Senior Counsel

Senior Counsel

Job #:
req18558

Organization:
World Bank

Sector:
Legal

Grade:
GG

Term Duration:
3 years 0 months

Recruitment Type:
International Recruitment

Location:
Washington, DC,United States

Required Language(s):
English

Preferred Language(s):
French

Closing Date:
8/24/2022 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group (WBG) provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The WBG is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit https://www.worldbank.org.

The Legal Vice Presidency (LEGVP), under the Senior Vice President and Group General Counsel, is responsible for providing legal support to internal and external World Bank clients on operational, advisory and corporate matters. LEGVP provides legal services required by the World Bank and plays an active role in all the World Bank's activities. In addition, LEGVP helps to ensure that all World Bank activities comply with the institution's Articles of Agreement, as well as its operational policies and procedures. Organizationally, LEGVP includes geographically-based regional Operational Practice Groups devoted to the legal and policy aspects of the World Bank's lending operations, Policy and Advisory Practice Groups which provide advice on operations policy, environmental and international law, development finance and structured finance and guarantees and Corporate Practice Groups, which provide advice on corporate finance, administrative and institutional matters for the World Bank.

Department Context

The Operational Policy Practice Group (LEGOP) provides specialized legal support and advisory services to internal and external Bank clients. LEGOP's work program includes providing legal advice and services to the Bank's Regions, Global Practices, and other Vice Presidencies, on the operational aspects of a variety of policy and operational areas in Bank-financed projects, including those related to human development, social protection, Identification for Development (ID4D), technology, innovation, digital economy, cybersecurity/cybercrime and the treatment of data in operations. LEGOP also contributes to thought leadership and analytical and advisory products (ASAs) on these topics.

This internal requisition is open to WBG staff only (including short-term and extended term consultants/ temporaries). External candidates are requested not to apply. In case an external candidate applies, their application will not be considered.

Note: If the selected candidate is a current World Bank Group Staff Member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. If the selected candidate is a current World Bank Group Staff Member with a Term appointment that expires later than the end date of this appointment, s/he will retain the duration of his/her current Term appointment.

Duties & Accountabilities:

Working under the general supervision of the Associate General Counsel, LEGOP, and as part of his/her duties, the Senior Counsel will play a key role assisting with, and providing advice on, the Bank's portfolio of projects and products which address human development and related legal issues, especially as they apply to developing the enabling legal environment in the social protection and labor context, identification for development efforts and tools for facilitating access to services, with particular attention to data protection, cybersecurity and combatting cybercrime concerns. Specific duties and accountabilities include:
• Serve as the Human Development Legal Advisor. In close collaboration with the Associate General Counsel, LEGOP, the Senior Counsel will help to establish a business flow of projects that support the enabling legal environment for human development generally and for access to social protection and labor systems particularly. The Senior Counsel will be responsible for contact with a wide range of staff and managers in the Social Protection and Jobs Global Practice, and those supporting the human development agenda more widely, and will be responsible for identifying legal advice and assistance that LEGOP can provide to network clients. This work will include helping to establish areas where the Bank can support law and capacity building and advising Bank programs that provide this support in Bank borrower countries.
• Act as Legal Advisor regarding evolving World Bank human development issues. The Senior Counsel would, in close consultation with the Associate General Counsel, LEGOP, with Lead Counsel and other appropriate LEG staff, provide timely advice on the legal aspects of human development, notably with enabling authenticable, secure and rights-protecting access to social protection and labor systems, including providing technical guidance to Bank staff, and to act as a LEG resource in special-risk projects. In special or high-risk projects, the Senior Counsel would be available to join the task team, if so requested. The Senior Counsel would help to ensure the development of a consistent and sound LEG position on significant issues relating to human development systems by contributing to the framing and analysis of legal, regulatory and institutional issues in key global or regional "thought leadership" products, such as diagnostic tools, flagship reports, and country assessments. The Senior Counsel would support the development and coordination with external partners of analytical work on issues related to the enabling legal and regulatory environment for social protection and labor, identification for development, and combatting cybercrime and growing cybersecurity through technical assistance and by contributing to the implementation of operational policies through active participation in relevant working groups.
• Act as Legal Advisor supporting cybersecurity, cybercrime, data protection and disruptive technologies initiatives. The Senior Counsel would, in close consultation with the Associate General Counsel, LEGOP, with Lead Counsel and other appropriate LEG staff, provide timely advice on the legal aspects of advances in technologies, including the establishment of robust legal and enabling environments that nurture and encourage robust, inclusive and rights-protecting identification systems, grow cybersecurity and cyber-resilience, support efforts to combat cybercrime, increase respect data protection and privacy, and ensure the ethical and responsible use of such systems and disruptive technologies initiatives. The Senior Counsel will directly assist in advising internal and external clients, including government representatives, on legal and policy issues involving such matters.
• Act as Legal Advisor for the Identification for Development (ID4D) Initiative. The Senior Counsel would, in close consultation with the Associate General Counsel, LEGOP, with Lead Counsel and other appropriate LEG staff, provide timely advice on the legal aspects of in supporting operations, efforts and outputs stemming from the Identification for Development (ID4D) initiative, including supporting the implementation of foundational unique identification systems, the creation of digital and electronic identities and surrounding legal and institutional enabling environment.
• Support Capacity Building efforts for both Staff and Bank borrower countries. The Senior Counsel will assist in building the capacity of Bank borrowers and Bank staff regarding human development. The Senior Counsel may also play a key role in the development and implementation of Bank initiatives to harmonize the laws of borrowing member countries with the requirements of Bank safeguard policies.
• Provide policy advice and transactional legal support to the Bank's evolving human development agenda. The Senior Counsel will assist in advising clients on legal and policy issues involved in human development, including data protection and cybersecurity, and with regard to social registries, dynamic social registries, digital and electronic identities, foundational identification systems and wider integrated social information systems (SIIS).
• Contribute to analytical products and thought leadership on human development, identification and data policy operational issues. The Senior Counsel will assist in developing and operationalizing legal aspects of human development, identification and data policy issues, including on providing inputs to or contributing to the implementation and dissemination of regional or global knowledge & learning products.
• Represent the Bank in engagements with client countries and before international organizations. The Senior Counsel will represent the Bank in engagements with client countries and before international organizations, notably where the enabling environment for social protection and labor systems and for foundational unique identification systems are being discussed, developed and elaborated. The Senior Counsel will also represent the Bank in pertinent engagements within the United Nations family, and negotiate and draft legal agreements for cooperative engagements with sovereigns, state actors, non-governmental organizations and others, as needed, notably with regard to ensuring the proper functioning of digital and electronic identification systems, e-transactions and e-commerce, data protection and privacy, cybersecurity and combatting cybercrime, confidentiality, liabilities and warranties, and other key terms.
• Work across a wide range of Bank units. The Senior Counsel will work and interact frequently with:

