Chief Counsel

World Bank Group•Washington, DC

About The Position

Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. Visit www.worldbank.org. About ICSID Established in 1966 by the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes Between States and Nationals of Other States (the Convention), ICSID fosters increased flows of private international investment by providing an impartial international forum to resolve disputes between States and foreign investors. ICSID consists of an Administrative Council and a Secretariat. The Administrative Council serves as the governing body of ICSID. The President of the World Bank chairs it and comprises representatives from each of ICSID’s 158 member states. The Administrative Council convenes annually to approve the Centre’s administrative budget, annual report, and other business. As the premier international investment arbitration facility, the ICSID Secretariat comprises a Secretary-General (SG), a Deputy Secretary-General (DSG), and 70+ staff. The Secretariat performs the day-to-day work of ICSID. It administers arbitration, conciliation, mediation, and fact-finding proceedings under the ICSID Convention and the ICSID Additional Facility. It also administers proceedings under the Arbitration Rules of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), ad hoc proceedings, and other proceedings as agreed by the disputing parties. ICSID also provides associated dispute settlement services, such as the appointment of arbitrators, conciliators, and mediators, and the determination of disqualification applications. In addition to its dispute settlement activities, the ICSID Secretariat provides technical assistance concerning international investment dispute resolution and maintains an active publications program in foreign investment law. The technical assistance program includes courses on ICSID arbitral procedure, mediation and dispute prevention. ICSID’s publications include the ICSID Review, issued three times annually. The Centre also maintains a website that provides extensive information on the Centre and its services, as well as materials on pending and concluded cases and ICSID arbitral awards and decisions. ICSID is seeking to fill three Chief Counsel positions. In addition to leading a case management team, each Chief Counsel will lead or co-lead strategic functions central to ICSID’s mission, such as: capacity building; advancing mediation, conciliation, and other ADR methods; promoting dispute prevention; managing knowledge and data; driving legal IT innovation; serving as ICSID Review Editor-in-Chief; serving as ICSID’s Chief Data Privacy Officer; promoting contract-based dispute resolution; and providing thought leadership in investor-State dispute settlement reform. Each Chief Counsel will also work closely with ICSID senior leadership on major institutional priorities, contributing to communications strategy, business development, greater efficiency in ICSID procedures, and innovation in dispute settlement to promote private-sector investment and job creation.

Requirements

Law degree (JD, LLB, LLM, PhD/SJD or equivalent) and at least 12 years of directly relevant experience.
Demonstrated expertise in international investment law, public international law, and investor‑State dispute settlement.
Extensive experience managing highly complex arbitration or dispute resolution matters and providing strategic legal guidance to senior officials.
Established record of leading high-performing legal teams, providing strategic mentorship, and managing complex, multilayered workflows. Possesses deep, practical mastery of ICSID processes, rules, and jurisprudence, coupled with a refined understanding of the operational, analytical, and case management pressures associated with high stakes international dispute resolution.
Experience with institutional strategy, policy development, and operational leadership; outstanding interpersonal, diplomatic, and stakeholder‑engagement skills.
Excellent drafting and communication skills; ability to present complex issues clearly; strong judgment, analytical rigor, and problem‑solving ability.
Ability to take informed decisions under time pressure and manage sensitive issues; capacity to work collaboratively across units and cultures.
All positions require fluency in English. Additionally, one position requires fluency in French and another requires fluency in Spanish, ICSID’s other official languages.

Responsibilities

Lead case management team to ensure consistent application of ICSID best practices and high professional standards; provide direction and operational leadership.
Advise the Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General on individual and systemic issues arising in ICSID proceedings.
Provide strategic guidance on sensitive, precedent setting, or reputationally significant matters.
Serve as Secretary in complex cases and provide oversight across the assigned case portfolio.
Contribute to the development, refinement, and implementation of ICSID best practices and knowledge products related to case administration.
Lead legal and institutional functions aligned with ICSID’s strategic priorities.
Lead, support, and oversee high-level institutional projects, audits, reporting processes, and strategic resource planning with delegated authority to make operational decisions and manage institutional risks.
Provide managerial leadership by supervising, mentoring, and developing staff; foster teamwork, collaboration, and accountability and proactively resolve operational issues. Establish clear performance expectations, manage workload distribution, and drive a high performing team culture.
Encourage knowledge‑sharing and skill development across teams; contribute to institutional management tasks, including coordination with ICSID’s Administration and Finance Team, and administrative partners across the WBG, as relevant to legal operations and policy efforts.
Participate in strategic workforce planning and in recruitment processes for ICSID legal and case management staff.
Provide internal training and guidance on case management, institutional policies, and strategic initiatives; support performance management and career development.
Serve as a change management champion to strengthen institutional effectiveness and enable modernization efforts.
Lead or contribute to projects related to modernization and innovation in dispute settlement; support knowledge creation and learning programs; steward internal knowledge flows and external publications. Take accountability for the quality, strategic relevance, and global applicability of ICSID knowledge products and learning initiatives.
Contribute to ICSID’s digital and data strategies and cross‑cutting strategic initiatives; ensure quality and global relevance of ICSID publications, including the ICSID Review.
Identify emerging legal and technological trends, advising senior leadership on strategic opportunities and risks
Promote ICSID’s mandate, services, and strategic priorities with Member States and system users; represent ICSID at conferences, workshops, and capacity‑building missions.
Serve as a senior institutional representative in high level diplomatic, governmental, and multilateral fora.
Strengthen engagement with WBG counterparts to raise awareness of ICSID’s work and leverage synergies; engage with potential arbitrators, conciliators, and mediators to expand and diversify ICSID’s rosters.

Benefits

The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

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