Head of Legal - IP & Commercial

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) offers the position of a full-time Head of Legal – IP and Commercial (f/m/x) in an international and multicultural team at the IPC Headquarters in Bonn, Germany.

About the IPC

At the IPC, we work as one team, aligned and focused on fulfilling our vision and mission.

The IPC’s vision is for an inclusive world through Para sport. We believe that Change Starts With Sport, and that the work of the Paralympic Movement is a catalyst for driving social inclusion and advancing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

The IPC seeks to use the influential global position of the Paralympic Movement and the growing profile of Para athletes to challenge the stigma attached to disability and empower social transformation.

The IPC is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. We oversee the delivery of the Paralympic Games and Paralympic Winter Games and serve as International Federation for six Para sports. We enjoy a positive working relationship with the IPC Governing Board, members of which are democratically elected every four years by the IPC General Assembly.

The IPC is a purpose-driven non-profit association. Our mission is to lead the Paralympic Movement, oversee the delivery of the Paralympic Games and support members to enable Para athletes to achieve sporting excellence. Since 1989, we have been creating change through sport with the Paralympic Games and Paralympic athletes at our core.

Role

The Head of Legal – IP and Commercial is accountable to the General Counsel and will be primarily responsible for:

• Leading on negotiations and drafting a range of commercial contracts with
  the IPC’s sponsors, broadcasters and digital media partners. Critical to
  delivering this successfully will be to develop a strong relationship with the
  Partnership, Broadcast and Media teams;
• Supporting other IPC shared service functions such as operations,
  procurement and technology and resolving issues arising from contracts
  with third party contractors and consultants, including advising on data
  and privacy issues; and
• Managing the IPC’s global intellectual property portfolio in collaboration
  with other stakeholders (including Organising Committees of the
  Paralympic Games and the International Olympic Committee) and with
  support from external counsel.

This role will have line management responsibility for one lawyer (Legal Counsel – Commercial).

Core Requirements

The IPC is looking for a highly-driven and motivated candidate who will thrive in an international, fast-paced and exciting team. The successful candidate will have:

• Sound judgment;
• Relevant legal qualifications and experience, ideally with some time spent
  working in a sports organisation and/or an organisation with an
  international remit;
• Excellent academic achievement and understanding of the law, including a
  strong grounding in and knowledge of contract and intellectual property
  law;
• Experience with drafting and negotiating commercial contracts and media
  rights agreements;
• Strong drafting skills and first-rate attention to detail;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including fluency in
  English;
• Good interpersonal skills and professionalism; and
• An ability to work in sometimes difficult and pressured conditions, and to
  prioritise tasks appropriately and adapt to situational demands.

Desired Requirements

The following experience would be an asset:

• Prior experience of supervising and/or leading teams;
• Negotiating contracts with multi-national companies or taking a prominent
  role in advising on media and broadcast agreements and the development
  and execution of a broadcast / media rights strategy;
• Relevant experience in or exposure to the sports sector (especially Para
  sport); and
• Fluency in another language(s) (other than English), especially French or
  Italian.

As a guide, this role would be most suitable for a qualified lawyer with around eight years’ experience, whether gained in a law firm and/or in-house.

How to apply

If you are interested and provide a good match with our requirements, please send your CV and cover letter in English and in pdf to LegalJobs@paralympic.org.

For this position, we will review applications and interview candidates on a rolling basis.

The IPC is an equal opportunity employer, and we especially encourage individuals with a disability and members of minority groups to apply; we support the relocation process and provide transitional accessible accommodation. For further information on the IPC, please contact us or visit our website under www.paralympic.org.