Legal Officer

July 27, 2026

H (no hardship)

Family

NOC

National Professional Officer

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2026-10-01

Legal Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Legal Officer is a member of the protection or legal team either at Headquarters (within the Division of International Protection or in a Regional Bureau), or in a Country or Sub-Office and may, depending of the size and structure of the Office, be Head of the Protection or Legal Unit. He/she may report to the Senior Protection or Senior Legal Officer, Head of Sub-Office or to the Assistant Representative for Protection. In smaller Offices, the post may report directly to the Representative. The incumbent has direct supervisory responsibility for protection or legal staff who may include community services, registration, resettlement and education. He/she provides functional protection oversight to information management and programme staff; and supervises protection standards, the provision of legal and policy advice, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery at local or country level. The incumbent also acts as an advisor to senior management in designing a comprehensive protection strategy and represents the organization to authorities, UN sister agencies, partners and other stakeholders on protection doctrine and policy.

The Legal Officer is relied upon by the Office to plan, lead and coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of forcibly displaced and stateless persons. This includes ensuring that operational and advocacy responses in all sectors are shaped in a protection optic, mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards. Another important function of the position is to ensure that forcibly displaced and stateless persons are involved with the Office in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, authorities, protection and assistance partners as well as a broader network of stakeholders who can contribute to enhancing protection.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR's core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties
- Monitor the development of law and doctrine.
- Advocate for proper interpretation of law and doctrine as well as in the development of standards of protection.
- Provide legal advice on these issues and drafting of position papers and guidelines on pertinent legal and operational issues.
- Provide guidance and support in the formulation of protection strategies.
- Liaise with DIP, Division and Bureau work units and external actors to enhance awareness of protection principles.
- Engage with external partners and stakeholders, including governments, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, etc, on issues related to legal protection principles and related international law.
- Handle individual cases and situations raising special questions of application or interpretation of international law, refugee and human rights law.
- Represent Office in meetings within UNHCR and with external counterparts.
- Prepare protection documents and policies in cooperation with supervisor.
- Participate in the development of project proposals and project implementation. Perform other related duties as required.

- Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P3/NOC - 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
Law; Refugee Law; Human Rights Law;
International Humanitarian Law; or other relevant field.;

Certificates and/or Licenses
HCR Learning Prog;
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Excellent legal research, analytical and drafting skill.
Desirable
Completion of UNHCR learning programmes on protection would be an asset or any other equivalent external courses.

Functional Skills
CO-Drafting and Documentation;
LE-Legal Research;
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

To fulfil his/her role, it is essential for the incumbent to have an excellent knowledge of international refugee law, international human rights law, the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), and the German asylum and migration framework, including asylum procedures, access to territory, documentation, family reunification and legal status issues. The incumbent should have completed a university degree in law; successful completion of the German First State Examination is required, completion of the Second State Examination highly desirable.

Substantial professional experience in refugee, asylum or migration law is required, ideally including work with governmental authorities, courts, international organisations, academia or civil society. Experience in analysing complex legal and policy developments and translating them into advocacy strategies, policy papers and practical recommendations is highly desirable. Familiarity with CEAS reform, asylum procedure quality, judicial engagement, documentation and statelessness issues, or protection-related aspects of durable solutions would be an asset.

The incumbent should possess strong drafting, analytical, advocacy and public-speaking skills, as well as sound political judgement and the ability to engage credibly with senior counterparts in government, parliament, the judiciary, academia, civil society and, occasionally, the media. Experience in developing and delivering trainings, workshops or presentations for officials, judges, legal practitioners or civil society actors is desirable.

As the position leads UNHCR Germany’s protection team, prior supervisory experience and the ability to coordinate complex workstreams in a small, highly specialised advocacy operation are important. The incumbent should be able to work independently, manage competing priorities and contribute to the strategic positioning of UNHCR in a rapidly evolving protection environment.
Excellent drafting and communication skills in German and English are required. Native-level proficiency in German is essential.

***Please note that as this is a National Officer position, only German nationals are considered eligible.***

Additional information:

Candidates must be legally present in Germany at the time of application, recruitment and hire.
Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a test. No late applications will be accepted.
This is an internal vacancy announcement open to current and former UNHCR locally recruited staff members who held an indefinite or fixed-term appointment (within 2 years of separation for males and 5 years for females).

UNHCR is committed to diversity and welcomes applications from qualified candidates regardless of disability, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees).

NOTE: An individual whose mother, father, son, daughter, brother or sister is a staff member of UNHCR, including a Temporary Appointment holder or a member of Affiliate Workforce, is not eligible to apply.

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link:

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

Germany continues to be one of the most important receiving countries for persons in need of international protection worldwide and a key country for refugee protection in Europe. Its asylum and protection system is highly complex, combining federal responsibilities, a large asylum authority, an active administrative court system, and rapidly evolving national and EU law and practice. Developments in Germany, including in the implementation of the reformed Common European Asylum System, border procedures, documentation, family unity and the future legal status of large refugee populations, have relevance beyond Germany and may influence protection standards in Europe more broadly.

The Legal Officer leads UNHCR Germany’s small protection team and works under the supervision of the Representative. He or she coordinates closely with protection teams in the Regional Bureau, Headquarters and other UNHCR operations. The incumbent must be able to perform high-level tasks independently, including but not limited to public speaking, drafting protection policy papers, producing legal analysis, and developing advocacy lines for use with ministries, parliamentarians, courts, civil society counterparts and the media.

The Legal Officer works with senior government counterparts, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, the Federal Police, judges, refugee law experts, think tanks and civil society actors to promote UNHCR positions and principles with regard to refugee protection and solutions. This requires excellent proficiency in German at the level of a native speaker, experience with German, European and international asylum law, and the ability to stay abreast of judicial and policy developments at national, European and international level.

The Legal Officer is directly supervised by the Representative and supervises an Assistant Legal Officer (NOA), one Senior Protection Assistant (G-5) and additional affiliate workforce or temporary personnel working on specific legal and protection projects. The incumbent works closely with the External Relations Officer and the communications team.

Living and Working Conditions:

The position is based in Berlin, Germany. The incumbent may be required to travel, occasionally on short notice. Living and working conditions in Germany are those of a highly developed country, with reliable access to quality education, healthcare, public services, and infrastructure. Berlin offers a multicultural environment with a high standard of living. The position requires residence in Berlin and cannot be performed remotely, although some teleworking arrangements may be possible in consultation with the manager.  

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Bachelor of Arts: Law

Certifications

HCR Learning Program - UNHCR

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Managing performance, Organizational awareness, Policy research & development, Political awareness, Teamwork & collaboration

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Additional Information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance