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ABOUT EIT FOOD: The website of EIT Food is https://www.eitfood.eu EIT Food is a young and fast-growing organisation working towards a more more sustainable and healthy food system in Europe that is trusted by consumers. It is one of eight Innovation Communities established by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), an independent EU body set up in 2008, to drive innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe. EIT Food is a member organisation bringing together key industry players, agri-food startups, research centres and universities from across Europe representing the food value chain in Europe. In addition to thematic leadership, EIT Food is also responsible for coordinating a multi-million euro EU grant allocation from the EIT and distributing it among its partners and stakeholders for the implementation of cooperation projects. It also manages other grants and donor funding opportunities on behalf of the Partnership. EIT Food headquarters (HQ) are based in Leuven (Belgium) and it has 5 regional offices (CoLocation Centres or CLCs) in Europe (based in Poland, Spain, Germany, the UK and Belgium), each working with and for partners in several EIT Food partner countries.

JOB AND CONTRACT TYPE: Legal and Procurement Officer, full-time permanent position.

LOCATION: The selected candidate will be based at EIT Food HQ in Leuven (Belgium).

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE: This is a new role within the organisation, aimed at assuring the compliance of EIT Food with the requirements of risk mitigation in alignment with national and European legislation. The role is two-dimensional – you will contribute to the daily management of the Association EITFood IVZW (HQ), and contribute to the successful management and implementation of various Grant and Donor Agreements. While being assertive and demonstrating critical judgement, you will skilfully balance the needs and requirements of multiple stakeholders both within and outside the organisation.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Legal administration of the Association:

• Manage and act as liaison for Agreements with EIT Food partners;
• Manage the contractual requirements for the Partner Assemblies, as laid down in the Statutes & By-Laws of EIT Food;
• Act as liaison point with external legal counsels, including for any further amendments to the EIT Food Statutes & By-Laws.

Management of Grant & Donor Agreements, including:

• Manage and act as liaison for grant agreements with donor agencies; o Establish measures to ensure office-wide compliance with donor eligibility requirements as laid down in Grant Agreements.

Procurement & contract management: 

• Update or develop contract templates (for supply contracts, framework agreements, return on investment agreements, student agreements, subgranting and prize agreements, etc.), including regular review of the templates to ensure incorporation of best practice;
• Provide advice and support to colleagues on concluding contracts, negotiation of contracts with suppliers, including a review of the terms and conditions of the supplier contracts;
• Roll out procedures and processes on procurement, working in close relationship with IT support to digitalise contracting process;
• Lead on building colleagues’ capacity to implement sound and compliant procurement procedures, incl. general training as well as on-going support in the choice of the correct procedures, preparation of procurement documentation and implementation of the selection procedures;

DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master’s degree in Law or a university degree couple with relevant professional qualifications;
• Minimum seven years of relevant experience, preferably in an international environment;
• Familiarity with public funding mechanisms (e.g. EU Grants, especially Horizon 2020 programme) and knowledge of legislation of the Belgian non-profit organisations (IVZW/AISBL) is an asset;
• Experience in the field of procurement / contract negotiation is an asset;
• Strong communication and drafting skills, with a proven ability to establish trust and good communication with internal and external stakholders;
• Excellent written and oral communication in English. Knowledge of Dutch is an asset;
• Good command of MS Office (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint), as well as willingness to learn new IT systems;
• Demonstrated experience in prioritising conflicting demands from multiple stakeholders;
• Self-starter able to work independently on multiple and simultaneous assignments.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES: EIT Food is an equal opportunity employer, offering each candidate matching the minimum obligatory qualifications and experiences an equal chance in employment and promotion procedures.

APPLICATION: Interested candidates are asked to send their CV and Cover Letter in English in electronic format to work@eitfood.eu before 31 March 2020. In the subject line of the email please state your name and “Legal and Procurement Officer”. Only shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview. Shortlisted candidates may be asked to prove their background, qualifications, skills and experiences by providing relevant documents.

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