepts, and approaches relevant to drug law enforcement/criminology /criminal justice.
• Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts, and approaches relevant to organized crime, illicit trafficking, drug demand reduction, etc.
• Knowledge of relevant regulations and rules of ECOWAS, as well as of applicable jurisprudence; legal and administrative expertise to analyze a diverse range of issues and problems, including in the context of the disciplinary process, and to develop innovative and creative solutions and to litigate employment-related matters.

Leadership:

• Ability to execute tasks, contact colleagues, and contribute as needed towards decision-making to ensure tasks are completed in a timely manner.
• The ability to respect the chain of command in an appropriate manner.
• Ability to guide your own work by setting and monitoring goals with strong personal initiative and commitment to ECOWAS.
• Ability to model and advocate for compliance, good work ethics, flexibility, and persistence to get the job done, coupled with an ability to influence positive teamwork and cooperation.
• Ability to work in teams to carry out semi-routine work, including assigning work, training, and checking work.

Client Service Orientation:

• Excellent interpersonal skills to engage with clients in positive exchanges that establish mutual expectations, understanding and reduce uncertainties and conflicts.
• Ability to keep clients informed on matters of relevance to expectations, establishing “bring forward” systems and introducing other procedures/techniques to ensure that service standards are maintained.
• Ability to make decisions based on guidelines, procedures, and precedents and maintain confidentiality and discretion with clients.
• Good judgment and demonstrated ability to be assertive – rather than passive or aggressive when interacting with clients.
• Well-developed problem-solving, critical thinking, and conflict resolution skills.

MulticulturaL Sensirivity and Advocacy:

• Ability to perceive the moods and feelings of others and to understand the attitude, interests, needs, and perspectives of others.
• Well-developed ability to relate well with people from varied backgrounds, open to understanding diverse cultural differences, especially within West Africa.
• Ability to listen attentively to people’s ideas, requests, and concerns and to explain to others the need for diversity management in everyday workplace practices.
• Ability and responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
• Ability to factor in diversity when providing services, responding to requests, recognizing andreleasing preconceived notions and stereotypical views of certain groups and individuals.

Knowledge of Ecowas:

• Basic understanding of the ECOWAS organization mandate and its functions.
• The ability to explain the functional area assigned to it and the contributions it makes to the organization and its mandate.
• Knowledge of ECOWAS semi-routine procedures, processes, and practices as it relates to assigned responsibilities and information systems.
• Ability to apply ECOWAS standards in emailing, reporting, correspondence, etc. and to contribute to implementing associated changes as directed.

Analytical and Critical Thinking:

• Ability to carefully review and check the accuracy of information in work reports provided by management, management information systems, or other individuals.
• Good knowledge of office monitoring indicators of relevance to own work and ability to provide brief reports or updates.
• Ability to edit, check, track, and review documents prepared by others and reorganize data or information according to instructions using the latest technology.
• Efficiently retrieves, inputs, edits, formats, transmits and links electronic file data used for analysis and understands data management operations;
•  Ability to condense information and/or produce concise summary notes to help others with decision-making, problem-solving, and/or assessment of work.

Communication:

• Demonstrated computer skills to communicate using tools, to write and format documents appropriately for presentation, the web, proposals, reports, and other documents.
• Ability to proofread, edit, and revise documents to ensure they follow standard conventions for punctuation and mechanics and are formatted in accordance with ECOWAS communication standards;
• Ability to relay/redirect complete and accurate messages to appropriate persons/departments.
• Proficiency in information communication technologies (ICT).
• Fluency in oral and written expressions in one of the ECOWAS official languages of the Community (English, French & Portuguese). Knowledge of an additional one will be an added advantage.

Planning and Implementation:

• Ability to organize information and materials for others, solve minor problems, and check for completeness and compliance to standards and instructions.
• Knowledge of techniques to prioritize tasks in a fast-paced workplace with frequent interruptions and moving deadlines and adaptability/ flexibility to meet work expectations.
• Understanding and adherence to the policies, procedures, and guidelines required to support the ECOWAS planning cycle at the individual and organizational level.
• Good initiative with an ability to identify what needs to be done and act in a proactive manner.

Eligibility:

• Must be a citizen of an ECOWAS Member State.
• Must not be more than 50 years of age at the time of recruitment. This does not apply to internal candidates.

Salary
USD 31,191.47 / 45,109.22 Annually.