Job Description
Welcome to FSC!
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a globally recognized non-profit organization at the forefront of promoting sustainable forestry. With over 150 million hectares of certified forests and a trusted reputation among NGOs, consumers, and businesses, FSC is leading the way in ensuring the long-term health and resilience of the world's forests.
To effectively meet the challenge of protecting the world's forests, we are committed to have the world's most skilled people working with us. We are currently looking for an Information Manager - Legal (f-m-d) to lead transparency and access to information in FSC and to protect FSC's business and personal data.
You will be a member of the Legal Department of the FSC Group to lead and facilitate the
implementation of the newly adopted “FSC Membership Access to Information and Transparency
Policy”. In this regard you champion an internal culture of openness and transparency but also of
awareness about clear confidentiality imperatives for certain types of information.
Moreover, your role is to ensure compliance with data protection regulations, data privacy and IT laws
in the daily business affairs of FSC, to support the development of new policies and to enhance existing
guidelines. In this regard you will also act as the trusted advisor for our domestic and foreign
subsidiaries to provide risk-based advice on individual cases and develop suitable solutions.
In your function as Information Manager, you will have a unique central role and impact in an
international and culturally diverse organization with a truly global brand. You will help maximizing the
power of one of the largest membership governance bodies in the world and make a profound
contribution to consensus-building as well as accountable and sustainable decisions for the planet.
You are passionate about Human Rights, forest restoration and protecting environmental and social
values in the world's forests? You burn for freedom of information and accountability, and are a process
nerd? Join us!
Main Roles & Responsibilities
As the guardian of FSC's new Policy, your role is primarily to lead the implementation and the maintenance of the “Membership Access to Information and Transparency Policy” and ensure compliance therewith. This includes in particular:
Applying the Policy:
- Fleshing out all pre-requisites to a successful introduction and implementation of the Policy.
- Developing training materials and running training sessions for staff, management and Board members.
- Running a preliminary assessment of documents and information most likely to be the object of requests and pre-determine where exceptions to disclosure apply.
- Ensuring Policy compliance and where necessary updating provisions in FSC contract templates relating to confidentiality and disclosure.
- Asserting that necessary information is online as required by the Policy and always up to date.
- Managing the request evaluation process including engagement with the respective colleague being the custodian to the requested document.
- Advising top leadership on the classification of Board sessions and Board documents.
- Ensuring that the exception framework has been duly considered.
- Asserting that response timeframes are kept by tracking substitution routines for relevant staff.
- Facilitating all processes required by the Policy including first and second level of appeal.
- Maintaining a comprehensive request log.
- Developing and maintaining Policy Implementation Guidelines which document what type of papers or information fall under exception of disclosure and where limits to exceptions apply.
- Monitoring pro-active disclosure of information as committed in the Policy.
- Compiling regular accountability reports about the implementation of the Policy.
- Running an annual Policy review and recommending Policy updates to the Board of Directors.
- Responding to requests for advice from members of staff, management or the Board itself, on questions of information disclosure, supported by an explicit analysis that starts with legal considerations.
- Supporting the review and optimization of data protection and data processing with its underlying processes in order to continuously develop our internal data protection management system.
- Helping to shape regulations and guidelines, working on company-wide policies and guidelines, ensuring legal compliance, and having a lasting impact over the maintenance, qualification and update over databases containing personal and business data.
- Providing regularly updates to the legal team and clients on relevant changes in law.
- Be the co-contact person for colleagues and specialist departments at FSC on all legal queries around data with a focus on the development of practical and solution-oriented approaches.
- Processing of data protection and data privacy requests from clients and stakeholder next to the application and maintenance of the Policy explained above.
- You will conduct privacy assessments and data protection impact assessments.
- Supporting the processing and handling of IT law related cases.
- University degree in law. Alternatively, university degree in business administration or similar with proven track experience in handling legal queries in data protection, data privacy and IT law related queries.
- At minimum three (3) but ideally more years of professional experience working in the legal and/or compliance department of an – ideally international – organization or law firm.
- Working experience in FSC or other certification systems is a plus.
- Data-Protection Officer certification or proven track of other related advanced trainings is very desirable.
- Fluency in English and German (spoken and written). · Spanish and/or French is a big advantage.
- Service-oriented attitude to work focusing on solving tasks with a strong sense for diligence and accuracy.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, able to establish and maintain positive interpersonal relationships.
- Proficient with the use of the standard software packages (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Experience in MS Office 365, in particular SharePoint and Dynamics, DocuSign and SAP is a big plus.
- High level of integrity an ability to handle confidential and sensitive information.
- Team player but with the capacity to withstand potential external or internal pressures.
- Fast learner
- Ability to multitask and prioritize workload effectively in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability to work well as a member of a multi-cultural, inter-disciplinary, multi-lingual, global team.
- Strong motivation and dedication to support FSC's values and mission through excellent individual performance.