Legal Documentation and Archives Officer at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Legal Documentation and Archives Officer

Location: Abuja
Institution: Ecowas Commission
Grade: P3 / P4
Status: Permanent
Departement: Office Of President
Directorate: Legal Affairs
Division: International Negotiations & Codification
Line Supervisor: Ppo International Negotiations & Codification
Supervising: Documentation & Archives Assistant

Role Overview

• Under the overall guidance and supervision of the PPO International Negotiations & Codification, the Documentation and Archive Officer will use precise methods in sorting and organizing various forms of information (hard and electronic information) into files and records for the purpose of storing preserving and retrieving them when required.

Role And Responsibilities

• Establishing and maintaining an electronic filing system;
• Scanning, photocopying and storing digital documents;
• Indexing, tracking and setting up easy retrieval system of electronic documents;
• Establish and maintain a records system of file movement within the office; maintenance of the office circulation and reading files.
• Prepare correspondence and reports related to registry activities.
• Participate in meetings and contribute to discussions on the creation and maintenance of an electronic registry/archive system in close cooperation with the ICT staff; a highly flexible archiving solution.
• Ensure document security in archiving;
• Plan, prepare and implement activities related to the automation of operations and procedures in the Documentation Section of the Legal Affairs Directorate of the ECOWAS Commission;
• Prospect, identify, examine, select and recommend the acquisition (by purchase, subscription, donation) of information material on any support, relevant to the activities of the Directorate of Legal Affairs and those of other Departments of the Organization;
• Process (catalog, index, summarize, analyze and categorize) the relevant information material that meets and / or is likely to meet the needs of the users of the Documentation Unit;
• Review, compile and recommend web links to sources and resources of electronic information;
• Oversee the process of issuing Certificates of Exemption for the import of small arms to Member States (review of the documentation accompanying the applications, analysis of the reasoned opinion given by the Departments in charge of Political Affairs, the Peace and Security, PAPS, write draft letters to Member States, prepare and submit, at the signature of the President, Certificates of Exemption, sending the signed Certificates to the diplomatic representations of the requesting States;
• Support the legal advisers with documents required for fulfillment of their responsibilities;
• Perform other duties assigned by the Director.

Academic Qualifications And Experience

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Law, with a specialization in international, administrative or commercial law from a recognized university.
• 5 years progressively practice  experience as a lawyer in the legal office of an intergovernmental organization or government;
• Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to international law;
• Knowledge  and understanding of International law ; theories, concepts and approaches relevant to organized crime, illicit trafficking, drug demand reduction, etc.;
• Knowledge of relevant regulations and rules of international organizations, as well as of applicable jurisprudence; legal and administrative expertise to analyzing a diverse range of issues and problems, in the context of the disciplinary process, and to develop innovative and creative solutions and to litigate employment-related matters.

Age Limit:

• Be below 50 years old. This provision does not apply to internal candidates.

Ecowas Key Competencies

• Ability to persuade/influence others to consider a certain point of view, adopt a new idea or implement new methods and practices;
• Ability to lead a team of trainees/junior staff and instill a spirit of teamwork to engage employees and achieve a well-defined set of activities;
• Ability to respect chain of command in an appropriate manner;
• Ability to resolve challenges that occur with minimal direction and/or to recommend and explain solutions or alternatives for approval;
• Ability to utilize the  Code of Ethics to manage self, others, information and resources;
• Ability to mentor others and create feedback loops with supervisors, colleagues and the subordinates to build strong working relationships and improve performance.
• Contribute to maintaining organizational unit’s performance goals and standards.
• Interpersonal skills with ability to keep a client informed of progress or setbacks in projects of relevance to timeline, quality and quantity;
• Ability to proactively interact with clients and build strong trusting relationships based on mutual respect and regular discussions;
• Ability to establish and sustain professional credibility with clients/stakeholders in a manner that anticipates their need, mitigates issues and that carefully balances professional obligations with the need to be sensitive and responsive to their needs;
• Ability to counsel, advise, consult and guide others on matters pertaining to assigned client service responsibilities and established  client service standards;
• Demonstrate respect for cultural differences, fairness and ability to relate well with people from varied backgrounds, nationality, gender, ethnicity, race and religion;
• Understanding of diverse cultural views especially within West Africa, with sensitivity to group differences; ability to challenge bias and to practice tolerance and empathy;
• Ability to listen actively, consider people’s concerns and apply  judgement, tact and diplomacy;
• Ability to work in a diverse and inclusive interactive environment that benefits from diverse strengths;
• Ability and responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work;
• Ability to encourage, empower, and advocate for people in an unbias and transparent manner.
• Knowledge of ECOWAS institutions, sectors, programmes and policies;
• Knowledge of ECOWAS internal operational requirements of programs, projects, services and systems required to achieve work assignments and meet performance goals;
• Knowledge of rules and procedures of ECOWAS associated assigned responsibilities and ability to explain these clearly to others;
• Knowledge of the ECOWAS culture, structures and performance issues and priorities impacting assigned responsibilities;
• Knowledge of member states development trends, indicators, challenges and opportunities as it relates to project/programme assigned to own position.
• Ability to study data/information from a variety of sources, identify anomalies, trends and issues, present findings, and make  recommendations;
• Ability to break down problems or processes into key parts to identify and solve gaps in service, quality assurance, compliance and performance targets;
• Knowledge of and ability to apply techniques to generate creative ideas and new approaches to meeting goals;
• Ability to use evidence and research to inform  policies and programs and identify relevant and appropriate sources of information, including stakeholders, regional institutions and/or internal committees.
• Demonstrate operational computer proficiency  using appropriate tools;
• Ability to make sound use of graphics and tables to effectively present numerical data to write semi-complex technical reports/proposals and edit/check templates, letters, etc.
• Ability to convey information clearly and concisely in a succinct and organized manner through both writing and verbal means, ;
• Exhibit interpersonal skills, make presentations, express opinions and debate ideas with others in a constructive manner;
• Proficiency in  information communication technologies(ICT);
• Fluency in oral and written expressions in one of the ECOWAS official languages of the Community (English, French & Portuguese). Knowledge of an additional one will be an added advantage.
• Ability to develop,  implement an individual action plan for achieving specific work  goals;
• Identify ,organize and monitor tasks throughout to facilitate execution;
• Ability to contribute and/or lead on projects as per accepted project management standards and techniques, to co-ordinate contributions by others  to set and meet deadlines;
• Ability to organize work, set priorities, and work within timelines, giving attention to details, stakeholders, indicators and risks;
• Ability to identify, collect and assess indicators to monitor performance and to take proactive remedial action as required.

Annual Salary

• UA49,106.81,USD77,480.72 (P3)
• UA56,591.37,USD89,289.87 (P4)

Application Closing Date
24th April, 2020.