The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) offers the position of a full-time Senior Legal Counsel (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, a purpose-driven non-profit association, 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 five 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. Since 1989, we have been creating change through sport with the Paralympic Games and Paralympic athletes at our core.

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.

ROLE

The Senior Legal Counsel (commercial) is accountable to the Head of Legal – IP and Commercial, and will be primarily responsible for:

• Reviewing, advising on and drafting a range of commercial contracts, including those with the IPC’s sponsors, broadcasters and digital media partners, contracts for membership programmes, and contracts relating to the Paralympic Games;
• Reviewing, advising on and drafting other operational and procurement contracts, including technology and consultancy agreements and advice on data and privacy issues;
• Advising on IP issues in connection with sponsor activations and digital exploitation of content, and assisting with the management of 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; and
• Providing general support to the Head of Legal – IP and Commercial in their areas of work.

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:

• Relevant legal qualifications and experience, ideally with some time spent working in/with 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;
• Sound judgment and diplomacy;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including fluency in English;
• Good interpersonal skills and professionalism;
• An ability to work in sometimes pressured conditions, and to prioritise tasks appropriately and adapt to situational demands;
• An interest in professional development and a willingness to learn; and
• The ability to work independently but as a team-player within a structured legal team with support from the Head of Legal – IP and Commercial.

DESIRED REQUIREMENTS

The following experience would be an asset:

• advising on broadcast/media rights deals and/or working with digital and social media companies, in relation to the exploitation of digital content opportunities through digital media channels;
• experience relating to data protection;
• relevant experience in or exposure to the sports sector (especially Para sport); and
• fluency in another language(s) (other than English), especially French or German.

As a guide, this role would be most suitable for a qualified lawyer with around four to eight years’ experience, whether gained in a law firm and/or in-house. Candidates with fewer years overall experience, but who have specialised in media rights and/or have spent time working in a sports rights organisation will be considered.

Do you want 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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

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.

We look forward to your application!