[Hiring] National Legal Specialist @Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Role Description

FAO Sri Lanka is recruiting a National Legal Specialist – IAS, tasked with providing technical guidance to strengthen Sri Lanka’s national institutional and legal biosecurity frameworks for the prevention and management of IAS. The Specialist will assist the Government of Sri Lanka in establishing a robust, coherent, and operational IAS legal system that prevents new introductions, mitigates existing impacts, and enhances long-term ecosystem resilience.

• Conduct a comprehensive review of existing national legislation and institutional mandates related to the control of IAS, including biodiversity and plant protection laws.
• Identify legal gaps, overlaps, and areas requiring updates, harmonization, or new instruments to strengthen the effective control of IAS.
• Support the development or updating of legal instruments and institutional frameworks to strengthen the control of IAS, considering cross-cutting issues such as gender, community engagement, and ecosystem resilience.
• Support the development of standard operating procedures and protocols for IAS prevention, monitoring, and rapid response.
• Support the PMU to liaise with government agencies in strengthening institutional coordination and governance for IAS management.
• Support the PMU in organizing and facilitating workshops and consultation meetings for stakeholders.
• Provide technical support on the implementation of IAS risk assessments and border biosecurity measures.
• Support the development of guidance documents, manuals, and templates to support consistent application of IAS legislation.
• Promote awareness on legislative compliance and the importance of the control of IAS.
• Undertake any other tasks as requested by the FAOR / AFAOR (Programme).

Qualifications

• Advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in Environmental Law. Specialization in Biodiversity law, Biosecurity law, or a related field desirable.
• Minimum of seven years of experience in reviewing legal frameworks including drafting and reviewing environment-related legislation.
• Strong knowledge in national and international legal instruments related to biodiversity/invasive alien species (IAS) and biosecurity systems.
• Working knowledge of English and fluency in Sinhala and/or Tamil.
• National of Sri Lanka or resident of the country with valid work permit.

Requirements

• Strong expertise in IAS management, biosecurity systems, and relevant national and international legal frameworks.
• Proficient in reviewing, analyzing, and harmonizing legislation and institutional mandates.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills, with the ability to identify gaps and propose actionable legal solutions.
• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills, with the ability to work independently and coordinate effectively with government agencies and stakeholders.

Benefits

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Selection Criteria

• Proven expertise in reviewing, drafting or harmonizing IAS-related legislation, and institutional mandates.
• Experience in legislative review and drafting.
• Experience in strengthening biodiversity governance frameworks and coordinating effectively with government agencies and stakeholders.
• Familiarity with the UN System and/or development sector will be considered an asset.