Project Coordinator, TradeLab – International Economic Law (Trade and/or Investment)
Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar, together with the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, the University of Arizona, Qatar University School of Law and a number of international partners, is the recipient of a research award from the Qatar National Research Fund.
The Project, under the overall direction of Professor Joost Pauwelyn, proposes to design and build an on-line TradeLab in Qatar, assembling a global network of experts and students on international trade and investment law to empower smaller stakeholders, be it small or poor countries, NGOs or SMEs, and help them reap the full development benefits of global trade and investment rules.
The proposed TradeLab will – linked to existing “law clinics” at the Graduate Institute in Geneva, Georgetown Law Center, University of Arizona and the University of Ottowa, and a new “law clinic” to be established in Qatar – provide key knowledge for policymakers and the non-governmental community – in Qatar and around the world – on negotiating, implementing, understanding and enforcing trade and investment treaties, along with access to global experts with substantial direct experience who can advise on specific issues and problems.
The Project Coordinator will be based in Doha for a two-year period, with occasional travel to Geneva and within the region. At the same time, the Project Coordinator will work closely with Professor Joost Pauwelyn, based in Geneva, and other project partners across the globe (including Professor Marc Busch at Georgetown University in Washington DC; Professor Sergio Puig at University of Arizona; and Including LawGives, a legal start-up based in Silicon Valley, USA and Legal.io, a legal technology company based in Silicon Valley, USA.
This position is fulltime for two years.
The successful applicant will possess or be about to receive an LLM or equivalent with a specialization in International Economic Law, with specific interest in and knowledge of trade law and/or investment law. The candidate should preferably have conversational Arabic and experience living in the Middle East. The successful candidate will also ideally have some exposure to web design methods but if not, will receive training within the Project.
The position will start on 15th April 2016 or as soon as possible after that date. The successful candidate will be expected to attend the project kick-off workshop from 29th to 31st May 2016.
Responsibilities:
The Project Coordinator will play a critical role in developing and coordinating the “law clinic” in Qatar, maintaining communication between Geneva and Qatar as well as coordinate and further develop the broader TradeLab network of “law clinics”, experts and beneficiaries/stakeholders. Specifically, the Project Coordinator will:
• Facilitate and maintain communication amongst the research team and beneficiaries.
• Be responsible for background research and information gathering.
• Assist the Lead-PI in Switzerland and Co-Lead PI in Qatar in preparations for the fieldwork components of the project, including interview content.
• Assist the Lead-PI in Switzerland and Co-Lead PI in Qatar to establish contacts within Qatar and the region.
• Assist in analysis and writing-up of research findings.
• Prepare all project outcome documents.
• Function as a communication conduit and first point of contact between the LPI, Co-LPl, PIs and other SFS Qatar / Qatar University research and administrative personnel and managing continuous follow up on all administrative aspects of the Project's workflow.
• Other duties as assigned.
Hiring will be done through Human Resources at GU SFS-Q. Recruiting for this position will mainly target international recent LLM graduates or candidates; alternatively, the position could be of interest to a more senior person looking for a new role. The position attracts a competitive package including an attractive salary plus housing allowance, fringe benefits (medical insurance), transport allowance, and home leave after 12 months.
To apply for this vacancy, please send a letter of motivation explaining your interest in the position together with your curriculum vitae and the names and contact details of three referees (these people will not be approached until a later stage) to: Dr Fadi Makki (makkifadi@yahoo.com) and Dr Theresa Carpenter (Theresa.carpenter@graduateinstitute.ch). More information in respect of the online platform can be found at www.tradelab.org and on the “law clinics” at http://graduateinstitute.ch/trade-law-clinic. Informal enquiries may be addressed to either Dr Makki or Dr Carpenter. Once the suitable candidate is found the position will be filled.