EFSA – Legal Officer

Draft or present legal opinions, individual decisions, briefs, reports and correspondence on any legal issue referred for consideration in all areas of EFSA activities; 

Present and explain the interpretation of law or legal positions at internal or external meetings; 

Draft EFSA’s internal rules and decisions; 

Ensure the proper interpretation and implementation of all primary and secondary legislation applicable or pertaining to EFSA activities; 

Handle requests of confidentiality, public access to documents and access to environmental information, in a legally sound and accurate manner, in accordance with applicable legal framework and latest case law; 

Ensure consistent implementation of independence rules across the organisation; 

Provide legal and regulatory advice on any aspect of legal relevance, including in relation to the activities of the EFSA Scientific Committees and Panels, outsourcing procedures, financial regulation, as well as legal and regulatory matters connected to the management of human resources; 

Support claims and legal proceedings involving or relating to EFSA’s mission or activities; 

Follow up on all legislative initiatives pertaining or impacting on the Authority and coordinating with EFSA colleagues on these matters;  

Provide assistance to the Executive Director in providing the secretariat of the Management Board; 

Contribute to the creation and maintenance of an easily accessible register of legal outputs; 

Undertake, as appropriate, consultation with external sources, including EU institutions and agencies, Member States and lawyers; 

Search applicable case law and prepare summaries; 

WHAT ARE THE SELECTION REQUIREMENTS?

 

You must satisfy the following requirements on the closing date for submission of your application:

 

 

I. Eligibility criteria

 

1. General requirements

 

• Be national of a Member State of the European Union, Iceland or Norway; 

• Enjoy full rights as a citizen;

• Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by laws concerning military service;

• Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post;[1]

• Have a thorough knowledge of one of the EU official languages and a satisfactory knowledge of another EU language;

• Meet the character requirements for the duties involved.

 

2. Qualifications

 

A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least three (3) years attested by a diploma in the legal area.[2]

 

In case you do not fulfil all the eligibility criteria, your application will not be taken into consideration.

II. Selection criteria

 

The following competencies will be assessed throughout the different phases of the selection procedure. Candidates are also expected to demonstrate effective communication in both spoken and written English as well as strong motivation for the position.

 

1. Technical competencies

 

i. Experience in leading the definition of internal policies and legal documents: able to draft legal documents; able to verify compliance with the overall legal framework of the organisation; 

 

ii. Experience in managing legal processes/affairs: able to assess and handle conflict of interests within the organisation; able to handle requests involving commercially sensitive data and personal data. 

 

iii. Experience in communicating information to different target audiences: able to convey complex/technical/ sensitive legal concepts and make them understandable to the target audience in at least one of the following areas: Union food law, intellectual property law, administrative law related to transparency and confidentiality, financial rules, civil service law; able to consult and manage information sources; 

 

iv. Experience in pre-litigation/litigation process: able to effectively defend the interests of the organisation in the context of the review of administrative decisions, able to effectively defend the interests of the organisation  in the context of complaints lodged to the European Ombudsman and legal proceedings before the EU Courts; able to interpret and apply procedural and substantive requirements;

 

v. Experience in managing and improving processes: able to describe process scope, activities, inputs/outputs, actors and stakeholders involved; able to evaluate process performance, including customer satisfaction; able to ensure regular reviews of process performance and opportunities for continuous improvement. 

 

 

2. Behavioural competencies

 

i. Deal with ambiguity: Able to work constructively within unexpected and unpredictable situations and show resilience and composure, even in difficult or adverse circumstances; able to decide and act without having the total picture; accept constructive feedback in a positive manner;

 

ii. Demonstrate political savvy and strategic agility: Look beyond the current situation and visualise what the future can bring with a keen sense for arising opportunities and good understanding of how and when to best pursue them; able to think in a creative and innovative way;

 

iii. Focus on stakeholder needs: Committed to meet the expectations and requirements of internal and external stakeholders; establish and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders and gain their trust and respect;

 

iv. Plan and measure for results: Set ambitious goals that exceed the targets and create plans to achieve them; ensure an efficient and responsible planning and management of resources;

 

v. Work with others: Work confidently within a group and contribute to achieve the common goals, understanding own role and how it supports the team and the organisation; able to cooperate, listen actively, manage conflicts and motivate colleagues.

 

NOTE

 

[1] Before appointment, a successful candidate shall be medically examined by an institution’s medical officer in order that the European Food Safety Authority may be satisfied that he/she fulfils the requirement of article 28(e) of the Staff Regulations of the Officials of the European Communities.

 

[2] Any academic qualification mentioned in the application form shall be duly supported by evidence (original or certified copies of e.g. diplomas, certification, etc.) Only qualifications issued by EU Member State authorities and qualifications recognised as equivalent by the relevant EU Member State authorities will be accepted. In instances where diplomas are obtained from a non-EU Member State, EFSA may request the candidate to provide a relevant document of comparability issued by a recognised authority.