Legal and Policy Officer

Legal and Policy Officer

Fair Trials Europe

Brussels, Belgium

RESPONSIBLE TO: Head of Legal and Policy (Brussels)
LOCATION: Avenue Brugmann 12A, 1060 Brussels Belgium.
HOURS: Full time (38 hours per week). Evening and weekend work will be required from time to time. Remote and part time candidates will be considered on a case to case basis.
SALARY: €35,000 – €40,000 (including 13^th month and holiday pay) plus benefits.

PURPOSE

As a member of the Legal and Policy team:

• Coordinate Fair Trials Legal Expert Advisory Panel (LEAP) network in Europe to maximise its impact in advancing the organisation’s mission;
• Conduct legal and policy research across jurisdictions in Europe in relation to criminal justice systems, policing, and artificial intelligence;
• Devise and manage legal reform projects involving research, partnership, support for litigation, and advocacy;
• Support Fair Trials’ advocacy at EU and domestic European levels.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Management of the Legal Experts Advisory Panel (LEAP)

Working with the Head of Legal and Policy in Europe and LEAP Advisory Board to develop a strategy for our European network which actively engages members in advancing Fair Trials’ mission.

Implementation of the strategy, working with the rest of the Fair Trials team, including:

• Management of the European Commission grant including leading on reporting and periodic grant-renewal applications;
• Ensure an appropriate two-way information flow between Fair Trials and LEAP, Board, including on emerging issues across Europe which impact Fair Trials’ mission;
• Coordinate LEAP events, including the LEAP annual conference;
• Coordinate the activities of LEAP working groups on specific topics;

Advocacy

Work with other members of Legal and Policy team to:

• Support the development of well-informed, compelling and coherent positions for Fair Trials and the LEAP network;
• Engage LEAP in Fair Trials’ advocacy;
• Create and manage collaborative relationships with other advocacy stakeholders, including partner organisations and networks, as well as policy makers and their advisers;
• Produce high-quality reports and policy and campaign materials;
• Organise and participate in conferences and other external events to advance Fair Trials’ position on key areas for advocacy.

Research

Directly and with other members of the Legal and Policy team:

• Develop and demonstrate expertise in Fair Trials’ legal and policy work;
• Lead on specific areas of legal and policy research, particularly on issues related to data and technology in criminal legal systems;
• Produce high quality written work based on research.

Project Management and Development

Directly and through other members of the Fair Trials’ team:

• Coordinate and implement various multi-country and multi-partner projects, including ensuring timely delivery of high-quality project outputs, organising and chairing events, and assisting with the financial and narrative reporting to project donors, including the European Union;
• Working with the Legal and Policy and Development teams to develop new areas of work for Fair Trials, including development initiatives and concepts for funded project work;
• Contribute to the development and drafting of fundraising applications for Fair Trials’ work (in cooperation with the Development team).

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

• Experience of human rights and/or criminal justice advocacy and movement-building, preferably in a transnational context;
• Experience of project management, ideally of those funded through EU grants;
• Fluency in English;
• Ability to communicate accurately and persuasively both verbally and in writing;
• Practical organisational and logistical management skills;
• Proven ability to build and maintain effective relationships with people across and beyond the organisation;
• The ability to work well under pressure, and to absorb and articulate clearly new information quickly;
• Excellent time management and the ability to work proactively and independently;
• High degree of attention to detail, particularly in producing written communications;
• A team player and willingness to be flexible according to the current demands of the organisation;
• Must have permission to work in Belgium.

Desirable

• Experience of working under and applying for European Commission grants;
• Specific expertise on data and technology in criminal legal systems is an advantage;
• Knowledge of another European language, particularly French is an advantage.

About Fair Trials

Fair Trials is a global criminal justice watchdog, campaigning for fairness, equality and justice. We have an established track-record as a trusted voice on criminal justice, and we have 18 staff across offices in London, Brussels and Washington DC.

Fair Trials Europe

Fair Trials has become a leading contributor to exciting developments in the field of criminal justice across the European Union. Fair Trials Europe was established as a non-profit public foundation in Belgium in 2014, to act as Fair Trials’ hub of expertise in Europe. It is, itself, at the heart of an engaged EU‐wide network of over 200 criminal justice and human rights experts (the Legal Experts Advisory Panel, LEAP) which it coordinates.

Salary and conditions

The post of Legal and Policy Officer is full time. The gross salary is €35,000‐ €40,000 per year (including 13^th month and holiday pay). The role is based in Brussels.

To apply

Please send a CV and cover letter electronically to [email protected] no later than midnight CET on the 26^th February 2023. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered. Please clearly include your name and “FTE Legal & Policy Officer” in the subject field of the email.

Your CV and cover letter should include

• Your name and contact details;
• Your educational history, including universities/colleges attended with dates and significant qualifications obtained;
• Your employment history, including all significant posts you have held – with dates, the names of the employers, and a description of the main duties, together with your present or most recent salary, and your contractual notice period. (You should also explain any significant gaps, e.g. covered by travelling, self‐employment etc.);
• An explanation of why you would like the job; the qualities you would bring to it; how you would approach the task if you were you awarded the post;
• The names and contact details of two referees who know your work, who may be contacted if you are short‐listed;
• Information about how you learned of the post.

If you have any queries, please send them to the same email address.

The selection processes

We will aim to inform short‐listed candidates as soon as possible week with interviews for short‐listed candidates being held online. If necessary, a second round of interviews may be scheduled at a later date. All interviews will be held online. The recruitment process will involve an interview and a written exercise.

Fair Trials is conducting this appointment on equal opportunity principles and will welcome applications from candidates who can fulfil the requirements of the post irrespective of race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability.

The personal data which you have provided, and which we may request, in connection with your application, will not be retained beyond 12 months should your application be unsuccessful. If you are appointed, your personal data will only be used for the purposes of human resources management.