Counsel, Nairobi, Kenya

• Organization: World Bank
• Country: Kenya
• City: Nairobi, Kenya
• Office: World Bank Nairobi
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Closing date: Tuesday, 6 February 2018

• Location Nairobi, Kenya
• Recruitment Type Local Hire
• Language Requirement English [Essential]; French [Desired]; Portuguese [Desired]
• Closing Date 06-Feb-2018

Background / General description

Innovation and partnership bond the five institutions of the World Bank Group (WBG): the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA), which together form the World Bank; the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The World Bank Group is one of the world's largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries. It uses financial resources and extensive experience to help our client countries to reduce poverty, increase economic growth, and improve quality of life.

To ensure that countries can access the best global expertise and help generate cutting-edge knowledge, the World Bank Group is constantly seeking to improve the way it works. Key priorities include delivering measurable results, promoting openness and transparency in development, and improving access to development information and data. In the context of the World Bank's broad development agenda, the Legal Vice Presidency (LEG VPU) provides legal services required by the World Bank and plays an active role in all of the World Bank's activities. In addition, LEG VPU helps to ensure that all of the World Bank's activities comply with the Institution's Articles of Agreement, policies and procedures. Organizationally, the LEG VPU includes geographically-based regional Operational Practice Groups devoted to the legal and policy aspects of the World Bank's lending operations, and Corporate Practice Groups, which provide advice on corporate finance, administrative and institutional matters for the World Bank.

LEGAM provides operational legal support to two regions: (i) Africa, and (ii) the Middle East and North Africa. The World Bank work program in Africa is the largest among the Regions, and it is diverse and complex, reflecting the diversity of the Region. Among its 48 countries, the Africa Region includes a mix of low-income, lower- middle-income, and upper-middle income countries, and several fragile states. The Africa Region represents 27% of the World Bank's net commitments and 32% of its number of projects. It features an FY18 IDA pipeline of USD15.8 billion and an IBRD pipeline of USD1.6 billion. The Trust Fund portfolio includes 1,519 active grants worth USD5.8 billion. Recognizing the increasing importance of and demand for legal support for the Africa Region, the Legal Vice-Presidency is seeking a qualified candidate for a Counsel position in Nairobi, Kenya.

The World Bank Country office in Nairobi covers four East African countries: Kenya, Eritrea, Rwanda and Uganda and is headed by the Country Director. The Counsel will be expected to work closely with the Senior Counsel and other counsels who work in that Country Management Unit, as well as other Counsels based in Washington, D.C. who work on operations in the Region. The Counsel will also work with other staff located in Country offices and in Washington, D.C. who work on operational, institutional and other matters. The Associate Counsel will work on a number of countries (including the above-mentioned countries) and will be expected to work on and travel to other countries in the region. The incumbent will report to the Chief Counsel, LEGAM based in Washington, D.C.

Note: If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 2 year term appointment.

Duties and Accountabilities

The Counsel position requires demonstrated ability of rigorous analytical skills, to work harmoniously in a team, and to exercise good judgment. The level and quality of these skills will be a determining factor in the selection for the position, and references will be given consideration in this determination. The Counsel will work under general supervision of the Chief Counsel (day-to-day guidance will be provided by a Senior Counsel) and will be:

• Covering a broad portfolio within a functional area, providing advice to management and clients on legal and policy issues in one or more areas of concentration;
• Responsible for the successful delivery of legal work on projects and programs and other transactions within client assignments; drafting, reviewing, negotiating and finalizing legal documents for Bank's operations.
• Handling issues within an area of concentration to enable clients to create solutions;
• Providing legal support to ongoing projects and programs, including reviewing project and program documents for adherence to World Bank Group legal policies and procedures, and business objectives;
• Supporting operational teams and clients on public-private partnership projects via a sound understanding of the economic and social drivers and impacts of public-private partnerships;
• Conducting comparative legal analyses on a range of issues in a given area, identify legal and policy issues, research for relevant precedents, and propose appropriate solutions to colleagues and clients, (with a particular focus on extractive industries, land management, etc.);
• Engaging in policy discussions and negotiations with officials internally and externally, developing relationships with members of the legal profession and lawyers working in development partner agencies;
• Protecting and promoting World Bank Group's interests;
• Writing and reviewing policy papers, undertaking legal research on topics in area of concentration and contributing to dissemination of policy and best practices in a given field;
• Preparing legal briefs on diverse topics, as required;
• Participating in task/project teams and operational missions; and
• Performing ad hoc assignments as requested by the Chief Counsels or designated Lead/Senior Counsel.

Selection Criteria

Preferred Education/Experience: At least five years of relevant experience in addition to a JD, LLB, LLM or equivalent, and admission to the Bar (or equivalent) in at least one jurisdiction. Working experience with international financial organizations is a plus. Excellence in English is required, and ability to work in French/Portuguese is desirable. Required Competencies:

• Legal Drafting, Research and Communication Proven ability to draft transactional documentation (e.g., loan agreements), briefs and a variety of legal instruments and related documents with limited supervision. Conducts research as necessary to acquire insight and information. Is aware of the need for precision and focus on quality. Uses a writing style that is clear and precise.
• Bank Legal and Policy Framework Has the potential to quickly understand the Bank's legal framework, policies and procedures and is assessed as being able to apply them correctly and consistently. Identifies where these policies are not being applied or not being applied as intended and informs the appropriate parties.
• Independence Carries out work with due care, preparing accurate documents and reports, ensuring that pertinent facts are fairly presented without seeking to obfuscate (either through too much information or withholding relevant information). Interprets information in an objective manner, exercising professional skepticism when required. Does not divulge or exploit confidential information.
• Professional Maturity Understands others and the reasons for their behavior. Takes the time to clarifying others' points of view so that progress can be made particularly in situations of stress or conflict. Is never condescending. Proven ability to deal sensitively and effectively across organizational boundaries, as a team member, in multi-cultural environments and build effective working relations with clients and colleagues;
• Legal Reasoning Breaks down problem into their component parts. Articulates the implications of situations in a step-by-step way. Remains objective when reviewing problems or situations to understand the issues. Makes sure he/she possesses all the facts.
• Deliver Results for Clients Adds value by constantly looking for a better way to get more impactful results; sets challenging stretch goals for oneself. Immerses oneself in client experiences and perspective by asking probing questions to understand unmet needs. Demonstrates accountability for achieving results that have a development impact and financial, environmental and social sustainability. Identifies and proposes solutions to mitigate and manage risks.
• Makes Smart Decisions Seeks diversity of information and inputs, researches possible solutions, and generates recommended options. Identifies and understands risks and proposes recommendations. Based on risk analysis makes decisions in a timely manner within own area of responsibility, considering the interests and concerns of stakeholders.
• Client Orientation Takes personal responsibility and accountability for timely response to client queries, requests or needs, working to remove obstacles that may impede execution or overall success.
• Flexibility Able to adapt strategy and objectives; making corresponding structural or organizational changes as needed, to move the work forward and meet the needs of the situation.
• Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making Analyzes facts and data to support sound, logical decisions regarding own and others' work. The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality, culture and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.