Description

Export Control Legal Officer in the Public International Law Division, Legal Services Department, Directorate of European, Legal and International Matters. You will report to the Head of the Public International Law Division, with an additional functional reporting line for export control matters to the ESA Export Control Manager.

The European Space Agency is an international organisation and the European gateway to space. Together with its Member States, the Agency pushes the boundaries of discovery and exploration and provides space applications for the benefit of citizens on Earth. ESA’s Legal Services Department provides a broad range of legal services and advice to support the implementation of ESA’s activities and programmes. Our expertise spans a variety of legal disciplines including, but not limited to, public international law, European law, the national law of ESA’s Member States, the law of international civil servants, litigation and arbitration, intellectual property law and export control regulations. You will be part of a team of highly motivated and skilled lawyers in an inspirational, interdisciplinary and multicultural environment.
 

Duties

As an Export Control Legal Officer, you will have inter alia the following responsibilities:
 

• Conducting legal analysis and preparing legal briefs regarding developments in a) international non-proliferation regimes (e.g., the Wassenaar Arrangement and the MCTR) and b) export control and sanctions regulations, especially of the jurisdictions relevant to ESA’s activities and programmes;
• Managing European and international (in particular U.S.) export control agreements and license applications, including collecting information from internal and external customers and reviewing export license documentation; 
• Preparing legal instruments and working documents, as well as providing legal advice, assistance and solutions (including at project level) by closely interacting with the Agency’s decision-makers, in particular in public international law, export control and non-proliferation regulation and security-relevant legal fields;
• Providing legal support to global/strategic trade control compliance, transaction screening processes and procedures (incl. license exceptions) and export classification analysis; developing and conducting business-specific export compliance awareness training for ESA’s activities and programmes, and supporting internal investigations related to the subject matter;
• Attending, and providing legal support to, internal committees, boards and working groups of the Agency, as relevant to the above functions.

Technical competencies

Behavioural competencies

Result Orientation 
Operational Efficiency 
Fostering Cooperation 
Relationship Management 
Continuous Improvement 
Forward Thinking

Education

A master’s degree in law is required. Advanced studies in public international law, national law and/or in fields relevant to strategic trade controls are an asset.

Additional requirements

You should demonstrate the ability to:

Work collaboratively as part of an international team of lawyers in a professional, open-minded and team-spirited manner;

• Identify priorities and critical activities, manage workflows appropriately and demonstrate a practical and proactive attitude in problem-solving;
• Recognise and reconcile export control and sanctions regulation compliance with the needs of ESA’s programmes and activities (incl. schedule requirements) and propose sound solutions;
• Understand different legal systems and provide relevant legal advice;
• Engage with senior stakeholders both within the Agency and national administrations;
• Master English at a professional level and work in different languages (beyond your mother tongue). 

You should have at least five years of professional work experience, including in export control matters, within public administration, at an international organisation or a specialised law firm, or within industry. Relevant research and publications are an asset.