Legal Operations Support Associate

Are you a 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. As a Legal Operations Support Associate, you will manage and maintain the ZDHC Legal Self-Service System, draft and oversee legal resources, and support governance and legal team activities. This role involves enhancing legal team integration within the organisation and providing proactive legal support under the supervision of the Senior Legal Counsel.

Your legal and organisational expertise will be crucial in 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.

Vision & Mission

The ZDHC Vision is a World in which better chemistry leads to the protection of life, land, air and water.

The ZDHC Mission is to lead our global value chain to achieve the highest standard for sustainable chemical management, driving resource efficiency and circularity.

Job Purpose

As a Legal Operations Support Associate, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the seamless operation of our legal team. This position involves managing the ZDHC Legal Self-Service System, including tool development and maintenance, drafting legal resources, and providing training and support to the team. You will handle daily legal requests, draft documents, and support the legal team to enhance their efficiency and effectiveness. Additionally, you will align the legal team’s work across the organisation to raise awareness and engagement.

You will also coordinate board election processes, including developing board governance documents and fulfilling corporate housekeeping obligations. Your proactive approach will help integrate the legal team’s efforts into the broader organisational framework, thereby supporting the company’s strategic goals and fostering a collaborative work environment.

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 organisational and analytical skills, business acumen, and a thorough approach to contract management, ready to contribute significantly to our mission.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

• ZDHC Legal Self-Service System Management: Develop, maintain and manage legal resources and tools (contract management platform, internal legal requests form, internal documentation tool, internal reporting tools, etc) leveraging best available technology (AI) and practices around contract management resources.
• Draft and manage legal resources.
• Provide training and support to the ZDHC staff.
• Address daily legal requests.
• Enable the legal team through document drafting and other support tasks.
• Oversee board election processes, including member onboarding/offboarding, documentation, and related corporate housekeeping.
• Fulfil entities’ corporate housekeeping obligations.
• Communicate legal work developments to the wider team, through clear messaging.
• Enhance legal team integration with employees.
• Manage the Legal Request Board and respond to junior-level requests.
• Legal team coordination: assist with daily work.
• Draft internal legal resources.

Required Skills

• Master’s degree in law, with a strong academic record.
• Minimum of 2 years experience in a legal role, with a focus on legal operational support, online legal resources management, resources development.
• Proven track record of managing legal documents, compliance, and internal legal resources.
• Excellent organisational, and analytical skills.
• Proficiency in legal document drafting and management.
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• 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.
• Experience with governance administration and corporate housekeeping.
• 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.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a team environment.

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 innovative approach to integrating legal support within an organisation.

• Knowledge of AI and risk management platforms.

• 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 located in Biarritz, France. It is your responsibility to make sure that you possess the right to live and work in the EU. 

Please note: If you are a candidate with the current right to live and work in the EU and anticipate needing sponsorship in the near future, please note that ZDHC is not in a position to sponsor candidates. If this applies to you, please specify your current work permit situation in your cover letter. Additionally, please be aware that this hiring process does not include a relocation package for moving to France.

Travel Requirements: We organise regular in-person meetings to ensure consistent and productive interaction with the legal team, which might involve travelling regularly within Europe.

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. APPLICATIONS WITHOUT A MOTIVATION LETTER WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.