The Knowledge Management Officer (Law Library) is based in the Office of Legal Affairs (OLA) of the International Seabed Authority in Kingston, Jamaica. The role serves as the primary custodian of the organization's legal memory, bridging traditional librarianship and modern digital knowledge management so that international legal instruments, jurisprudence, internal legal opinions and institutional records are preserved, searchable and accessible to legal officers and Member States. It supports the Secretariat's legal work, including regulatory development, compliance and internal governance.
Responsibilities (under the direction of the Director/Legal Counsel):
- Law Library & Content Management: manage acquisition, organization and digital archiving of legal materials and specialized law databases; develop legal taxonomies, terminology and indexing systems (e.g., for UNCLOS and the 1994 Agreement); maintain metadata standards; prepare results-based work plans and budgets for the library and archive; coordinate preservation of digital and audio archival records and of historical legal documents, including PrepCom and UNCLOS III records.
- Legal Knowledge Strategy & Records: develop and implement a knowledge management plan for the legal department, including knowledge audits; prepare SOPs for internal electronic records; oversee records transfer and retention schedules.
- Legal Research, Investigation & Retrieval: act as lead focal point for searching, retrieving and synthesizing international instruments, national legislation, case law, decisions of the Assembly and Council; verify institutional precedents and mandates; provide research memoranda and compilations of legal authorities; maintain searchable collections of international jurisprudence (ITLOS, ICJ) and treaty texts.
- Coordination & Training: train Secretariat staff on legal research methods and digital platforms; liaise with other international law libraries and UN agencies; coordinate with the assistant librarian on legal vs. scientific materials.
Requirements: Advanced university degree (Master's) in Law, Library and Information Studies, Library Science or a related field (a first-level degree plus two additional years of relevant experience may be accepted). Minimum five years of progressive professional experience in an international organization, government, law firm or legal office, library or knowledge management environment, in areas such as knowledge or information management, library services, digital records management or complex legal research. Experience with legal research, multilateral processes, metadata and taxonomies, and digital library or records systems is desirable. English is required (UN Level III in reading, writing, listening and speaking). Initial appointment of two years, subject to funding and performance.
Closing date: 2026-10-23
HOW TO APPLY:
Apply online through the UN inspira recruitment platform (Job Opening number 26-DOC--284581-R-KINGSTON). Posting period: 9 September 2026 to 23 October 2026. Only nationals of ISA Member States are eligible. The UN does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.