Recruitment of New Secretary-General

Announcement of recruitment campaign for IAP Secretary General

The position of Secretary-General of the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) is vacant from 01 January 2024.
 
The IAP is the only worldwide organisation of prosecutors and is non-governmental and non-political. The IAP provides inspiration, networking opportunities, and professional development resources to more than 250,000 prosecutors in all regions of the world.
 
We offer employment in an innovative organisation that sets ambitious targets for network growth, extended delivery of specialist training to prosecutors in all regions of the world and global implementation of digital platforms for international cooperation. The IAP work environment is flexible, cross-functional, and multicultural while the everyday work is both exciting and challenging, providing great opportunities for personal and professional development. The IAP values team performance while recognising the strength of each staff member's input and involvement.
 
About the position
 
As Secretary-General, you must have:

• A proven record of extensive leadership and management experience, preferably in a senior position within a prosecuting authority or equivalent governmental organisation
• Substantial experience as an operational prosecutor or of working within a prosecution service
• Outstanding inter-personal skills
• Excellent communication and diplomacy skills
• Fluency in written and verbal English
• Experience of corporate/organisational financial management is preferred.

 
The Secretary-General is the Chief Executive and Financial Officer of the International Association of Prosecutors (the Association) who directs the day-to-day administration of the Association while ensuring mobilisation of logistical and financial support to expand the Association’s impact and relevance.  The Secretary-General is responsible for ensuring that the Association delivers its objectives, namely to promote the role of prosecutors, raise standards for prosecutors through the provision of professional programmes and develop initiatives to improve international cooperation.
 
The Executive Committee carries the overall responsibility for the Association and directs and controls the Association's affairs.  The Secretary-General manages the Association according to the strategy, goals and lines set by the Executive Committee.  As a result, it is the Secretary-General's responsibility to ensure clear and transparent working processes, and to keep the Committee updated on any matter of relevance to enable the Committee to measure if the day-to-day administration is operating in accordance with the Association's rules.  The Secretary-General reports to the Executive Committee and is responsible for executing their resolutions and decisions.
 
The Secretary-General shall have such powers and duties as referred to in Article 12.2 of the IAP Constitution (see Annex 1) and other duties as set out in Annex 2 to this job description, which also provides more information about the nature and requirements of the position.
 
The IAP
 
The IAP delivers its objectives through three principal strands of activity as outlined below.
Firstly, to safeguard the role of the prosecutor and their role as a legal officer, the IAP actively advocates the functional independence and legal accountability of prosecutors and develops practical responses to challenges to that independence.  Furthermore, the IAP monitors threats to the safety and security of prosecutors and supports the development of practical strategies for relevant authorities to respond to those threats.  The IAP also manages a worldwide programme for prosecutors in difficulty, responding to prosecutors’ requests for assistance when they report facing challenge as a result of carrying out their prosecutorial duties.
 
Secondly, the IAP builds and maintains a worldwide community to enable prosecutors to share experiences and challenges in a trusting professional environment.  Through annual conferences and regional meetings, training sessions, workshops and webinars, the IAP routinely brings together frontline prosecutors, specialists and heads of prosecution services to network, collaborate, cooperate, and share best practice and knowledge.  Through our rapidly growing online network, the IAP provides a digital database and platform of prosecution contact points and specialists to facilitate the exchange of information and provision of casework assistance.
 
Thirdly, the IAP produces the world’s leading statements of professional standards of prosecution, as well as best practices and guidelines in relation to a wide range of criminal activity.  The IAP also facilitates specialised learning programmes in international criminal justice.  Areas of focus include mutual legal assistance, counter terrorism, cybercrime, financial crime, trafficking in persons, international crimes and crimes of sexual violence.
 
Employment conditions
 
The IAP Secretariat is based in The Hague, the Netherlands. However, the Secretary-General can work from another location, subject to the requirement that he/she must be available for regular work stays in The Hague. There is also an expectation of regular travel to other locations worldwide (which may include over weekends).
 
The Secretary-General has direct management responsibilities in relation to the General Counsel and the Executive Director, with the potential for line management responsibilities for other staff as required.
 
The Secretariat is very small and therefore the Secretary-General must be able to work independently with very limited administrative support.
 
Contract Period
 
A Secretary-General’s standard term is for six years, with eligibility for re-appointment. The position is also open for a shorter term, but not less than three years.
 
Basis of employment
 
This position is advertised on a part-time basis (approximately 2.5 days per week).  It is primarily open for secondment arrangements between the IAP and a prosecution authority (IAP Organisational Member).  A full-time secondment arrangement between the IAP and a prosecution authority will also be considered. Any Organisational Member must bear the salary cost, pension and social security contributions for the secondee.  Travel expenses for official business will be funded by the IAP.  Prior to applying, candidates should consult with their respective prosecution authority to ensure that details of any potential offered arrangements are included with the application.
 
The position is also open to applicants who are not supported in whole or in part by a prosecution authority.  However, any potential appointment in those circumstances would be provisional and wholly contingent on funding being secured and in place before the term of appointment commenced. If funding cannot be secured and put in place, then the appointment will not be effective.
 
Preference will be given to applicants who apply with support, in whole or in part, by a prosecution authority or other authority.  
 
Benefits of a secondment
 
Seconding a prosecutor to the IAP provides valuable benefits for both the Organisational Member and the prosecutor themselves.  A secondment is an opportunity for a highly skilled senior prosecutor to develop and expand their professional leadership and legal skills in a fast-paced and dynamic working environment and in an international context.  It will enable them to develop a deeper insight into working for an international organisation and to consolidate their communication, networking and collaboration skills.  For the Organisational Member, a secondment demonstrates a strong commitment to the objectives and values of the IAP in an international forum.
 
Conflicts of interest
 
The role of Secretary-General is being advertised on a part-time basis.  It is vital that there is no conflict of interest – actual, perceived or potential – with any other fee-paying or non-fee paying employment that it undertaken by a potential candidate.  All candidates are therefore invited to provide brief details of any other fee-paying or non-fee paying employment that they intend to undertake alongside the Secretary-General role for consideration by the Succession Planning Committee.
 
How to apply
 
Please consult the Job Description for further details of the role and person-specification.
 
If you are interested in applying for this position, please send your CV (no more than three pages of A4) together with a letter of motivation setting out why you are applying for the role and how you meet the requirements of the role (no more than 1250 words) to the IAP Secretary General, Han Moraal, via e-mail at sg@iap-association.org. If you are interested in learning more about the nature and requirements of the job, please feel free to contact Han Moraal on +31 648 138467.
 
Closing date
Applications will close at 23:59 hours CET on Friday 23 June 2023.
 
Please note that applications received after that date/time will not be considered.
 
Following the closing date, the IAP Succession Planning Committee will review the applications received and produce a short-list of selected candidates. The short-listed applicants will be invited for an interview either at the IAP Secretariat in The Hague or through a virtual platform.  Interviews will take place in the summer of 2023, on a date to be confirmed.
 
 
The International Association of Prosecutors
May 2023