ICFO - The Institute of Photonic Sciences Organisation/Company ICFO - The Institute of Photonic Sciences Research Field Juridical sciences » Public law Researcher Profile Other Profession Positions Undergraduate Positions Application Deadline 12 Nov 2026 - 00:00 (Europe/Madrid) Country Spain Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 14 Oct 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No Offer Description ICFO is looking for a Head of Legal Affairs to build and lead its internal Legal function and become the institution’s senior legal reference. Reporting directly to the Executive Direction, the Head of Legal Affairs will have overall responsibility for ensuring that legal matters and legal risks across ICFO are appropriately identified, assessed and managed. This is a unique opportunity for an experienced lawyer who wants to go beyond managing individual legal matters and shape a legal capability from the ground up. The successful candidate will combine senior legal judgement and hands-on legal work with the opportunity to build the processes, tools, knowledge base and team required for ICFO’s next stage of development. ICFO operates at the intersection of cutting-edge research, public-sector regulation, intellectual property, technology transfer and international collaboration, creating a diverse and demanding legal environment. The internal Legal team will include a Legal Counsel and a Legal Operations Officer, complemented by specialized external legal support when required. The role A key initial mandate will be to assess ICFO’s current legal activity, risks and ways of working and, based on this diagnosis, design and progressively develop the Legal function. Main responsibilities will include: acting as ICFO’s senior legal reference and advising the Executive Direction and other relevant institutional decision-makers on complex, sensitive and strategically relevant matters; taking overall responsibility for the quality, consistency and appropriate management of legal matters across the institution; mapping and prioritizing legal risks and defining the operating model, priorities and ways of working of the Legal function; providing senior legal advice on the public-sector legal and regulatory framework applicable to ICFO, including governance, transparency, incompatibilities, conflicts of interest, public funding and the legal implications of economic-financial and regulatory requirements; monitoring relevant regulatory developments and supporting their appropriate interpretation and implementation across the institution; providing senior legal expertise on intellectual property, research agreements, technology transfer, licensing, spin-offs and national and international research collaborations; supporting institutional governance, Board-related matters, internal regulations, policies, resolutions and other governance instruments; ensuring appropriate legal coverage of cross-cutting areas such as data protection, integrity and anti-fraud, complex labor matters and emerging digital and AI-related legal issues; contributing to the preparation and review of institutional policies, procedures, internal regulations and other normative instruments; creating and maintaining a coherent body of legal criteria, precedents, templates and internal regulatory documentation; designing, documenting, simplifying and improving Legal processes,



including their digitalization and automation where appropriate; participating in cross-functional working groups and strategic institutional projects; determining when specialized external legal expertise is required and coordinating external counsel; leading and developing the internal Legal team. The objective is to build a Legal function that is rigorous, pragmatic, accessible and efficient, capable of anticipating and managing legal risk while enabling ICFO to pursue its scientific and institutional objectives. The Head of Legal Affairs will have overall accountability for Legal while working closely with the institutional functions that retain ownership of their respective activities. Candidates must meet the following requirements: University degree in Law and appropriate professional legal qualification. At least 8 years of relevant professional legal experience, with demonstrated progression in autonomy and responsibility. Strong practical knowledge and experience of the Spanish and/or Catalan public-sector legal framework. Solid professional experience in intellectual property, research agreements and/or technology-transfer matters. Demonstrated experience independently handling complex legal matters and negotiations. Strong contractual drafting and negotiation skills. Experience providing legal advice to senior management or equivalent institutional decision-makers. Ability to manage a broad legal portfolio, identify material risks and determine when specialized external expertise is required. Ability and willingness to combine senior-level responsibilities with hands-on legal work. Excellent professional command of Catalan, Spanish and English, including legal drafting and negotiation. Desired experience and qualifications The following will be particularly valued: Experience in research centers, universities, public-sector foundations or other research-intensive organizations. Experience with European and international research programs, partnerships and consortia. Experience with licensing, spin-offs, shareholders’ agreements, investment transactions or other technology-transfer activities. Experience in institutional governance and advising governing bodies. Experience with transparency, data protection, integrity, conflicts of interest or anti-fraud frameworks. Experience with the legal implications of grants, public funding and public-sector economic or budgetary regulations. Experience building, restructuring or significantly developing an in-house Legal function. Experience creating or consolidating policies, internal regulatory frameworks and institutional legal knowledge. Experience in Legal Operations, process design, digitalization or automation. Experience leading and developing legal professionals. Experience coordinating specialized external counsel. We are looking for someone who combines:



excellent legal judgement and a strong sense of ownership and accountability; the ability to identify and prioritize material legal risks; a pragmatic and solution-oriented approach; sound institutional judgement in complex or ambiguous situations; strong analytical, drafting, negotiation and communication skills; the ability to challenge constructively while remaining an effective institutional partner; the ability to work effectively with scientific, technical and management stakeholders; an interest in building processes, systems and institutional capability, not only resolving individual legal matters; leadership and team-development capability; integrity, discretion and professional independence. Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent Research Field Juridical sciences » Public law Additional Information What ICFO Offers At ICFO, we offer a unique opportunity to contribute to one of the world’s leading research institutions and to play a key role in shaping its future development and international presence. The position provides: A highly stimulating and international environment. A senior leadership role with close interaction with the Director and the Managing Director. The opportunity to contribute to the visibility and impact of frontier science. Direct interaction with world-leading scientists and strategic partners. Significant scope for creativity, institutional development and long-term impact. The opportunity to lead and develop a highly capable multidisciplinary area with broad institutional reach and impact. Competitive salary and benefits commensurate with experience and qualifications. A unique location in Barcelona, one of Europe’s most vibrant scientific, cultural and innovation hubs. ICFO is an equal opportunity employer. We hire based solely on merit and potential, regardless of gender, nationality, or disability. ICFO fully endorses the European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, ensuring a transparent and supportive recruitment process. Conditions This is a full-time position. The contract offered will be a permanent contract (contracte indefinit) linked to the approved Public Employment Offer (Oferta Pública d’Ocupació – OPO) of ICFO and governed by the applicable public-sector labor framework. A probationary period of 6 months will apply, in accordance with ICFO’s internal labor regulations and the applicable public-sector labor framework. A salary according to ICFO’s approved salary scales will be offered, commensurate with the level of the position and the candidate’s experience. The selected candidate will join ICFO under a permanent contract and will benefit from ICFO’s attractive working conditions, including a hybrid work model, adaptable working hours, and access to professional development opportunities. Selection process Selection process The selection process will include: Eligibility and merit assessment, based on the minimum requirements and relevant professional experience. Structured interview, covering technical expertise, professional experience, legal judgement, leadership and motivation. Practical case, assessing the candidate’s ability to analyze and prioritize complex legal and institutional matters and to approach the development of ICFO’s Legal function. Occupational work-style assessment and final interview, focused on leadership, decision-making and suitability for the responsibilities of the position. Professional references for the preferred candidate. All assessment methods will be directly related to the responsibilities and competencies of the position and applied consistently to candidates participating in the same stage of the process. #J-18808-Ljbffr

📌 Head of legal affairs (Santander)
🏢 Icfo – The Institute Of Photonic Sciences
📍 Santander