Manager - Legal Operations (f-m-d)

Temporary, Full-time · Bonn, Germany (Hybrid)

The Scope

To effectively meet the challenge of protecting the world’s forests, we are committed to have the world’s most skilled people working with us. We are currently looking for an engaged Manager - Legal Operations (f-m-d) to join our Legal Department.

You will support the Programme Manager of Legal Operations, who is reporting to the Head of Legal,
to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our legal operations and the legal services offered to
internal and external clients. In this regard, you will also leverage technology for operational
optimization by participating in processes leading to the enhancement of existing legal tech tools, as
well as the introduction of new ones (e.g., for contract management, legal intake and matter
management, intranet, learning platforms and others). Furthermore, your role includes project
management, coordination and planning of projects driven or supported by the FSC Legal Department.
As a result, you will need to closely cooperate with officers and counsels in the team but also with other
units in the FSC Group as well as network partners. In general, under the supervision of the Programme
Manager, you will work with the legal operations team to support various business operations and
processes of the Legal Department.

Main Roles & Responsibilities

As a Manager for Legal Operations, you will support the implementation of the group-wide strategic
legal operations initiatives and will focus on digitization, automation, process optimization and
standardization. You will also coordinate and drive forward key strategic or legal projects in cooperation
with colleagues from various units.

The responsibilities and tasks will include in particular the following:

Supporting legal operations and driving improvements for in-house counsels and legal officers in the delivery of legal services and support within and outside of FSC.
Vendor management, including quality checks of external law and tax firms, conducting research to compare and vet providers.
Set up a knowledge hub to manage all legal knowledge, including defining rules, standards and work processes, managing information structure and locations and providing the necessary access, developing guides and training aides, etc. to promote knowledge sharing and standardization across the department.
Information Governance to implement clear guidelines on organizing, securing, storing and sharing data.
Working within the legal operations team for the seamless integration and enhancement of solutions into internal workflows and business processes and systems (e.g. CLM); including searching for and implementing new software solutions for our various activities, such as trademark enforcement and a legal intake/matter management.
Managing and/or supporting the management of projects within Legal, using project templates and the creation of project plans, interfacing with stakeholders, integrating quality control mechanisms, and monitoring and evaluating progress.
Supporting the Legal Department's yearly budget and work planning, as well as cost control.
Lead procurement planning and support resource-planning for the Legal Department.
Supporting the development of an overall reporting framework and strategy, covering relevant statistics, KPIs and progress of work of the Legal Department.

Your profile

University degree in law or economics or business administration or similar.
Minimum three (3) years of professional experience in legal operations and ideally in a law firm or international organization.
Fluency in English (spoken and written) is required; fluency in German is highly beneficial. Spanish and/or French is/are a plus.
Experience in dealing with authorities and law firms is desirable.
Quick cognitive ability and good time management skills.
Service-oriented attitude to work focusing on solving legal challenges with a strong sense of diligence and accuracy.
Proven ability to plan, organize and prioritize work proactively.
Experience in project management, financial management, reporting and analytics.
Proficient in MS Office Suite, and familiarity/experience with Adobe Acrobat. CLM software like DocuSign, MS Dynamics, MS SharePoint, MS Visio and MS Project is helpful.
Experience with contract databases or general knowledge management platforms is a strong asset.
Ability to work as a team player in a multi-cultural, inter-disciplinary and multi-lingual team.
Strong motivation and dedication to support FSC’s values and mission through excellent individual performance.
Empathetic, diligent, reliable, honest, humble, takes pride in their work, and willing to learn.
Experience supervising/managing a team is an advantage

The Fine Print

Location: Bonn, Germany, FSC International headquarter.
Working Hours: Full-time - 40 hours per week - Hybrid
Duration of contract: 2-year contract with the intend to go open-ended.
Starting Date: As soon as possible.

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About us

Welcome to FSC!

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a globally recognized non-profit organization at the forefront of promoting sustainable forestry. With over 150 million hectares of certified forests and a trusted reputation among NGOs, consumers, and businesses, FSC is leading the way in ensuring the long-term health and resilience of the world’s forests.

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We are looking forward to hearing from you!

Thank you for your interest in FSC. Please fill out the following short form. Should you have difficulties with the upload of your data, please send an email to recruitment@fsc.org.