National Legal Expert in Fisheries

Job Description – National Legal Expert in Fisheries (2600082)

Job posting date: 14/Jan/2026

Closure date: 28/Jan/2026, 10:59:00 PM

FEUKR – FAO Project Office in Ukraine

Non‑staff opportunities – PSA (Personal Services Agreement)

Home‑Based, Ukraine

11 months

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Closure date and time displayed above are based on the date and time settings of your personal device.

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

• 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 persons 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.
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director‑General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has reinforced its presence in Ukraine by signing an agreement with the Government to set up a Project Office that will facilitate and expand the provision of technical and humanitarian assistance to the country’s most vulnerable communities, especially in rural areas.

Ukraine joined FAO in 2003 and since 2015 the Organization has been operating in two strategic directions: emergency humanitarian response in conflict‑affected oblasts and agricultural development across the whole country. Following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, FAO has scaled up its activities in the country to support agricultural production and food systems with the aim of protecting the food security of vulnerable households and communities across Ukraine.

This is a home‑based role, with the incumbent working from Ukraine.

Under the overall supervision of the Head of Office and the Head of Programme, the technical guidance and supervision of the Legal Officer in FAO Headquarters and day‑to‑day supervision and guidance from the Project Manager, and in collaboration with the National Fisheries Specialist in Ukraine.

The technical focus is on legal and regulatory support for digital fisheries management systems, including E‑Fish, within the ongoing reform of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors. This includes assessing and addressing legal and institutional gaps, ensuring alignment with EU legislation and FAO guidelines, and providing clear legal guidance to national authorities to support effective implementation of digital tools and European integration objectives.

• Provide expert and legal support in the implementation of the EU acquis in the field of fisheries and aquaculture.
• Participate in discussions of draft Acts and prepare reports and technical recommendations based on results.
• Contribute to work on comments and proposals from competent public authorities and relevant stakeholders to ensure the maximum level of incorporation of these proposals in the final draft Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Regarding the Implementation of European Union Legislation in the Field of Fisheries”.
• Contribute, due regard to a prioritization made by national public authorities, to drafting regulatory frameworks to set up a legal base necessary for the proper implementation of the Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Regarding the Implementation of European Union Legislation in the Field of Fisheries”.
• Support the drafting of legislation in the field of…