Legal Officer

Official apply source: United Nations Careers job opening 276177. The public source mirror links directly to the official UN Careers application page and lists an 18 June 2026 deadline.

This Legal Officer position is located in UNEP's Law Division, Environmental Governance section, in Nairobi. UNEP's Law Division leads work in environmental law and governance, legal technical assistance, capacity building, advisory services and the Montevideo Programme on the Development and Periodic Review of Environmental Law.

Responsibilities

• Administering programmes of legal technical and capacity-building support in environmental law and governance under the Montevideo Programme and in relation to sustainability and circularity.
• Assisting with project proposals and resource mobilization to advance implementation of intergovernmental decisions and recommendations.
• Preparing or assisting with agreements and contracts with governments, NGOs and other entities.
• Handling environmental law and governance, constitutional, international, public and administrative law issues, including interpretation and application of multilateral environmental agreements.
• Preparing background papers, studies, reports, legislative texts, legal opinions and teaching materials in environmental law and international law.
• Supporting intergovernmental meetings, negotiations and conferences, including background materials and meeting reports.
• Conducting legal research and analysis and preparing studies, briefs, reports and correspondence.
• Collecting and analysing data to identify trends or patterns and supporting data-driven planning, decision-making and reporting.

Education and experience

• Advanced university degree in international environmental law, or a related field with environmental law coursework, is required.
• A first-level university degree with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.
• At least five years of progressively responsible experience in environmental law or environmental governance, including legal analysis, research, writing or negotiation in an international or multicultural setting, is required.
• At least three years of project or programme management experience related to environmental governance, environmental law, sustainable development or a related area is required.
• Experience in technical assistance and capacity building in environmental law and professional legal work relating to procedural or institutional matters of intergovernmental bodies is required.

Languages and assessment

English is required, and either Spanish or French is desirable. Evaluation may include an assessment exercise followed by a competency-based interview. The United Nations states that it does not charge a fee at any stage of recruitment.