Chief Legal Officer

Role Overview

• Strategic leadership and development of the legal function
• Structuring, building and strategic development of a growing legal team (law students, legal trainees/Referendare, fully qualified lawyers) and coordination of internal/external counsel engagement
• Establishment of legally effective association structures and resolutions while mitigating liability risks
• Internal legal advice, compliance & governance
• Responsible handling of all internal legal matters, including strategic assessment
• Support for the presidium/board, department heads and working groups on matters of labor and contract law, association law and bylaws, compliance and governance, and data protection
• Operational legal management & process design
• Design and implementation of efficient processes for the structured handling of legal matters
• Proper handling and prioritization of consumer law inquiries, including standardized legal classification and ensuring clear protective measures (comprehensive coverage provided by D&O, liability, legal expense and VSHP insurance)
• Contract management & external enforcement
• Coordination of external operational measures such as legal prosecution, enforcement and declaratory actions in consumer and corporate legal matters
• Management, review and legal assessment of contracts with external partners, service providers and funding institutions
• Drafting of contracts for projects, collaborations and memberships
• Filing applications under § 4d UKlaG and § 8 UWG for inclusion in the lists of qualified entities and building a partner structure of lawyers and law firms for outsourcing litigation

Requirements

• Fully qualified lawyer (Second State Examination completed) with a solid understanding of civil, consumer and corporate law issues
• Experience in leading, building or strategically developing legal structures—ideally in a responsible role within a law firm, organization or in-house legal department
• Strong strategic thinking and design skills to structure complex legal and organizational challenges and translate them into future‑proof solutions
• Ability to present complex matters clearly, understandably and in a practical manner
• Sense of responsibility, leadership skills and a structured working style
• Ambition to rethink consumer protection in Germany and to drive sustainable, public-interest‑oriented developments
• Willingness to serve on a voluntary basis in a remotely organized association

Benefits

• Visibility and credibility through working on behalf of a recognized consumer organization
• Flexible working hours, workload and remote work
• Collaboration on equal terms with executive management and all departments
• A visible, impactful role—serving an idea that rethinks responsibility
• Qualified certificate of service/reference letter detailing your tasks, responsibilities and results
• A volunteer role that not only opens professional prospects but also confers responsibility and recognition within an association officially registered in the Bundestag’s lobby register—as part of a democratic organization
• Potential for later permanent employment if appropriate and needed, since subordinate corporations are preferentially staffed from among committed volunteers
• Our principle: cooperation instead of competition