o Lawyers and managers in LEG VPU.

o Counterparts within Regional operational units, the Human Development Vice Presidency (GGHVP) and Operations Policy and Country Services (OPCS).

o Management and staff at HQ and in the field, as required

Selection Criteria

Academic qualifications and experience:
• Law degree: JD, LLM or equivalent (required) and admission to the Bar (or equivalent) in at least one jurisdiction (required), with at least 8 years of relevant experience (required). Additional graduate level degree in law, where one is from a Common Law jurisdiction and the other is from a French Civil Law jurisdiction, is highly preferred.
• Expertise in human development policy, law and regulation, including and especially social protection systems and identification for development.
• Expertise in cybersecurity and combatting cybercrime, data protection and privacy, digital identities, foundational identification systems and wider integrated social information systems (SIIS), dynamic social registries, digital payments systems and disruptive technologies more broadly.
• Legal operational and transactional experience, especially in the area of human development, and with substantial in-field experience that has included working directly with government representatives of client countries.
• Ability to formulate policy positions and draft decisions about data issues and defend them with clients, with peers or senior management.

General Competencies Required
• Ability to work collaboratively, to build trust among peers and colleagues, to respond quickly and consistently to key issues.
• Ability to work independently and with limited guidance, and to manage and support a diverse work program.
• Ability, supported by experience, to manage a work program and members of a team, and to coordinate multi-year projects, including deliverables, planning and deadlines.
• Demonstrated intellectual leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives.
• Demonstrated contribution to institutional "thought leadership" on human development and cybercrime policy, regulation and governance through co-authorship of global or regional analytical and knowledge products (diagnostics, country assessments on these topics).
• Experience acting as focal point in cross-GP working groups on data issues, representing GP perspective and technically contributing to the development of operational policies on data protection and privacy.
• High degree of persuasiveness and diplomacy to generate consensus, especially on divisive legal issues.
• Robust understanding of political economy dynamics in low-and-middle-income countries or regions and capable of reflecting their impacts on legal and institutional reform efforts around data use in development contexts.
• Strong familiarity working with fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV) situations, including in-country experience.
• Language skills: Fluency in English, both written and oral, is required, with additional fluency in French highly desirable.
• Ability to communicate and defend, orally and in writing, difficult and complex issues and positions to senior Bank management, government officials and civil society groups.
• Ability to deal sensitively in multi-cultural environment and build effective working relations with clients and colleagues.
• Ability to operate and coordinate effectively across organizational boundaries.

Other competencies required:
• 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 an impact. Identifies and proposes solutions to mitigate and manage risks.
• 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.
• Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries: Ability to build effective working relationships with colleagues in multidisciplinary teams, brings differing ideas into the forefront, integrates and initiates collaboration across boundaries.
• Pressure: Ability to handle demands related to the delivery of multiple tasks within demanding and occasionally conflicting time constraints.
• Lead and Innovate: Contributes to new insights to understand situations and develops solutions to resolve complex problems. Adapts as circumstances require and manages impact on own behaviors on others in context of WBG's values and missions. Identifies and pursues innovative approaches to resolve issues.
• Create, Apply and Share Knowledge: Leverage departments and WBG body of knowledge by applying lessons learned and expertise. Actively invests in knowledge and seeks feedback. Builds personal and professional networks within and beyond the work group.
• Make 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.
• Professional Maturity: Understands others and the reasons for their behavior. Takes the time to clarify others' points of view so that progress can be made, particularly in situations of stress or conflict. Is never condescending or arrogant.

Thisinternal requisition is open to WBG and IMF staff only (including short-termand extended term consultants/ temporaries). External candidates are requestednot to apply. In case an external candidate applies, their application will notbe considered.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.