Head of Legal Unit Vacancy-Job Ref: EJEEEU/0909/202662

Head of Legal Unit Vacancy-Job Ref: EJEEEU/0909/202662

Tallinn (Estonia)

Job Description
The Legal Unit delivers comprehensive legal counsel services and oversees all legal matters to ensure compliance with the applicable regulatory framework, while safeguarding the Agency’s interests and reputation as a trusted and reliable partner.
In this role, the Unit provides high-quality legal expertise across a broad range of areas, including staff matters, complaints and disciplinary proceedings, procurement and contract matters (including legal due diligence), public access to documents while reviewing legal documents and agreements. It also advises on compliance with EU
law, including emerging frameworks such as the Artificial Intelligence Act, and the operational and regulatory aspects of the EU’s Justice and Home Affairs information systems.

The Unit further contributes by drafting legal acts, decisions, and agreement, managing complaints and inquiries,and representing the Agency in legal proceedings before the EU or national courts, in coordination with relevant stakeholders. It also supports the Agency’s document management framework and monitors legal developments and case law to mitigate legal and reputational risks.

About the job
As Head of the Legal Unit, reporting to the Deputy Executive Director and serving as a member of the organisation’s management team, you will play a pivotal strategic and operational leadership role in ensuring that the Agency’s activities comply with its legal obligations. You will ensure that legal services are aligned with organisational priorities, supporting the Agency’s operational excellence and long-term transformation.

In this capacity, you will position legal services as a key enabler of the Agency’s mandate, driving efficiency,innovation, and high-quality, while strengthening the organisation’s ability to respond effectively to stakeholder needs.
Your tasks will include a wide range of responsibilities that extend beyond the following list:
• Lead and manage the Legal Unit, fostering a high-performance culture based on engagement,
empowerment, and accountability, while ensuring effective staff development through regular feedback,coaching, and mentoring.
• Lead Agency’s legal function, ensuring alignment with its mandate, objectives and values, and
establishing clear governance, accountability and quality standards across all legal processes.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate legal risks, ensuring timely escalation and informed decision-making by senior management, and promoting a proactive, risk-based approach across the organisation.
• Act as a strategic advisor to senior management, supporting sound decision-making and ensuring legally robust interactions with institutional counterparts (e.g. EU institutions, Member States), and external stakeholders.
• Strengthen corporate governance and decision-making processes, including support to the Executive
Director and Management Board, ensuring compliance with applicable legal and procedural
requirements.
• Provide legal advice on the interpretation and application of the Agency’s legal framework and on its regulatory and operational activities, including procurement, staff and administrative matters, and the legal aspects of large-scale Justice and Home Affairs information systems, ensuring consistency and legal robustness.
• Ensure compliance with applicable EU law, including emerging regulatory frameworks (e.g. the Artificial Intelligence Act), and monitor legal developments, case law, and guidance from oversight bodies to anticipate risks and advise on their impact.
• Represent the Agency in judicial and administrative proceedings, including before the Court of Justice of the European Union, and oversee disputes, complaints, and pre-litigation procedures in coordination with relevant stakeholders.
• Oversee transparency and accountability frameworks, including public access to documents, and contribute to the governance of the Agency’s document management function.
• Drive the continuous improvement and digitalisation of legal services, enhancing efficiency, consistency, and responsiveness to organisational needs.

Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for recruitment and selection, you need to meet the following formal criteria, which need to be
fulfilled by the deadline for application:
General conditions
1. You are national of one of the EU Member States or Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland2 and
you enjoy full rights as a citizen.
2. You produce the appropriate character requirements for the duties involved.
3. You are physically fit to perform your duties
4. You have fulfilled any obligations imposed on you by the laws concerning military service.
Education
5. You have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma
when the normal period of university education is four years or more,

or
You have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma
when the normal period of university education is least three years or more and appropriate
professional experience of at least one year.
Only qualifications awarded in an EU Member State or that are subject to an equivalence certificate issued by an
authority in a said EU Member State shall be taken into consideration.

2 Appointment of a candidate from countries associated with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis
and with Dublin- and Eurodac-related measures is subject to the conclusion of the arrangements defined in article 42 of the eu-LISA
regulation.
3 Prior to an appointment, the successful candidate will be asked to provide a certificate of absence of any criminal record issued by
the competent authority.
4 Prior to an appointment, the successful candidate shall be medically examined by a selected medical service in order that the
Agency may be satisfied that they fulfil the requirement of Article 82 (3)d of the Conditions of employment of other servants of the
European Communities.

Professional experience
6. You have at least twelve (12) years of proven full-time professional experience relevant to the duties
after the award of the qualification certifying the completion of studies required as a condition of eligibility as above.

Please click on the button below to Apply.