Legal and Data Compliance Counsel

Are you a data lawyer eager to make a positive environmental impact? Feeling stuck in your current corporate role and yearning for a mission-driven environment where you can work alongside top global brands to effect change? Your search ends here.

Join our vibrant legal team, bridging France and The Netherlands. Your data law expertise will be crucial in shaping the legal frameworks for worldwide development initiatives, navigating the complexities of digital platform evolution, and fostering collaboration among textile industry players to enhance their environmental footprint.
It's more than a job; it's a call to action for professionals who understand the power of law/contracts in shaping a sustainable future. Make your mark with us as we redefine success and champion a greener, more responsible future. 

About Us

The ZDHC Foundation develops and implements the Roadmap to Zero Programme with a focus on reducing the chemical footprint of the Fashion Industry. We are the leading sustainability organisation driving sustainable chemistry, innovations and best practices in textile, apparel, leather and footwear manufacturing to protect consumers, workers and the environment. Through collaborative engagement, alignment and large-scale implementation, we take a holistic approach to sustainable chemical management and enable tangible progress in the wider industry through the delivery of guidelines, platforms and solutions including capacity building and innovation projects.

For more information about ZDHC see https://www.roadmaptozero.com/. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Job Purpose

As the Legal and Data Compliance Manager, you'll be a key player in supporting the Senior Legal Counsel with the daily legal affairs, focusing particularly on data and IT-related matters within the ZDHC framework. Your role is multifaceted, involving the management of a diverse array of legal requests to uphold the highest standards of compliance and efficiency. You will take charge of updating legal templates, drafting, and reviewing a wide range of legal documents for both internal and external use, ensuring precision and clarity.

Your responsibilities will also include leading complex negotiations and developing the legal frameworks necessary for ZDHC's data strategies, addressing future challenges in data-related legal issues, and ensuring compliance with GDPR and other relevant standards. You will play a crucial role in updating our Privacy Notices and Statements and in the creation and management of our Intellectual Property Vault, including strategic domain planning.

This role demands an individual who is adept at navigating legal complexities, with a strong commitment to sustainable practices. The ideal candidate is a proactive team player with excellent analytical skills, business acumen, and a thorough approach to contract drafting and negotiation, ready to contribute significantly to our mission.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

• Manage and oversee the development and maintenance of legal templates, ensuring they are up-to-date, compliant, and aligned with our organisation's needs.

• Draft, review, and advise on legal documents and agreements, with a strong focus on data protection, privacy, and intellectual property rights.

• Supervise our organisation internal legal requests board, prioritising and allocating requests efficiently, managing and responding to most of them.

• Provide legal advice on data management and protection, implementing strategies to safeguard the organisation's data.

• Ensure compliance with GDPR, UTCs, and other relevant data protection and privacy regulations.

• Lead the update and maintenance of Privacy Notices and Statements, ensuring they reflect current practices and legal requirements.

• Develop and manage the IP Vault, including strategizing and overseeing our domain portfolio to protect and enhance our intellectual property assets.

• Draft internal legal resources and documents to support various departments within the organisation.

• Negotiate agreements and contracts, leveraging your experience to achieve favourable terms.

• Prepare executive summaries of legal documents and negotiations for senior management review.

Required Skills

• Master’s degree in law, with a strong academic record and a specialisation in data and IT law.

• Minimum of 4 years experience in a legal role, with a focus on data protection, intellectual property, and IT law.

• Proven track record of managing legal documents, compliance, and internal legal resources.

• Strong understanding of GDPR, data protection laws, and intellectual property rights.

• Excellent negotiation, drafting, and analytical skills.

• Ability to work independently and autonomously, proactively taking initiatives, and consistently demonstrate a self-driven and resilient "can-do" attitude.

• Able to work with individuals from a range of different backgrounds – a good team 
player with an international background. 


• Strong project management skills including planning, budgeting, monitoring and working with targets and deadlines.

• Strong communication skills in English, both written and verbal, with the ability to explain complex legal concepts to non-legal stakeholders.

• Proven ability to thrive in high-pressure environments, particularly when dealing with tight deadlines. Possess the capability to efficiently handle a substantial workload with speed and precision.

Preferred Skills

• Knowledge and experience of working with multinational brands and partnerships.

• Able to use interpersonal/soft skills to help achieve best results both fostering effective communication with the legal and wider teams and demonstrating a keen understanding in professional interactions with third parties.

• Commitment to Environmental Stewardship: Actively embodies and promotes values of nature conservation, biodiversity preservation, and sustainable management of natural resources, in harmony with the ZDHC's mission to advance towards zero discharge of hazardous chemicals in the fashion industry. Prior professional experience in sustainability or within the fashion sector will be highly regarded.

• Proactive and flexible - easily takes responsibility for results.

• Accurate and thorough - able to pay attention to specific details to deliver impeccable work.

ZDHC Specific Attributes

• Team player with an international background – able to work well and create strong positive relationships with individuals from a range of different cultural backgrounds.

• Able to manage multiple work activities and deliver results in a timely and efficient manner.

• Goal orientated, results driven whilst also being a confident communicator.

• Self-driven and motivated.

• Confidently operate in a fast paced, frequently changing environment.

• Able to proactively initiate and take responsibility for results and work activities that may not specifically be identified in this job description.
• Flexible with a high tolerance for ambiguity.
• Practical and pragmatic - exhibit a ‘can do’ attitude that is solution orientated.
• Strong analytical ability to interpret information and translate into solutions and/or improvements.
• Able to establish strong positive relationships with relevant stakeholders.

The successful applicant will have the opportunity to join a small team and growing organisation at a critical time and to be a part of evolving Roadmap to Zero delivery to make a genuine impact on the global textile and footwear sector.

IMPORTANT NOTE
Location: While candidates from other EU countries may be considered, we are looking for someone who is ideally located in France or in the Netherlands. It is your responsibility to make sure that you possess the right to live and work in the EU. If this applies to you please specify in your cover letter your current work permit situation. Finally, please note that this hiring process is not supported by a relocation package to move to France nor the Netherlands.

Travel Requirements: We organise regular in-person meetings to ensure consistent and productive interaction with the Legal team, which is based in Biarritz, France.

Additionally, to foster team cohesion and collaboration, this role involves travel commitments for face-to-face engagements at ZDHC headquarters in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, about three times a year to enhance ZDHC Operations Team collective alignment and synergy.

As such, please expect to regularly travel.

Please note that applications for this position are assessed by order of arrival, and the vacancy will stay open until the position is filled.

To apply: Please apply through the button below, and attach your CV in word format and motivation letter including salary expectations, and current geographical location.