Senior Legal Adviser, Middle East & North Africa Programme

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) is an international non-governmental organization of judges and lawyers dedicated to advancing the rule of law and the legal protection of human rights around the world. Composed of 60 eminent judges and lawyers representing all legal traditions, the ICJ has been established in 1952 and has offices in Geneva, Brussels, Bangkok, Kathmandu, Tunis, Johannesburg, Harare and Guatemala City. We are recruiting a Senior Legal Adviser to join the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Programme. The position would preferably be based at the ICJ’s office in Tunis; though other locations, in the MENA region or in Europe, may also be possible. This is a permanent full-time position, subject to funding, ideally starting in March 2021. The ideal candidate will be an international human rights lawyer with established reputation and expertise in international human rights law, with a solid grounding in public international law and international humanitarian law. The candidate must have a commitment to the core ideals of the organization, as well as a sound understanding of the history, politics and legal framework of the countries of the MENA region, particularly Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Reporting to the MENA Regional Director, the Senior Legal Adviser holds the following responsibilities:

 Advise the MENA Regional Director on legal and political developments relevant to the Programme and, together with the Regional Director, help shape innovative and effective advocacy strategies at the international, regional and national level;

 Assist and coordinate with the Legal and Policy Director in the process of reviewing and revising substantive MENA Programme external documents, including legal memoranda and reports, press releases, and submissions to domestic and international authorities, courts, and other bodies;

 Provide expert legal advice on specific international, regional and national human rights law and rule of law issues to the MENA Programme legal staff;

 Prepare training materials and participate in capacity building activities, country missions and trial observations; and assist the MENA Programme team and partners in developing legal reform advocacy and, as appropriate, litigation strategies;

 Represent the ICJ externally, develop and maintain relations with key international, regional and national stakeholders and contribute to raise ICJ’s public profile;

 Work with the MENA Programme Manager and the Regional Director to develop fundraising strategies, drafting proposals and maintaining donors’ relations;

 Actively maintain supportive working relations and seek opportunities for joint work with the staff of other regional and international ICJ programmes;

 Carry out other appropriate responsibilities as requested by the MENA Regional Director.

QUALIFICATIONS The successful candidate will have:

Education & Experience

 A Post-graduate degree in law. Further academic studies in international human rights law are highly desirable;

 At least 10 years experience working in the area of international human rights law, including in the MENA region.

Essential Skills

 Excellent legal skills and sound political judgment and proven ability to develop and carry out legal advocacy strategies;

 Advanced expertise in international human rights, with strong knowledge of public international law and international humanitarian law;

 Practical legal and advocacy experience on the implementation of international human rights standards; litigation experience highly desirable;

 English native speaker level; knowledge of Arabic and/or French highly desirable;

 Demonstrated analytic and writing ability, including substantial report-writing experience;

 Excellent written and oral communication skills;

 Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a multi-cultural team;

 Demonstrated commitment to human rights and the rule of law.

The ICJ is an equal opportunities employer.