Legal and Contracts Officer

Legal and Contracts Officer in the Directorate of Industry, Procurement & Legal Services. Assigned to the Legal Services Department or to the Procurement & EU Administration Department, the postholder reports initially to the Head of Department and may later be reassigned to a Division.

Under the direct authority of the Head of Department, the Officer will receive work assignments involving the following tasks:

• analysing legal documentation and taking action regarding the relevant legal and regulatory environment in which the Agency operates;
  
• drafting opinions, reports and working documents on legal problems arising in the Agency’s day- to-day operations and in implementing applicable rules and policies;

• supporting preparation of the legal instruments governing the Agency’s activities, programmes and procurement contracts;

• advising on the formulation and application of Agency’s rules, regulations and contract conditions;

• preparing draft agreements and contracts with public and private contractors, participating in their negotiation;
  
• preparing requests for offers/invitations to tender;
  
• participating in the evaluation of offers and tenders;
  
• preparing and negotiating the resulting contracts;
  
• participating in monitoring the execution of the contracts;
  
• dealing with administrative, contractual, legal and industrial problems arising from the procurements concerned.

The postholder will liaise closely with the initiating services technically responsible for the projects with which they are concerned, advising them on all procurement and legal matters.

Applicants should have a Master’s degree, or equivalent qualification, in law or economics, including advanced studies specialising in contract law, supplemented by at least four years’ work experience in a public administration, international organisation, business or a specialised law firm.

Qualification for admission to the bar and/or advanced law studies, and publications on international law or contract law, will be definite assets.

Applicants should demonstrate:

• the ability to engage with senior stakeholders;
• the ability to work collaboratively in a team of lawyers, achieve professional goals, identify priorities and adjusts them as required;
• professional talent to analyse, draft and present international legal acts and procurement acts.
• the ability to understand and formulate contractual/legal texts in both english and French languagues, which is of particular importance for this post.

Candidates should have professional experience of the law and regulations applicable to public procurement in the jurisdiction of at least one ESA Member State.