VN 26/22 Legal Officer EUMETSAT is Europe’s meteorological satellite agency. As an intergovernmental European organisation with 30 Member States, its role is to establish and operate meteorological satellites to monitor the weather and climate from space - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This information is supplied to the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services of the Organisation's Member States, as well as other users worldwide. EUMETSAT also operates several Copernicus missions on behalf of the European Union and provides data services to the Copernicus marine and atmospheric services and their users. The mission of the Legal Affairs Division of the Administration Department is to provide legal advice and service to the Organisation and to the EUMETSAT Delegate Bodies, composed of Member State representatives. Reporting directly to the Head of the Division, the Legal Officer will provide legal advice and participate in the drafting and negotiation of legal arrangements with international partners of EUMETSAT as described below. Duties The main duties of the post will be as follows: Provide legal advice on international civil service law, human resources matters and on institutional law; Manage complaints and appeals proceedings before the EUMETSAT Appeals Board and other judicial institutions; Coordinate with the external civil service law advisor the submissions on behalf of the Organisation in the context of judicial and other proceedings; Participate in internal enquiries into allegations of wrongdoing and prepare relevant reports; Provide legal advice on data protection, primarily in the area of Human Resources; Support the Data Protection Officer in the fulfilment of the DPO’s mandate; Coordinate relevant external legal studies; Draft and amend EUMETSAT legal documents; Deliver legal advice on all areas of EUMETSAT activities; Participate in the drafting and support the negotiations of agreements with international partners; Represent EUMETSAT and attend committees and bodies relevant to the above duties, including meetings of the Coordinated Organisations; Prepare and present documents on legal matters for EUMETSAT Delegate Bodies. LOCATION Darmstadt, Germany QUALIFICATIONS Advanced university degree in law, preferably with a qualification or specialisation in labour law, European or Public International Law. LANGUAGES The official languages of EUMETSAT are English and French. For this position, candidates should be fluent in English with proven drafting ability. Fluency in French would be a strong asset. Interviews will be conducted in English. DEADLINE 13 May 2026 Skills and Experience Proven extensive experience in the area of international civil service law, data protection and the law of International Organisations; At least 5 years of experience of working in a legal function in an international organisation; Excellent legal drafting skills, ability to draft legal opinions and documentation Strong resilience, flexibility, diplomacy, and the ability to prioritise a heavy workload; Strong interpersonal and team-working skills and the ability to communicate with many different organisational interfaces; Experience in using information technology and office software systems is required. Employment Conditions The initial contract will be of 4 years’ duration, with subsequent 5 year contracts being awarded thereafter, subject to individual performance and organisation requirements. There is no limit to the amount of follow-up contracts a staff member can receive up to the EUMETSAT retirement age of 63 and there are certainly opportunities to establish a long career perspective at EUMETSAT. This post is graded A2/A4 on the EUMETSAT salary scales. The minimum basic salary for this post is EURO 7,553 per month (net of internal tax but excluding pension contribution and insurances) which may be negotiable on the basis of skills and experience. The salary scale provides for increments on the anniversary of taking up employment, and scales are reviewed by the EUMETSAT Council with effect from 1 January each year. In addition to basic salary, EUMETSAT offers attractive benefits. Further information, including salary details, is available on the EUMETSAT web site. EUMETSAT is committed to providing an equal opportunities work environment for men and women. Please note that only nationals of EUMETSAT Member States may apply. The EUMETSAT Convention requires that Staff shall be recruited on the basis of their qualifications, account being taken of the international character of EUMETSAT. About EUMETSAT EUMETSAT is Europe’s meteorological satellite agency. Its role is to establish and operate meteorological satellites to monitor the weather and climate from space - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This information is supplied to the National Meteorological Services of the organisation's Member States in Europe, as well as other users worldwide. EUMETSAT also operates several Copernicus missions on behalf of the European Union and provide data services to the Copernicus marine and atmospheric services and their users. As an intergovernmental European Organisation, EUMETSAT has 30 Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.)