Regional General Counsel, Europe

About CDP:

CDP is a global non-profit that runs the world’s only independent environmental disclosure system. As the founder of environmental reporting, we believe in transparency and the power of data to drive change. Partnering with leaders in enterprise, capital, policy and science, we surface the information needed to enable Earth-positive decisions. We helped more than 24,800 companies and almost 1,000 cities, states and regions disclose their environmental impacts in 2024. Financial institutions with more than a quarter of the world’s institutional assets use CDP data to help inform investment and lending decisions. Our team is truly global, united by our shared desire to build a world where people, planet and profit are balanced. Visit cdp.net or follow us @CDP to find out more.

About the Team:

The Legal, Risk & Compliance department plays a crucial part in CDP’s success. We take pride in our understanding of the organisation and in finding practical and innovative solutions to legal challenges to enable CDP to achieve its goals.

The department provides comprehensive legal support, risk management, and compliance oversight across CDP’s global operations. We are focused on protecting CDP’s interests, ensuring adherence to relevant laws and regulations, and enabling business success through strategic legal guidance and effective risk and compliance frameworks.

The Regional General Counsel Team Provides legal advice and oversight within a specific geographic area for our organization. The General Counsel acts as a key legal advisor for the region, managing legal risks and ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations. They collaborate with regional leadership to support business objectives and growth. Additionally, the purpose of the Regional Counsel Team is to support the Board of Directors of the regional entity and local teams with high quality legal advice, triage issues locally and work collaboratively with wider legal team to obtain support from the Shared Services and Global Centers of Excellence.

About this role:

The Regional General Counsel, Europe will have accountability for CDP’s regulatory and legal compliance in Europe (excluding the UK) and willprovide legal advice and guidance to local teams and the managing directors of the regional entities to enable informed decision making. They will be the central point of contact for all legal matters for their region and will work seamlessly with colleagues in other parts of the global legal, risk and compliance team. This role also involves leading on supporting on a variety of legal projects within the Legal Risk & Compliance team.

What you will do:

•Lead on the regional implementation of CDP's strategy and approach for legal, to enable the operational effectiveness of the global legal function.

• Ensure that the managing directors and the appropriate members of the Leadership Team are briefed on any existing or emerging issues or risks.

• Contribute to the creation and maintenance of precedents, template agreements, playbooks and know how.

• Maximize on the deployment of legal resources within the region, leverage the expertise within the global legal function effectively and provide guidance to regional stakeholders enabling delivery of CDP’s mission.

• Work closely with the global centers of expertise to implement internal policies, processes, procedures, and training on a regional level; to ensure regions are effectively supported.

• Lead on all corporate/charitable governance matters relating to the entities established within the region.

• Advise and support effective systems regionally to ensure compliance and adherence to data privacy requirements, and other statutory local rules to minimise CDP’s exposure.

• Keep the CLO informed, manage litigation and dispute resolution processes within region in order to assess and recommended appropriate courses of action.

• Drive legal compliance within region with applicable laws, regulations, and regional standards; to ensure alignment within the global legal function.

• Collaborate with the General Counsel,Commercial, Legal to manage the drafting and review of complex contracts and agreements within region where subject to local laws or which require local regional knowledge.

• Engage, instruct, and manage external legal counsel when specialist legal advice is required.

• Any other duties and responsibilities reasonably required that are commensurate to the role.

• Ad hoc global project work.

What we are looking for:

• Admittance to the German Bar Association and ca 10 years’ experience.

• Excellent knowledge of company law, contractual/commercial law, IP, data protection, labour law, and broad legal and regulatory compliance experience is a must.

• Ideally proven expert knowledge of legal and regulatory frameworks which have a direct or indirect impact on CDP’s work (for example: ESG Regulation, Benchmark Regulation, DORA, GDPR).

• Ideally working experience in a regulated environment.

Experience working in a matrix organisation and familiarity with the legal and taxation-related challenges that typically come with such structures.

• Ideally experience advising on and ensuring fulfilment of all legal obligations applicable to a charity/not for profit.

• Experience working in international teams on global projects.

• Experience working with and presenting to Boards, Committees and senior leadership.

• Strong ability to provide legal advice to regional stakeholders and influence decision-making.

Excellent communication and relationship management skills.

• Proven ability to foster collaboration and build relationships with regional internal and external stakeholders.

• Excellent judgement with integrity.

• Adept at dealing with challenges and disputes in an effective and efficient way without losing sight of business goals.

• Be organised and methodical and able to deliver against a varied workload, managing competing priorities under your own initiative.

• Proactive, with a solution orientated attitude to resolving commercial/ business issues. Strong interpersonal, project management and communication skills.

Salary and benefits: Competitive salary. Holidays and benefits in accordance with local regulations. This is a hybrid role requiring weekly time in the office.

Final offer amount depends on multiple factors such as candidates experience and expertise, geographic location, total compensation, and market data.

Before you apply :

We’ll only use the information you provide to process your application. For more details on how we use your information, see our applicant’s privacy notice. By uploading your CV and covering letter, you are permitting CDP to use the information you have provided for recruitment purposes.

How to apply:

Please upload your CV in the application form. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis so early applications are encouraged.