CESSDA ERIC is hiring a Legal Officer

The Consortium of European Social Science Data Archives (CESSDA) is a pan-European distributed research infrastructure (ERIC) that provides large-scale, integrated and sustainable data services to the social sciences research community to conduct high-quality research and contribute to solutions to major societal challenges.

Job title - Legal Officer with specialisation in HR

Contract - Three-year fixed-term contract with the possibility of a permanent contract

Hours - Half-time position up to a full-time position, depending on the profile of the  candidate

 Responsible to - Director & Head of Operations

Job location - CESSDA ERIC Bergen, Norway

Working language - English

Information  - https://www.cessda.eu/ 

Role

He/she will be responsible for monitoring all legal affairs within CESSDA and providing legal advice to the Head of Operations and Director in handling both internal and external legal matters.

As a legal officer, ideally with a speciality in employment law or human resources, you will follow the development of legal frameworks and focus on the legal compliance of Norwegian and European Union law, and, where appropriate, other national laws. 

You will also provide legal guidance, design and implement legal frameworks and policies in other related HR fields, data governance and regulations linked to European Research Infrastructures (ERIC).

This is an excellent opportunity to combine national and European law on strategically important topics for the organisation, such as HR and Data Governance. 

Legal matters and HR

• Provide analysis and advice on Norwegian employment laws and matters linked to HR policies, and European regulations or directives. 

• Review or draft  internal rules, contracts and other legal instruments, in line with local and European law.

• Prepare synthesis notes and briefings to the Head of Operations regarding contractual obligations and adjust CESSDA’s internal processes and policies according to the obligations.

• Follow the national unions' negotiations of collective agreements, and prepare synthesis notes and briefings regarding obligations derived from collective agreements.

• Advise the Director on HR and employment-employee relationship processes.

Developments, Regulations and Laws in the context of Data Governance and AI

• Perform research on legal resources such as articles, codes, statutes, judicial decisions and more to stay up to date on data governance matters at the European (e.g., GDPR and DGA) and national level and make legal recommendations.

• Prepare briefings or meetings on development, legal obligations and/or procedures derived from changing laws.

• Stay up to date on relevant laws and make well-educated legal recommendations.

• Follow developments linked to AI.

ERIC Regulations

• Provide advice on ad hoc questions in the context of ERICs (European Research Infrastructure Consortia). 

Other

• Support the Management Team concerning legal questions. 

Qualifications and Experiences

• Master's in Law or Employment Law or Human Resources or equivalent academic qualification.

• At least three years of working experience

  • In designing policies based on legal requirements.

• Good knowledge and understanding of the Norwegian laws (specifically in HR).

• Have strong drafting and analytical skills combined with sound legal judgement.

• Excellent communication skills in Norwegian and English. 

• Sensitivity to privacy and confidentiality issues, application of GDPR rules.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment independently.

• Thorough knowledge of Microsoft Office and/or other administrative tools. 

Assets

• Have sound knowledge of EU legal and institutional matters;

• Experience in translating complex legal matters in layman's terms.

Desired skills/Attitude

• Critical and analytical skills

• Ownership and result-oriented

• Team player

• Adaptability

What we offer

• Exposure to an international environment and the opportunity to make one's mark and contribute to the shaping of the ERA and European Research Infrastructure landscape in the domain of legal advice for the Social Sciences.

• Salary in line with similar roles in the public sector in Norway; final salary dependent upon the work experience of the successful candidate. 

• Hands-on experience with setting up legal processes and policies in an international context.

• Being part of an international team;

• Opportunity for developing professional skills;

• Private Health insurance;

• AFP (early retirement) Premium pension scheme; 

• Friendly working environment and the chance to contribute to projects of positive societal impact;

• The central location of the Office regarding the Bergen city centre and the airport.

Diversity & Inclusion

At CESSDA ERIC, we are committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness. We value diversity in backgrounds and experiences. This is reflected in our largely diverse and inclusive community of partners and employees. In recruiting for our team, we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of education, culture, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation and beliefs.

Application Process

• To apply, send a letter of motivation that describes your qualifications, experience, and specific outlook for the post, with the names of two referees or reference letters and a CV in a single PDF, to cessda@cessda.eu. All documents have to be in English.

• Short-listed candidates will be first interviewed virtually. Successful candidates will be invited to Bergen, Norway. 

• The vacancy is open until filled. 

For general information, please contact:

• Nina Bakanova, Organisation Support Assistant, nina.bakanova@cessda.eu.

phone: +47 401 00 964.

For information on the post and requirements, please contact:

• Vanja Komljenovic, Head of Operations, vanja.komljenovic@cessda.eu.  

CESSDA is financed and composed of 22 member countries. It is one of 32 European Research Infrastructures (ERICs) on the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) Roadmap, part of the ERIC Forum, the SSHOC (Social Sciences and Humanities Open Cluster) and contributes to the build-up of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC).

The secretariat called the Main Office supports its Members, Service Providers and international partners and initiates, coordinates and aligns strategic activities.