Legal Officer

The Legal Services Team is responsible for safeguarding and promoting ECMWF’s legal interests and advising the organisation on all legal implications of its various activities and proposed actions, as well as providing guidance on all legal issues to key-decision makers as required.

It provides advice and guidance to ensure that ECMWF meets its obligations under its Convention, regulations, Council decisions, and international law whilst ensuring the legal framework adequately supports the organisation in achieving its mission.

The Legal Services Team comprises the Head of Legal Services (General Counsel), a Senior Legal Officer and a Legal Officer but can also call upon the services of several external legal firms as required. It is envisaged that the team will also be supported by law clerks in the future.

The Legal Officer reports to the Head of Legal Services (General Counsel). Occasionally, the Legal Officer may receive instructions from the Senior Legal Officer inasmuch as seamless coordination with the Centre’s Copernicus activities is concerned.

ECMWF is envisaged to undergo significant organizational changes during 2023. The Legal Officer is expected to contribute to a seamless integration of legal services for Destination Earth into the wider, matrix-managed environment.

Team working and working collaboratively is essential in this role within a small, effective legal team, which will be based at two different sites. Ideally, the candidate will bring complementary skills, experience and areas of expertise to the legal function.

Main duties and responsibilities

Education

• Advanced university degree (EQF Level 7, Master's degree or equivalent) in law. Candidates must also be qualified to practice as a lawyer in one of the ECMWF Member States or Co-operating States
• Additional qualifications in relevant areas and particularly in European Union law or public international law would be an advantage

Experience

• A good working knowledge of German law (specifically German B2B contract law) is essential
• Relevant to considerable experience as an attorney or as in-house legal counsel, preferably in an international environment
• Proven experience of independently drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts, specifically commercial and information technology contracts
• Proven experience with Intellectual Property Rights
• Experience of working in a multinational, multi-site organisation and in virtual teams (highly desirable)
• Experience with German labour and social security law (desirable)
• Experience with working in a multijurisdictional setting and with public international law (desirable).
• Experience of working with or for a scientific or technical organisation or for an international organisation (desirable)

Knowledge and skills

• Excellent legal drafting and negotiation skills
• Very good working knowledge of Microsoft 365 and SharePoint,  with considerable experience of working with Microsoft Word
• Candidates must be able to work effectively in English and interviews will be conducted in English
• A good knowledge of the Centre’s other working languages German or French, would be an advantage

• Excellent verbal, written communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively and confidently communicate and work with individuals from all levels, backgrounds and cultures
• Solution-orientated with the ability to balance the legal, commercial, and strategic requirements of the role
• Ability and willingness to work as a legal generalist, applying experience and knowledge to changing and complex requirements
• Ability to work both collaboratively and independently, sharing expertise and lessons learnt with colleagues, in person and virtually
• Excellent interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to apply these to working within and across teams with stakeholders at all levels
• Excellent attention to detail

Grade remuneration

The successful candidate will be recruited at the A3 grade, according to the scales of the Co-ordinated Organisations and the annual basic salary will be EUR 103,517.76 net of tax. ECMWF also offers a generous benefits package, including a flexible teleworking policy. The position is assigned to the employment category STF-PL as defined in the ECMWF Staff Regulations. Full details of salary scales and allowances available on the ECMWF website at www.ecmwf.int/en/about/jobs, including the ECMWF Staff Regulations and the terms and conditions of employment.

Starting date:  As soon as possible

Length of contract:  The total contract duration is expected to be four years (with the possibility of further extension). The DestinE Contribution Agreement is divided into phases and the Centre is therefore required to contract initially for a period corresponding to such funding limitations, which in the case of this position means until the end of 2024. However, subject to performance, extensions to complete the four year period (which could be subsequently extended even further) are currently intended to be offered to the successful candidate as soon as funding beyond the initial phase is confirmed.

Location:  The position will be based at ECMWF's duty station in Bonn, Germany.

As a multi-site organisation, ECMWF has adopted a hybrid organisation model which allows flexibility to staff to mix office working and teleworking.

Applicants are invited to complete the online application form by clicking on the apply button.

At ECMWF, we consider an inclusive environment as key for our success. We are dedicated to ensuring a workplace that embraces diversity and provides equal opportunities for all, without distinction as to race, gender, age, marital status, social status, disability, sexual orientation, religion, personality, ethnicity and culture. We value the benefits derived from a diverse workforce and are committed to having staff that reflect the diversity of the countries that are part of our community, in an environment that nurtures equality and inclusion.

Applications are invited from nationals from ECMWF Member States and Co-operating States, listed below, and all EU Member States:

ECMWF Member and Co-operating States are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the United Kingdom.

In these exceptional times, we also welcome applications from Ukrainian nationals for this vacancy.  

Applications from nationals from other countries may be considered in exceptional cases.