Legal Advisor

CoE - Council of Europe

Strasbourg, France

Reference: e036/2024
Grade: A1/A2
Deadline: 18 July 2024

Are you familiar with the topical issues of media law in Europe? Do you have the potential to contribute to extensive legal reports in areas of relevance for the audiovisual industry with a pool of experts and in three languages (English, German and French)? Do you enjoy writing, editing, and speaking in public? If so, our job advertisement may be the right opportunity for you.

Who we are

With over 2500 staff members coming from all its 46 member States, the Council of Europe is a multicultural Organisation. We all strive towards protecting human rights, democracy and the rule of law and our three core values - professionalism, integrity and respect - guide the way we work.

The European Audiovisual Observatory, an enlarged Partial Agreement of the Council of Europe, was created in 1992 in order to collect and distribute information about the audiovisual industries in Europe. By making this information available, the Observatory aims at promoting greater transparency and a clearer understanding of the ways in which the audiovisual industries in Europe function, both from an economic and legal point of view.

The Observatory provides information on the various audiovisual markets in Europe and their financing and analyses the legal issues affecting the different sectors of the audiovisual industry. It publishes reports, maintains several databases, and organises professional events. The Observatory offers the combination of a well-established system for continuous data collection assisted by a thoroughly built-up international network, 30 years of experience in analysing information, unique inhouse expertise in the relevant subject matters and related methodological questions, a multi-national setting and strict commitment to offer solely neutral and objective information.

The work of the Observatory involves collecting, checking, processing and analysing data and information from a variety of sources, for the preparation of reports or to feed its databases. Examples of projects can be found on the Observatory website.

The Council of Europe has its headquarters in Strasbourg (France) and has external presence in more than twenty countries. See here for more information about the Council of Europe external presence.

Your role

As a Legal Advisor, your role will focus on:

elaborating legal studies, analysing necessary information and monitoring relevant legal developments to prepare Observatory reports and presentations, notably:
- concept development and drawing up of legal publications;
- contribution to and project management of reports commissioned by external donors;
- editing and co-ordination of experts’ contributions to Observatory publications;
- organisation of workshops and delivery of presentations at conferences.
providing advice with regard to content-related questions concerning the IRIS newsletter and IRIS Merlin database;
coaching of team members;
establishing and maintaining internal and external contacts relevant for the area of work, including with partner institutions of the Observatory;
contributing, in close co-operation with the Head of Department, to the Observatory’s general products and services;
representing the Department for Legal Information in public events (e.g. by presenting its work results).

What we are looking for

You must:

hold a higher education degree or qualification equivalent to a master’s degree (2^nd cycle of the Bologna process framework of qualifications for the European Higher Education Area) in law;
have a minimum of 6 years of relevant professional experience in the analysis of regulatory developments in the media field;
have a very good knowledge of English and good knowledge of French (English and French are the two official languages of the Council of Europe);
have a very good knowledge of German (German is the third working language of the Observatory);
be a citizen of one of the member States of the Council of Europe and fulfil the conditions for appointment to the civil service of that state;
have discharged any obligation concerning national service (military, civil or comparable);
not be the parent, child, stepchild or grandchild of a serving staff member of the Council of Europe;
be under the age of 65 years.

Demonstrate to us that you have the following competencies:

Professional and technical expertise:
- experience in conducting legal research in European law and comparative analysis of legal concepts under different regulatory frameworks and in different languages;
- proven editing and drafting skills (e.g., editorial work in publisher's team, master's thesis, end-of-course dissertation, or equivalent);
- solid understanding of the legal framework for the audiovisual industry in Europe.
Drafting skills;
Concern for quality;
Analysis and problem solving;
Planning and work organisation;
Teamwork and co-operation;
Initiative;
Communication.