Legal Specialist

Job Posting: 29/Aug/2025 Closure Date: 12/Sep/2025, 4:59:00 PM Organizational Unit: FLBRA - FAO Representation in Brasil Job Type: Non-staff opportunities Type of Requisition: NPP (National Project Personnel) Grade Level: N/A Primary Location: Brazil-Sao Luis Duration: 12 months Post Number: N/A IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device - FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture - Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply - Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values - FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination - FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations._ **Organizational Setting** - In April 2025, the Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) for the Sustainable Development of the Brazilian Legal Amazon approved the UNJP/BRA/097/UNJ project "Environmental Regularization Project through Land Governance and Territorial Planning, as a pillar for Sustainable Development / Land for Women Project". The intervention was conceived by the Institute of Colonization and Lands of Maranhão (ITERMA) and will have the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as the executing agency. The "Land for Women" project aims to promote land and environmental regularization in settlement areas and rural communities in Maranhão, with a priority focus on women heads of household. Seeking to reduce social inequalities, expand territorial governance and promote sustainable agricultural practices, the intervention will combine land titling actions, training in sustainable practices and entrepreneurship, access to credit and environmental monitoring, with a view to ensuring land tenure security, promoting access to public policies and strengthening economic autonomy. The project is organized into three project components/deliverables, namely: - Formalization of women's lands in rural and traditional communities. - Training in bioeconomy practices, sustainable management and female entrepreneurship. - Technical capacity of the Governments of Maranhão and Pará for land monitoring and environmental enforcement strengthened. **Reporting Lines** The Legal Specialist will work under the overall supervision of the Assistant Representative for the FAO Programme Unit in Brazil and under the technical guidance of the MPTF Project Coordinator. This role will be legally overseen by LEGN and specific outputs will be submitted for the unit’s validation. **Technical Focus** The Legal Specialist will work in the legal scope of the "Lands for Women" project, with an emphasis on the legal analysis of actions aimed at land and environmental regularization, the formulation of normative strategies and the strengthening of institutional governance. It will act as a technical articulator between the executing spheres, the state government and institutional partners, promoting legal certainty to the project's actions, normative alignment with state and national public policies, and compliance with the parameters of FAO, MPTF and Brazilian legislation. The focus also includes support for the modeling of innovative titling mechanisms, the expansion of access to rights, and the structuring of legal arrangements for sustainable development with a gender perspective. **Tasks and Responsibilities** - Support the coordination of the project and counterparties in the legal analysis of proposals for acts, contracts, terms of cooperation, drafts and instruments that may arise from the project's actions, with a view to regulatory compliance, legal certainty and adherence to the principles of public administration. - Provide legal support for land and environmental regularization processes, with a focus on titling for women heads of household in rural areas, considering ethnic, gender, and race approaches. - Participate in the formulation of proposals for legal and institutional guidelines for land governance in Maranhão, promoting alignment with federal legal frameworks and international best practices. - Support the development of internal regulations, technical opinions and legal notes that ensure the correct legal framework of the project's actions. - Work with state and federal agencies (such as ITERMA, PGE, SEMA, INCRA, MJSP, FAO) and civil society organizations to ensure legal certainty in strategic processes and decisions. - Contribute to the preparation and review of terms of reference, notices, contractual instruments and admi