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Home > Jobs > Employment Opportuni... > Professional/Technical

Job #	091972
Job Title	Assistant General Counsel
Job Family	Legal
Location	Washington, DC
Appointment	International Hire
Job Posted	02-Nov-2009
Closing Date	07-Dec-2009
Language Requirements	English [Essential]; French [Desired]; Spanish [Desired]
Appointment Type	See Job Description Below

Background / General description

The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), a member of the World Bank Group, was established to enhance the flow of capital and technology to developing countries. MIGA executes its mission by providing investment insurance against non-commercial risks in developing countries.
 
MIGA’s General Counsel (GC) is responsible for the administration and operation of the Legal Affairs and Claims Department of MIGA (MIGLC) which currently consists of 10 lawyers, 1 paralegal, and 5 administrative staff. MIGLC’s activities involve, among others, providing timely legal advice on all aspects of MIGA’s operations, principally this involves management’s relationship with MIGA’s Council of Governors and the Board of Directors, membership activities, host country approval requests, drafting and negotiating Contracts of Guarantee, dispute and claims administration and mediation.


Note: If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 4 year renewable term appointment.

Duties and Accountabilities

MIGA seeks an Assistant General Counsel, reporting to the General Counsel, who will be responsible for day-to-day administration of MIGLC. He/she also provides legal advice and acts as backup to the General Counsel in respect of MIGA guarantee operations. He/she will have managerial responsibility as outlined below. 

1.  Guarantee Operations: 

•	Works closely with the General Counsel in managing the Legal Department, functioning effectively as the deputy general counsel to ensure MIGLC’s provision of legal services for underwriting is timely and of high quality.
•	Reviews work product of other attorneys, including Contracts of Guarantee and analytical memoranda, as delegated from time to time by the General Counsel. The Assistant General Counsel will be expected to review these documents in a close and rigorous manner and provide feedback to the attorneys.
•	Works closely with the General Counsel to advise on transaction structures, including eligibility under the MIGA Convention, subrogation rights and rights of recovery, and other legal issues; assists in or supervises preparation of internal documents required for Board approval.
•	Supervises the drafting and negotiation of contracts of guarantee, and ancillary documents.
•	Is responsible for the successful and timely delivery of legal work on highly complex and/or new projects, special operations and other transactions. Infrastructure experience highly valued.
•	Supervises the conduct of legal due diligence on prospective host countries and on-site project and country legal due diligence where necessary, in conjunction with guarantee operations.
•	Manages process of obtaining and/or modifying required host country approval of guarantees.
•	Assists guarantee operations with marketing efforts, including creating and giving presentations at conferences, conducting training seminars and one-on-one meetings.

2.  Policy and Administrative:

Reporting to the General Counsel, the Assistant General Counsel is responsible for day-to-day administration of MIGLC, managing staff performance, recruitment, workload distribution, and budget preparation and tracking:
•	Managing MIGLC’s annual Overall Performance Evaluation (OPE) process and Results Agreements as Supervisor (i.e. first stage reviewer) with the General Counsel as Reviewing Manager (i.e. second stage reviewer); providing regular feedback to lawyers; coaching and mentoring staff on career development; and formulating tailored learning plans.  In assigning individual performance ratings to MIGLC staff the Assistant General Counsel will work in close consultation with the General Counsel so as to achieve a consensus view.
•	Responsible for the preparation of MIGLC’s annual business plan and budget for review and approval by the General Counsel, the CAO, and the COO.   
•	Implements legal policies, procedures and charter interpretations adopted and/or approved by the General Counsel.
•	Monitors and approves expenditures against the MIGLC budget.
•	Will generally be Acting General Counsel and will attend Board Meetings in that capacity if the General Counsel is absent or unavailable.

3.  General:   

•	Provides assistance to the General Counsel and Senior Management in respect of legal issues that may arise from time to time.
•	Provides leadership in professional and operational matters, takes the lead in contributing new and innovative approaches to policy and operational issues in consultation with the General Counsel.
•	Promotes dissemination of knowledge in a given field to MIGA staff including other attorneys and provides day-to-day supervision of the activities of junior attorney(s) ensuring overall quality and consistency of technical work. Ensures that the knowledge and experience gained from claims and pre-claims situations is disseminated to MIGA’s underwriters and management to improve the overall quality of underwriting and contract design across the Agency.
•	Writes and reviews policy papers, undertakes legal research on topics of area of specialization and contributes to dissemination of policy and best practices in a given field.

