Senior Legal Officer – Employment

Senior Legal Officer – Employment

EMBL – European Molecular Biology Laboratory

Heidelberg, Germany

Organisation data: Legal Services
Job Number: HD02613
Contract Type: Staff Member
Contract Duration-Length of Time (years/months): 5 years (renewable up 9 years)
Advertised Grade-Grading: 7 or 8; depending on qualifications and experience (monthly salary starting from 4.9k€ to 5.6k€ after tax, plus other benefits)
Closing date: 7 June 2024

About the team/job

We are Europe’s research laboratory for the life sciences – an intergovernmental organisation performing scientific research in disciplines including molecular biology, physics, chemistry and computer science. We are an international, innovative and interdisciplinary laboratory with more than 1900 employees from many nations, operating across six sites, in Heidelberg (HQ), Barcelona, Hinxton near Cambridge, Hamburg, Grenoble and Rome. EMBL offers and maintains a vibrant, cooperative, team-oriented and open working atmosphere, and Legal Services is a diverse team of different nationalities and gender.

The unit “Legal Services” is part of EMBL’s Administration and Operations reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, with lawyers based in Headquarters in Heidelberg and in Hinxton at EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute. We have overall responsibility for all legal matters involving EMBL, both nationally as well as internationally. Given EMBL’s status as an International Organisation, its operation is governed by the rules of Public International Law.

We are looking for an experienced Senior Legal Officer to manage employment-related legal matters. The successful candidate will have a strong background in international civil service law, with specific expertise in handling disputes before administrative tribunals like the ILO Administrative Tribunal (ILOAT), managing internal appeals, disciplinary and similar procedures, providing advisory in the development of employment Administrative Issuances, as well as ongoing counsel to stakeholders at all levels of seniority.

Your role

This role is based in EMBL Headquarters in Heidelberg and will report to the Head of Legal Services.

Main duties and responsibilities include:

• Day-to-day legal advisory to Human Resources and other stakeholders regarding the interpretation and implementation of EMBL’s legal framework in the area of employment;
• Representing EMBL in employment-related disputes from internal appeals stage to cases submitted to the ILOAT, including drafting of all relevant submissions;
• Representing EMBL in other relevant procedures, including disciplinary, recognition of disabilities, etc.;
• Development and review of EMBL Administrative Issuances to ensure EMBL’s legal framework remains relevant and up-to-date;
• Upon instruction and delegation, performing administrative pre-assessment or investigation procedures, and/or advisory in these respects;
• Representation on internal Committees;
• Representation in Working groups, including those evolving EMBL’s legal employment framework;
• Any other task upon request.

You have

• A minimum of 8 years relevant experience post-qualification;
• Working experience in advising on international civil service law (including disputes), including gained by working for an International Organisation;
• A law degree, and are qualified to practice (although bar-admission is not required);
• Demonstrated ability to take on complex and/or cross-site/cross-functional projects (including those with policy or strategy-level relevance) with limited supervision;
• Demonstrated to work effectively independently, but you know when you need to escalate matters;
• Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively communicate and manage relationships with senior staff;
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in legal research;
• A keen sense for developing practical solutions, while ensuring risks are mitigated to an appropriate level;
• Fluency in English, including excellent legal review and writing;
• Tact, discretion, and the ability to work harmoniously in a multi-cultural environment.

You might also have

• An LLM or PhD degree;
• Fluency in French and/or German;
• Relevant expertise gained in a scientific environment.

Why join us

EMBL is curiosity-driven, community-oriented and international. As an inclusive, equal opportunity employer, we believe that diversity enables us to collaborate more effectively and be innovative in our approaches.

EMBL offers attractive conditions and benefits appropriate to an international research organisation with a very collegial and family-friendly working environment. Competitive salary and social security benefits, financial support for relocation, a relaxed culture, professional development, an on-site nursery, canteen and other staff facilities make EMBL a great place to work.

Enjoy lots of benefits

• Financial incentives: Income tax expemtion, monthly family, child and non-resident allowances, annual salary review, a pension scheme, life insurance, long-term care, accident-at-work and unemployment insurances;
• Flexible working arrangements;
• Certified training and continued development of your professional and personal skills;
• Private medical insurance for you and your immediate family;
• Generous time off: 30 days annual leave per year;
• Generous relocation package including installation grant (if applicable);
• Family benefits: On-site nursery, 10 days of child sick leave, generous parental leave and monthly family and child allowances;
• Benefits for international newcomers: Visa exemption, education grant for private schooling, financial support to travel back to your home country every second year and a monthly non-resident allowance.

What else you need to know

Please note that appointments on fixed term contracts can be renewed up to 9 years in total, depending on circumstances at the time of the review.

Don’t meet every single requirement? We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply nevertheless.

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