Legal Advisor Vacancy At U.S. Mission Pakistan- Embassy Islamabad -Announcement No. AID-16-09
OPEN TO: All Interested Candidates
OPENING DATE: April 22, 2016
TITLE: Legal Advisor
CLOSING DATE: May 12, 2016
GRADE: FSN-12
AGENCY: USAID
POSITION NO: 80001-005
LOCATION: Islamabad
SALARY: Rs. 3,689,227/- P.A. (Starting salary)
*Final salary determination for the selected candidate will be based on the candidate’s demonstrated (certified) salary history.
NOTE: ALL ORDINARILY RESIDENT APPLICANTS MUST HAVE THE REQUIRED WORK AND/OR RESIDENCY PERMITS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID/Pakistan) is seeking an individual for the position of Legal Advisor for the Office of the Director (OD) in Islamabad. The position is classified at the FSN-12 grade level. The starting salary for this position is Rs. 3,689,227 per annum and the maximum salary is Rs. 6,913,207 per annum, per the current FSN Compensation Plan. This salary range is not inclusive of other benefits and allowances.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES: The Legal Division in the Office of the Director (OD) provides comprehensive legal services to USAID/Pakistan, including Field Offices located in Karachi, Lahore, and Peshawar, their employees, and to other USG agencies and their employees, upon request. Legal advice, drafting, and negotiation may concern all USAID operations, including but not limited to: bilateral agreements of all types; inter-agency agreements; grants to public international organizations; grants to and contracts with private organizations; development credit authority loan guarantee agreements; delegations of authority; the USAID program and project design and approval process; ethics training and advice; and advice on appropriations and authorization laws governing USAID programs including the Foreign Assistance Act, the Food for Peace Act, annual Foreign Operations Appropriations Acts, procurement integrity and financial conflict of interest laws and the Foreign Service Act of 1980.
The Legal Advisor works under the general supervision of the Senior Legal Officer. The incumbent provides legal and ethics advice and counsel on matters of US, international, and local law in Pakistan, and provides advice on contracting and on issues affecting USAID program/project/activity implementation. The incumbent may serve as an advisor to project and activity managers, especially in areas of governance, and will represent the Legal Officer to Offices and Teams throughout the Mission. The work includes the full range of consultative, advisory, monitoring, management, data collection, and analysis associated with USAID program/project/activity implementation, and the evaluative aspects of providing legal advice and counsel to USAID/Pakistan on a variety of local law matters relating to Mission programs and operations (i.e., labor law, contractual matters, tax law, etc.), registration of implementing partners (IPs) and other bilateral issues that may arise including issues related to taxation and custom duty. The incumbent will collaborate on these matters with colleagues from the donor community, IPs, the Pakistani government, and non-governmental organizations.
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR FULL PERFORMANCE LEVEL:
EDUCATION: Successful completion of a Master’s degree (18 years of education) in law from an accredited institution is required. The incumbent must be licensed to practice law in Pakistan, and should be a member of the Pakistani bar, or its equivalent.
EXPERIENCE: A minimum of seven years of responsible legal experience, with at least five years of this experience with a law firm, a Government of Pakistan Ministry, another donor organization, or an international/local organization is required.
LANGUAGE: Level IV (fluent) English language proficiency, speaking and writing, as well as written and spoken Urdu proficiency, is required. Language skills may be tested during the recruitment process.
KNOWLEDGE: A comprehensive knowledge of the concepts, principles, techniques, and practices in the area of law is required. Knowledge of appropriate government and non-government entities is critical to successful performance in the position. Past work experience with and knowledge of taxation, labor law, contracts, and business and non-profit organizations, structures, and registration requirements is required. Past work experience in an international setting is also required.
ABILITIES & SKILLS: The Legal Advisor is required to obtain, analyze, and evaluate a variety of legal data; organize and present legal and technical information in concise written and oral form; identify, explain, and resolve important and complex legal issues independently; furnish information and advice/counsel in assigned areas objectively; follow oral instructions, and organize, prioritize, and follow through on assignments with minimal oversight; and, focus on details. Bilingual fluency in speaking, reading, and writing is required. Given the nature of the position, effective written and oral communications are absolutely critical to successful performance. Work requires proficiency in word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and other computer applications (i.e. Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.).
ADDITIONAL SELECTION CRITERIA:
1. Management will consider nepotism/conflict of interest, budget, and residency status in determining successful candidacy.
2. Current employees serving a probationary period are not eligible to apply.
3. Current employees with an Overall Summary Rating of Needs Improvement or Unsatisfactory on their most recent Employee Performance Report and who are currently on a Performance Improvement Plan are not eligible to apply.
4. Applicants for the position must meet the required educational qualifications as advertised in the vacancy announcement.
5. Current employees who have been voluntarily reassigned or been promoted from one position to another are not eligible to apply within six months from the effective date of the reassignment/promotion.
6. Candidates need to indicate on the Application for Employment if any family member is working in the U.S. Mission Pakistan and, if so, in which section they are employed.
7. U.S. Mission Pakistan will not bear any travel expenses for testing, interviews, pre-employment clearances (if selected) or relocation for joining.
8. Please note that for In-House Candidates, employee’s transfer or promotion, whichever is applicable, will be processed according to respective clauses of 3 FAM regulations.
TO APPLY:
Interested applicants must submit their duly completed DS-174 (Application for Employment as LE Staff) from the website http://islamabad.usembassy.gov/employment_opportunities.html. Applicants are advised to include all of their current and previous work experience including duties and responsibilities that may not be directly related to the subject position. An Internal Candidate’s experience acquired before/after joining US Government should correspond to the information provided in the Official Personnel Folder (OPF). Any discrepancy found between the current application form (DS-174) and the information provided in the OPF related to applicant’s qualifications could make the candidate ineligible for the position. Applications should be forwarded only on the email: [email protected] address. When submitting an application, the vacancy announcement number and the title of the position must be mentioned in the subject line.
Incomplete applications and/or applications received after the closing date will not be considered. Only applications submitted on the prescribed application DS-174 Form and on the email address given in the vacancy announcement will be considered. Only short listed candidates will be contacted for their test/interview. To see all advertised USAID positions, please visit the Embassy website http://islamabad.usembassy.gov/usaid-vacancies.html
DEFINITIONS:
1. Ordinarily Resident (OR): A citizen of the host country or a citizen of another country who has the required work and/or residency permit for employment in country.
2. Not-Ordinarily Resident (NOR): Typically NORs are U.S. citizen EFMs (Eligible Family Members) and family members of United States Government personnel who are on travel orders and under Chief of Mission authority or other personnel having diplomatic privileges and immunities.
CLOSING DATE FOR THIS POSITION: May 12, 2016
U. S. Mission, Pakistan is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, social status, or political ideologies/affiliation.
