Legal Officer

Legal Officer

EDPS - European Data Protection Supervisor

Brussels, Belgium

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

Someone who:

• fits in an informal and friendly yet professional working environment;
• appreciates working collaboratively with other colleagues on a variety of different projects;
• brings their creativity and initiative to the table;
• engages constructively with stakeholders, based on our core values: integrity, impartiality, transparency and pragmatism.

ABOUT THE POSITION

Our job vacancy is in the Supervision and Enforcement Unit. The unit monitors the processing of personal data by the EU administration and ensures that Union institutions, offices, bodies and agencies (EUI’s) comply with data protection rules. Our core tasks range from conducting investigations and audits to handling complaints and prior consultations on processing operations. We decide on the best way to address identified issues, and we enforce the law, which includes using the EDPS’ corrective powers, including administrative fines and litigation in the EU courts.

Your main responsibilities will include:

• Monitoring compliance of the data protection rules by Union institutions, offices, bodies and agencies, including through investigations and enforcement actions, in line with the EDPS strategy 2020-2024;
• Handling of complaints from individuals or data protection associations relating to the processing of personal data by the EUIs;
• Handling of consultations and authorisations, incl. on transfers, from EUI’s relating to their processing of personal data;
• Conducting of and participation in data protection investigations and audits, including in the context of Schengen evaluations;
• Developing and maintaining expertise related to data protection in various areas of EU law, including AI and digital regulation, as well as police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters, interoperability and large-scale IT systems;
• Engaging with internal and external stakeholders, in particular EUI Data Protection Officers, or national data protection authorities, either directly or through the European Data Protection Board (EDPB);
• Taking part in the work of the expert subgroups of the EDPB including through attendance at meetings and contributing to the drafting of documents;
• Contributing to the Unit’s relations with other EU institutions and bodies; representing the EDPS in external meetings, and, where appropriate, in public events.

You may also be required to carry out additional tasks when necessary and in the interest of the service. These activities may require missions away from Brussels.

OUR ELIGIBILITY AND SELECTION CRITERIA

Eligibility criteria

For your application to be considered, you must meet the following criteria by the deadline for submitting applications:

• be an EU Official in the function group ‘Administrator’ and a grade between AD5 and AD12; OR
• be a laureate of an EPSO competition for ‘‘Administrators’’.

Selection criteria

For this job vacancy, we are looking for someone with the following essential and advantageous skills and experience:

Essential:

• A university degree in the field of law and at least 3 years of relevant professional experience as a legal officer/lawyer, preferably in the field of data protection;
• Good knowledge of the data protection legislation and relevant case law of the Court of Justice of the EU;
• Good knowledge of the structure and functioning of the European Union and of its institutions, the treaties, and other fields of EU law in relation to the position;
• Very good problem-solving skills and creativity in proposing possible solutions in compliance with the applicable rules;
• Proven capacity for analysis and excellent drafting skills;
• Demonstrated resilience in view of high workload periods and the ability to respond quickly and decisively in the case of urgencies;
• Very good organisational and prioritising skills in a very varied workload with demanding deadlines;
• Ability to work in a proactive and autonomous way;
• Very good level of written and spoken English, which is the main working language of the EDPS and the EDPB Secretariat.

Advantageous:

• Professional experience in a EUI, in particular with exposure to internal decision-making and legislative processes;
• Proven knowledge of specific EU data protection legislation applicable to EUIs in the area of Freedom, Security and Justice (e.g. Europol, Eurojust, EPPO, Frontex);
• Proven experience in conducting data protection audits, complaints handling, conducting administrative investigations, and/or litigation in national or EU courts;
• Proven knowledge in data protection principles and regulations specific to artificial intelligence (AI), including the ability to assess risks related to automated decision-making, profiling, and sensitive data handling (e.g., biometrics, health data), experience in conducting Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) for AI projects, or knowledge of bias, fairness, and transparency issues in AI systems, including avenues to address algorithmic discrimination.