Selection Criteria

Minimum education and experience, and profile of successful candidate:

•	A Law degree (JD, LLB, SJD or equivalent) from a leading university and admission to the Bar (or equivalent) in at least one jurisdiction;
•	Minimum of 12 years of relevant legal experience of which at least six years should have been in a law firm or legal department in a major corporate or similar institution in international business or finance, such as:  cross-border lending; political risk insurance; investment or project or asset finance; capital markets; or complex international arbitration or litigation. Partner level/senior management experience highly desirable. 
•	Recognized managerial skills, including managing teams in the delivery of quality output. Experience with performance management. Proven ability to work effectively with non-legal experts in cross-functional teams. Management and team management experience in an institution similar in nature to the World Bank Group a plus.
•	Recognition as an expert in a complex field(s) of law  as evidenced through experience and a proven track record of managing and delivering highly complex projects, products or other services, including advisory services and/or though a body of published work.
•	Strong transactional experience.
•	Proven strong conceptual, analytical, evaluation and analytical skills; ability to conduct independent analysis, identifying issues, formulating options and to understand complex financial structures; analyze in-depth legal issues and propose sound, reliable and creative solutions. 
•	Demonstrated maturity and judgment and sound decision-making and negotiating skills; ability to work within cross-functional groups to achieve consensus on complex policy issues; willingness to work, function and manage within a large public organization; and intellectual leadership and the ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives.
•	Superior written and oral communication skills in English; a demonstrated ability to consistently draft, deliver and supervise the delivery of high quality legal documentation and the ability to defend orally and in writing difficult issues and positions to Senior World Bank Group management, Board members, government officials etc. 
•	Ability to conduct internal investigations and transactional due diligence involving corruption-related activities in a global context including the preparation and dissemination of the investigative reports.
•	Experience evaluating potential ventures, investments, and business transactions for possible conflict of interest and corruption issues.
•	Experience advising and establishing compliance programs on anti-corruption practices as they relate to foreign payments.
•	Professional familiarity with best practices found in various debarment rules that utilize an exclusion and disclosure mechanism, such as the U.S. Federal Acquisition Regulations, the French Code des Marchés or equivalent, would be an asset.
•	Highest standards of personal integrity and independence in the exercise of his or her duties.
•	Ability to work effectively and harmoniously with all levels of staff, with clients, as a member of a team, or as team leader, on a wide range of routine and complex activities;  
•	Excellent interpersonal skills and experience working effectively in a diverse multicultural environment. 
•	Knowledge of other languages, especially Spanish or French, highly desirable.

Bank-wide Managerial Selection Criteria: 

Focusing on the Big Picture and Overall Strategic Framework for Development:
•	Identifies and pursues strategic initiatives which provide the greatest value and sustainable impact; balances long and short-term trade-offs; communicates clearly and precisely the development goals and the strategies for achieving them.

Inspiring Trust & Passion in the Bank Group's Mission:
•	Shows great drive and commitment to Bank mission; helps others understand how their daily work contributes to the Bank's mission and inspires others to proactively meet the Bank's development objectives in partnership with clients. Treats everyone fairly, consistently, and with respect. Maintains high standards of personal integrity.

Promoting Client Orientation:
•	Balances a responsive and proactive approach to meeting client needs; encourages staff to understand client needs and concerns; ensures provision of customized services and products as appropriate; responds promptly and effectively to client needs.

Driving for Results:
•	Makes things happen; is proactive; balances "analysis" with "doing"; sets high standards for self and others; identifies work objectives that are fully aligned with the Bank Group’s mission and goals.	
Selecting, Coaching, Appraising & Developing Staff:
•	Builds a team diverse in gender and nationality; appraises their ability and potential; gives candid and timely performance feedback; rewards desirable behavior; provides support for professional development efforts linked to business objectives; coaches staff to help them perform effectively.	

Planning & Managing Staff to Achieve Quality Results:
•	Develops realistic plans with available human resources; establishes high standards of performance and demonstrates a commitment to excellence; empowers staff by removing obstacles to achieve business goals; focuses on results and delivers what is promised, on time and within budget; take accountability, i.e., accept responsibility for successes and failures; does not blame others if things go wrong; holds others accountable; support others to succeed and acknowledges their contributions.

Encouraging Innovation in an Open, Team Based Environment:
•	Creates an environment conducive to teamwork, continuous learning and innovation; thinks beyond existing paradigms; builds alliances and promotes open communication and collaboration to achieve joint objectives.
		
Creating an Environment that Supports Continuous Learning & Knowledge Sharing:
•	Uses knowledge to equip clients and staff; promotes continuous learning environment; shares knowledge and information; builds partnerships and creates an environment for learning and knowledge sharing.

Influencing & Resolving Differences across Boundaries:
•	Gains support and commitment from others even without formal authority; resolves differences by determining needs and forging solutions that benefit all parties; promotes collaboration and facilitates teamwork across organizational boundaries; breaks down barriers between units.	

Promoting Diversity and Inclusion:
•	Builds diverse teams and manages differences to achieve business results. Demonstrates commitment to D&I through staffing decisions (recruitment, promotion recognition, etc.). Respects and values differences; listens with an open mind and enables all staff to actively, visibly contribute. Challenges preferences in self and others that may affect workplace decisions. Models behaviors that promote a more inclusive organizational culture.

MIGA’s Financial Structure and Products:	
•	Understands MIGA’s financial structure and products (i.e. understands financial statements, how MIGA is funded, the key risks MIGA faces and how they are mitigated). Uses analytical tools to make effective business decisions.

Women and candidates from Part II (i.e. developing) countries strongly encouraged to apply.

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