Legal Assistant at European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)

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.

Legal services are provided by the Legal Services department located at EMBL’s Headquarters. Responsibilities comprise collaborations with other scientific institutions and (member) states, research grants, safeguarding EMBL’s privileges and immunities, employment law matters and settlement of various types of disputes. 

Your role

• Support the Head of Legal Services, the Deputy Head, and the Principal Legal Officer/Senior Legal Officer EMBL-EBI in their day-to-day work, including managing calendars, travel (and reimbursement), organization of meetings and working groups (including minute taking from time to time), oversight on legal budgets, etc.;
• Liaise with support staff in the Offices of the Director General, the Chief Operating Officer, the Head of International Relations and others as necessary;
• Manage and file of all legal matters handled by the entire team across two EMBL sites (Heidelberg and Hinxton) in an electronic Legal Document Management System (we use LECARE, hence familiarity with this DMS would be a plus, but is not a requirement), including managing the backend of the DMS (user and client management, access rights, document retention);
• Manage correspondence with the Administrative Tribunal of the International Labour Organization, including ensuring that legal submissions prepared by the legal team (and relevant schedules) are complete and submitted within deadline, as well as legal submissions to other courts or agencies from time to time;
• Handle invoices addressed to the Legal Team;
• Prepare presentations as instructed, and ensure other documents prepared by the team conform to desired standards and formatting;
• Welcome interns and trainees who work in the office from time to time and ensuring their integration into the office, including preparation of contracts and evaluations
• Performing (legal) research under delegation and supervision from time to time;
• Maintain intranet and internet web presence;
• Perform any other tasks as instructed. 

You have

• Excellent secretarial, administrative and organizational skills;
• Ability to pay attention to detail and to interact with people in a friendly and professional manner;
• Outstanding capability to work in a team;
• Proven working experience as personal assistant, secretary, or team assistant;
• Proficiency in English and German;
• Strong organizational and follow-through skills, orderly and detail-oriented with ability to prioritize work with accuracy and efficiency while staying focused and calm under pressure;
• Ability to work independently, take responsibility, take initiative, and problem-solve using sound judgment;
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information;
• Ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with internal clients and other stakeholders at all levels of seniority;
• Ability to function effectively and thrive in an international and diverse environment;
• Ability to function effectively supporting a team located across sites;
• Proficiency with technology, including but not limited to Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, cloud-based services 

You might also have

• Familiarity with law, legal procedures and protocols, and court systems;
• Experience working for an International Organisation;
• Experience working in a Legal Department or a Law Firm, or otherwise supporting a central organizational function;
• Proficiency in French, Spanish, or Italian;
• Working knowledge of a Document Management System.

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. We are, therefore, committed to creating an inclusive and flexible culture – one where everyone can realise their full potential and make a positive contribution to our organisation. 

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.

**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. 

What else you need to know

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

If you feel you have the right skills and experience, please apply online submitting your CV and cover letter.