Legal Officer P3, LEGM

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

10 April 2026-23:59-GMT+01:00 Central European Time (Rome)

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

ABOUT WFP
The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.
To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.

WHY JOIN WFP?

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.
• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.
• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.
• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

This role is in the Legal Office in Global Headquarters (GHQ) and report to the senior Legal Officer or designate.

The Legal Office is organized into three branches that advise on the various aspects of WFP’s work:

• The Administrative and Employment Law Branch (LEGA) provides advice to management on all aspects of the employment relationship between WFP and its employees;
• The Contractual and Constitutional Law Branch (LEGC) provides advice on all aspects of WFP’s internal governance, private sector contributions, commercial and other contractual activities, including also cash-based transfer programmes, treasury functions, and communications; and
• The Maritime, Transport, and Insurance Law Branch (LEGM) provides advice on all aspects of WFP’s supply chain activities, including Procurement (Food, Goods & Services), maritime, aviation, logistics (inland transportation, storage, and warehousing), United Nations Humanitarian Response Depots and insurance.

WFP is seeking to fill Legal Officer P3 position in LEGM, based in our headquarters in Rome, Italy. This selection process may be used to fill other positions in LEG (other branches). Please note that the Legal Office is adopting a pooled service arrangement for posts at this level aimed at promoting inter-branch engagement and expanding staff knowledge and skills. This includes an expectation to undertake up to 50% of work on matters pertaining to the other branches of the Legal Office.

THE ROLE

In consultation with senior Legal Officers, handle a range of legal services including interpretation and application of various constitutive, legislative and other instruments governing WFP activities and operations.

At this level, job holders are fully qualified Legal Officers operating across an assigned area of work preparing and finalizing legal opinions and advice, except for complex and sensitive legal issues seeking clearance of branch or divisional management. Job holders normally work directly with the branch chief and may have responsibility as a team leader of supervising junior Legal Officers or short-term staff. Work requires a complete understanding of the subject matter in the context of the program. At this level, there is the ability to adapt policies, approaches and models to meet emerging needs of the target client community. Within established areas of responsibility, job holders exercise high degree of independence. Opportunities for development through exposure to major interlocutors on program development and delivery issues. Client interface focuses on maintaining relationships and projecting the image of a credible/reliable partner. Established in the subject legal field, the impact of the work reflects directly on the professionalism of the job holder and the overall reputation of the team for high quality work.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, within delegated authority):

• Undertake extensive legal research and analysis, handle a wide range of multi-disciplinary complex legal matters including interpretation and application of various legal instruments to facilitate comprehensive legal services.
• Review legal documents, identify important issues, similarities and inconsistencies, and present findings for internal review to facilitate the decision-making process.
• Prepare or assist in preparation of legal opinions/advice on a wide range of legal issues, background papers, studies, memoranda, reports and other legal documents to facilitate coherence and quality of legal documents.
• Prepare and/or review agreements and contracts with public and private entities including participation in negotiation and settlement of claims and disputes to meet unique client needs.
• Identify potential liabilities, particularly vis-à-vis third parties, and assist in the management of risks in WFP’s activities to facilitate well-informed decisions.
• Prepare and assess briefs of evidence and draw recommendations to facilitate legal analysis and solutions.
• Assist in providing legal advice and interpretations and reviewing administrative decisions including assisting in representing WFP in tribunals or administrative proceedings.
• Service and/or assist senior Legal Officers in servicing committees, task forces, expert working groups and other bodies with legal advice and preparation or review of legal documents to facilitate the formulation of WFP’s position.
• Conduct/engage in litigation proceedings, prepare and/or review arbitration submissions, liaise with external counsel where appropriate.
• Other as required.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education:

• Advanced University degree in Law, or First University degree in Law with additional relevant experience and training in private, commercial or public Law.
• Must be qualified to practice or admitted to practice by a recognized national or state bar or law society.

Experience:

• At least five years or more of relevant progressively responsible experience in providing a wide range of legal services.

Language: Fluency (level C) in English language. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or Portuguese (a WFP working language).
MORE ABOUT YOU:
You have:

• Knowledge of, and ability to apply, legal principles, concepts, procedures and terminology for review, examination and processing of a range of legal documents.
• Knowledge of various legal research sources, techniques and ability to interpret and apply legislative instruments and draft legal papers.
• Knowledge of tribunal processes and procedures.
• Business acumen.
• Strong time management skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Fluency (Level C) of Spanish is desirable.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• This is an International Professional position and is open to all nationalities. Mobility is and continues to be a core contractual requirement in WFP.
• This position is however classified as “non-rotational” which means the incumbent shall not be subject to the regular reassignment process unless the position is reclassified as rotational.
• The selected candidate will be employed on a fixed-term contract with a probationary period of one year.
• This position is open to both internal and external candidates. WFP offers an attractive compensation and benefits package, including basic salary, post adjustment, relocation entitlement, travel, visa and shipment allowances, 30 days’ annual leave, home leave, an education grant for dependent children, a pension plan, and medical insurance. For more information, visithttps://icsc.un.org/.
• The selected candidate will be required to relocate to Rome, Italy to take up this assignment.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact: global.inclusion@wfp.org

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruiting system. We do not consider CVs or applications sent by email, LinkedIn, or any other channel.
• We strongly recommend that your Workday profile is accurate and complete, and that all sections are filled in, including your employment history, academic qualifications, language skills, and UN grade (if applicable). Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.
• If you experience technical issues while submitting your application, you may contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org. Please note that this email is only for technical issues with an application - unsolicited applications or documents sent to this inbox will not receive a reply.
• At the application stage, the only required documents are your CV and Cover Letter. Additional documents (passport, certificates, recommendation letters, etc.) may be requested later in the process.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.