NATO offers you more than a job. It gives you a mission: building peace and security for one billion people in Europe and North America. The NATO Communications & Information Agency is leading NATO’s Digital Transformation.  Based in Brussels the Managing Counsel plays a key role in supporting the Legal Adviser of the NCI Agency in managing the day-to-day organization of legal staff and business matters, and providing legal expertise on matters relevant to a defence technology body in an international organization.

Who we are:

For more than 70 years, NATO’s mission has been to preserve peace and security in the Alliance for nearly one billion citizens. The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency) and its predecessors have worked tirelessly in providing the means that enable the connectedness and togetherness that keep our Alliance strong. We are the NCI Agency, a team of 3000 civilian and military staff in 29 locations throughout Europe, North America and Asia.

Our technology and cyber experts allow NATO to conduct critical operations, protect NATO’s airspace, make data-driven decisions, defend against cyber-attacks, secure NATO networks and maintain superiority in space. This is all possible because due of our greatest force, our people. In order to keep this edge we aim to hire, train and retain the very best people.

The role:

The Managing Counsel is a skilful lawyer and experienced manager, with significant expertise in cross-cutting legal domains.  The work the NCI Agency deliver spans multiple NATO and partner nations, and encounters the ever-evolving challenges of a customer-funded (billable) business model within a public body.  As such, this role is most suitable for a highly efficient, versatile, and strategic lawyer with the ability to adapt easily to a variety of professional and national cultures, sophisticated legal acumen with strong understanding of current technology issues (e.g. cybersecurity, data policies, cloud policies), and diverse international experience gained in both the public and/or private sector.

Reporting to the Legal Advisor of the NCI Agency this role will be part of a lean and experienced in-house legal team operating within a very fast moving environment who tackle a breadth of issues ranging from technology / cybersecurity matters, data protection, contract and in-house corporate matters, administrative review proceedings, procurement, litigation/arbitration, and public international law.  The Managing Counsel will have three focus areas:

Subject Matter Leaders:

·       Advise Agency and NATO stakeholders on corporate, defence and international law topics, including: procurement, technology contracts, arbitration, data protection, intellectual property rights, governance, privileges and immunities, employment, export licenses, tax, customs duty exemptions, operational law, and non-disclosure agreements

·       Advise Agency stakeholders on current legal issues affecting technology and cyber organizations and employees (located across 12 NATO nations)Advise Agency stakeholders on NATO rules including financial, procurement, and governance regulations and policies, in support of the Agency’s technology implementation and acquisition role

·       Draft, negotiate, and review multilateral agreements with NATO nations and other international bodies

·       Develop plans and conduct training on a broad range of legal matters including cybersecurity, data protection, employment, ethics

·       Lead dispute resolution cases pertaining to employment disputes, fraud, disciplinary matters

·       Anticipates and implements solutions to existing and potential legal problems

·       Designs legal analysis strategies to support organizational goals

Leader:

·       Organize both predictable and ad hoc workflow in an environment that blends corporate legal work with a crisis response mandate, to ensure optimal effectiveness in delivery; Develop and manage workflow and resource processes to optimize provision of advice and sharing of institutional knowledge

·       Manage, guide, and advise lawyers in personnel disputes and representation before the NATO Administrative Tribunal

Management:

·       Manage legal staff comprising a team of civilian and military lawyers, and support staff, and Agency expectations in alignment with the Strategic Plan and Business Plan; directly support the Legal Adviser in implementing the Legal Office’s strategic vision and operational plans

·       Build strong relationships across the Agency, Agency Supervisory Board, NATO and NATO nations to enhance effectiveness and pertinence of legal advice, and contribute to strategic direction of the Legal Office

·       Provide advice and guidance to all levels of governance, including the Agency Supervisory Board

·       Represent the Legal Adviser in proceedings before the NATO Administrative Tribunal

For a full list of duties you can review the full job description here which you can access via the NCI Agency Careers site.

About you:

You easily establish good relationship and are able to relate to people at all levels.  You produce new ideas, approaches and insights to deliver innovate solutions to problems.  Able to adapt to changing circumstances you can manage ambiguity, accept new ideas and change initiatives.  You uphold ethics and values demonstrating integrity by promoting equal opportunities, further to this you have:

·       A Master’s degree in Law at a nationally recognised/certified University in a related discipline and 10 years post-related experience.

·       Broad experience (at least 10 years) as a lawyer, with managerial responsibilities, in the public or private sector handling a combination of issues such as: employment issues, technology / cybersecurity matters, data protection, contract and in-house corporate matters, administrative review proceedings, procurement, litigation/arbitration, and public international law

·       Demonstrated skill in ensuring productivity and efficiency in a public or private service delivery organization

·       Excellent written and verbal advocacy skills including the ability to analyse complex questions quickly and draft succinctly

·       Demonstrated experience in roles requiring adaptation to complex and fast changing political environments

·       Demonstrated experience in understanding and addressing client needs in a technology setting

·       Experience working with rules governing personnel matters in an international organization

·       Ideally litigation experience

·       Experience managing outside counsel

·       Demonstrable experience in enhancing team communications and conflict management

What do we offer?

·       Genuinely meaningful work as part of the most successful alliance in history

·       Initial three year contract with competitive monthly tax-free salary of 10,318 EUR and household & children’s allowances

·       Privileges for expatriate staff including expatriation and education allowances (where appropriate) and additional home leave

·       Excellent private health insurance scheme

·       Generous annual leave of 30 days plus official holidays

·       Retirement Pension Plan

To learn more about NCI Agency, our mission and goals take a few moments to visit our website.

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