Senior Operations Coordinator / Legal Reform Adviser (SOM-9115)

3-2026 Call for Contributions — EUCAP Somalia

European Union Capacity Building Mission in Somalia (EUCAP Somalia) | Published: 20.10.2026

Position Overview & Specifications

• Position Title: Senior Operations Coordinator / Legal Reform Adviser

• Reference Number: SOM-9115

• Duty Station / Location: Mogadishu

• Availability: ASAP

• Employment Regime: Seconded

• Component / Unit: Operations / Mission Support

• Security Clearance Level: NOT REQUIRED

• Open to Contributing Third States: NO

• Reporting Line: The Senior Operations Coordinator/Legal Reform Adviser reports to the Deputy Head of Operations.

Main Tasks and Responsibilities

• To coordinate the work within Rule of Law Unit, including all Rule of Law activities and all activities conducted by Legal Reform Advisors and Legal Officers to ensure a Mission-wide, systematic, coordinated and strategic approach when delivering products;

• To coordinate and cooperate closely with other Senior Advisors in the Operations Coordination Team;

• To advise the Head of Operations regarding the Mission’s activities in the area of Rule of law and regarding identified host state’s needs and recommended support by the Mission;

• To coordinate over local legislative/normative/regulatory frameworks and ensure a consistent approach, including in respect of legal policy, legislative drafting, legislative and legal policy capacity building and legislative priorities;

• To provide advice to Heads of Field Offices on Rule of Law Advisory over technical quality control to promote functional coherence among all Field Offices;

• To provide strategic guidance and direction on legal reform topics and on Rule of Law Advisory in order to promote functional coherence among all Legal Reform Advisors and Legal Officers in the Field Offices;

• To coordinate closely with other EU/international actors involved in this field;

• To coordinate the work of the advisors in the area of criminal justice chain and police- prosecutor co-operation, in particular in regard to (maritime) criminal investigations and prosecution between law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and courts;

• To coordinate the work of the advisors in the area of sustainable training and organisational systems for judges, prosecutors and other justice system officials and personnel of civilian maritime law enforcement agencies;

• To coordinate the work of the advisors in the area of sustainable legal training for law enforcement, judicial and other authorities, including the development and organisation of integrated courses to improve the coordination and cooperation between the (maritime) law enforcement agencies, prosecution and courts;

• To coordinate the work of the advisors in identifying and reporting on lessons and best practices within the field of criminal justice, with particular reference to maritime related crime;

• To coordinate and provide the input to the development and regular updating of the Mission Implementation Plan by supporting the identification of Mission's operational requirements;

• To support host state authorities as directed by the Head of Operations;

• To support operations departments’ contribution to the Mission's internal and external reporting against benchmarking, assessing the consistency and sustainability of Mission's training activities across time, and providing recommendations for the improvement of Mission's performance;

• To contribute to Mission induction training of Mission personnel regarding Rule of Law activities as required;

• To identify and report on lessons and best practices within the field of responsibility;

• To coordinate the work of the advisors in the area of legal research;

• To participate as required in duty trips in the area of operations of the Mission, including other high-risk areas.

General Tasks and Responsibilities

• To identify and report on lessons learned and best practices within the respective area of responsibility;

• To contribute and ensure timely reporting on activities within the respective area of responsibility;

• To take account of gender equality and human rights aspects in the execution of tasks;

• To undertake any other related tasks as requested by the Line Manager(s).

Essential Qualifications and Experience

• Successful completion of university studies of at least 4 years attested by a diploma in law OR a qualification in the National Qualifications Framework in law which is equivalent to level 7 in the European Qualifications Framework OR a qualification of the second cycle under the framework of qualifications of the European Higher Education Area in law, e.g. Master's Degree; AND

• A minimum of 6 years of relevant professional experience, after having fulfilled the education requirements.

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of legal reform processes in fragile environments, including the development of legal policy and legislation;

• Comprehensive reading and analytical skills;

• Complex problem-solving skills;

• Legal drafting skills;

• Teaching and advisory skills.

Desirable Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Experience in and sound practical understanding of legal reform processes in fragile environments, including the development of legal policy and legislation;

• Experience in criminal justice reform either domestically or internationally;

• Experience in mentoring or conducting legal training;

• Experience in the field of legislative/normative/regulatory reforms in a post-conflict situation;

• Experience as a practising lawyer, preferably in the field of criminal justice;

• International experience, particularly in crisis areas with multinational and/or international organizations.

• Political acumen;

• Knowledge of maritime law, fishery law, ISPS code, shipping law trafficking/human smuggling and environmental law of the sea;

• Knowledge of constitutional law;

• Knowledge about Sharia Law, Xeer/Heer and alternative dispute resolution systems.

Application Procedure & Guidelines

Deadline for applications: 12 November 2026 at 17:00 (Brussels time / CET).

Candidates holding the citizenship of an EU Member State must apply using Goalkeeper:

• Already registered on Goalkeeper with EU Login: https://goalkeeper.eeas.europa.eu/registrar/web

• New applicant without a Goalkeeper account or EU Login: https://goalkeeper.eeas.europa.eu/registrar/web/DPA/357/details.do

• Seconded Positions: Some positions are only accessible to Seconded candidates. Please contact your National Seconding Authority (NSA) to be included in their list of seconded candidates. A Goalkeeper profile is required.

• Contributing Third States (CTS): Seconded candidates from contributing Third States (non-EU) must contact their NSA and submit their application through official national channels using Annex 3 application form.

• Recruitment Contact: For information relating to selection and recruitment, contact Civilian Operations Headquarters (CivOpsHQ): Mr. Moha CHARKI via [email protected]

Official Mission Documents

• Annex 1 - Requirements and Job Descriptions: Download Annex 1 (PDF)

• Annex 2 - List of Recommended Equipment: Download Annex 2 (PDF)

• CivOpsHQ Privacy Statement: Download Privacy Statement (PDF)