Legal Specialist

FAO; Michigan; Remote; USD 40,000 - 60,000; Part time

Job summary

An international organization is seeking a Legal Specialist to engage in legal drafting and analysis related to food and agriculture. The position is primarily remote with missions to Fiji. Candidates require an advanced degree in Law and demonstrated experience in legal analysis. This role offers an opportunity to work with diverse teams and contribute to improving agrifood systems worldwide.

Qualifications

• Advanced university degree recognized by IAU/UNESCO in Law required.
• Three years of relevant practical experience in legal analysis and drafting.
• Working knowledge of English at Level C required.

Responsibilities

• Get familiar with the national policy and regulatory framework of Fiji.
• Supervise national affiliate workforce.
• Develop national reports with recommendations.
• Liaise with national counterparts and organize meetings.

Skills

Legal drafting

Legal analysis

Communication

Project management

Education

Advanced university degree in Law

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Overview

Position: Legal Specialist (2502354) – FAO

Job Type: Non-staff opportunities | Requisition type: Consultant

Primary Location: Home-Based (missions to Fiji)

Duration: 11 months

Post Number: N/A

Posting date: 26/Sep/2025

Closure Date: 17/Oct/2025, 9:59 PM

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.

FAO is a specialized agency of the UN that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO\'s goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 Members (194 countries and the European Union), FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.

FAO Country Offices, working under overall corporate guidance and in line with the Strategic Framework, offer policy advice and support to countries in the mandated areas of FAO, facilitated through partnerships, resources and an active country programme to provide technical assistance, develop capacities and deliver core services while fully observing international standards of accountability to establish leadership and strengthen impact at the country level.

The offices deliver on the programmatic priorities of each country as agreed in their respective Country Programming Frameworks (CPFs) aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and ensure effective and efficient operations with adequate human and financial resources.

Specifically, FAO Country Offices:

• advocate, inform and support policies and investments in the areas of FAO\'s mandate;
• provide technical assistance and deliver core services;
• assist and catalyse partnership and resource mobilization activities to support agrifood systems transformation;
• position FAO as the specialized/authoritative technical agency in food and agriculture and agrifood systems transformation; and
• ensure risk-smart and accountable operations and management.

For more than four decades, FAO has been working with the Government of Fiji, civil society, community-based organizations, the academe and the private sector to address challenges in the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector. Joint efforts have included increasing sustainability in agricultural production, promoting value-adding practices, biosecurity, animal and plant health, pesticides management and agriculture research, among other areas.

The position is home based with missions to Fiji.

Reporting Lines

The Legal Specialists will be under the general supervision of the FAO contact officer in Fiji and the technical supervision of different sector-specific FAO Officers. He/she will work in close coordination with the FAO Legal Office and a group of international and national experts on different topics related to food and agriculture.

Technical Focus

This EOI seeks to identify legal experts with experience in legal drafting on the following areas of work:

• Legislation on animal health, animal production and feed management
• Legislation on land conservation and natural resources management
• Pesticide legislation

Tasks and responsibilities

• Get familiar with the national policy and regulatory framework of Fiji on a number of sector-specific areas.
• Supervise national affiliate workforce.
• Develop national reports with an analysis of specific sectors and recommendations to strengthen the national regulatory framework for such sectors.
• Closely liaise with the national counterparts, organize bilateral and multilateral meetings.
• When necessary, travel to Fiji and participate in bilateral and multilateral meetings.
• Support the organization of, and attend and actively participate in meetings, workshops, and similar engagements, with the national project team and/or authorized representatives.
• Support the organization of stakeholder consultations.
• Support the drafting, discussion and revision of sector-specific legislation.
• Actively participate in negotiations and consequent revisions on existing or draft legislative and/or administrative issuances, if so requested.
• If so requested, participate in regional discussions, travel missions and online meetings.
• Perform other duties as and when requested.

Candidates will be assessed against the following

• Advanced university degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in Law. Consultants with bachelor\'s degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience
• Three years of demonstrated relevant practical experience in legal analysis and drafting.
• Working knowledge (Level C) of English.

FAO Core Competencies

Technical/Functional Skills

• Familiarity with and understanding of the work of international organizations, regional entities and national governments
• Knowledge of project management and strategic planning, budgets and financial reporting
• Excellent leadership and communication skills.
• Ability to promote efficiency toward achieving project objectives and advanced knowledge of best business practices.
• General knowledge and skills in the use of standard office software, such as MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point)

Selection Criteria

• Additionally, basic law degree or PhD will be an asset.
• Experience working in Fiji or other countries in the Asia-Pacific region will be a major asset.

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

Additional Information

• FAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)
• Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

How to Apply

To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills. Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile. Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application. Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO\'s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application. Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered. Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile. We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO\u2019s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp