Legal Advisor

FSMA; Brussel Hoofdstad; Hybrid; EUR 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Group and hospitalization insurance

Public transport reimbursement

Company restaurant

Job summary

FSMA is seeking a Legal Advisor in the department responsible for supervising insurance products and supplementary pensions, including prudential supervision of IORPs. The role focuses on ensuring compliance, handling clarifications and complaints, and contributing to governance standards.

You will work in a multidisciplinary team in Brussels, with opportunities for EU cooperation, reporting to the Legal Department.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in law; specialization in insurance and pension law is an asset.
• Knowledge of life and non-life insurance and supplementary pensions, or willingness to acquire in-depth knowledge.
• Knowledge of labour or social legislation is an asset.
• Fluent in French and Dutch with good command of English.
• Analytical mindset with strong synthesis; accuracy and professionalism.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Team player and able to work independently.
• Curious, eager to learn and improve.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel).

Responsibilities

• Supervise insurance products (life and non-life) ensuring compliance with legislation and regulations; verify precontractual information and advertising; assess product value for money; contribute to risk-based supervision tools and EU projects.
• Supervise supplementary pensions, focusing on social legislation, handling clarification requests and member complaints.
• Oversee institutional aspects of IORPs for good governance and compliance with legal forms and articles of association.
• Initially focus on insurance products supervision.

Skills

Analytical mindset

Synthesis ability

Communication skills

Team player

Willing to learn

Office suite

Education

Master's degree in law

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Legal advisor for the 'Supervision of insurance products and of supplementary pensions' department

Where will you be working?

You will be employed as a legal advisor in a department that is responsible for supervising insurance products and supplementary pensions, and for the prudential supervision of institutions for occupational retirement provision.

The first component involves supervision of insurance products (both life and non-life). The department verifies compliance with the legislation and regulations applicable to insurance products. This involves examining, among other things, whether the marketing of these products is accompanied by transparent precontractual information as well as whether the products offered are useful to consumers (value for money).

The two other components have to do with supplementary pensions. The department is responsible, on the one hand, for the prudential supervision of institutions for occupational retirement provision (IORP), also known as ‘pension funds’. On the other hand, the department conducts social supervision of second pillar pensions, that is, supplementary pensions built up in the context of an occupational activity, regardless of whether they are managed by an IORP or by an insurance company.

What will your job entail?

• Supervision of insurance products covers both life insurance products and non-life insurance products. The work of the team you will be part of consists of ensuring that the products being marketed comply with the legislation and regulations in force. This applies to both precontractual information and advertising and to the general terms and conditions of the product. One aspect of the work also involves verifying that the products brought to market comply with the product oversight & governance rules and that the products offer consumers value for money. In so far as the supervision is based on a risk-based approach, you will participate in developing tools that make it possible to target the FSMA’s supervision appropriately. The team also takes part in various EU-level projects.
• As regards supplementary pensions, there is also specific social legislation that applies. This legislation is focused on the framework for pension liabilities and chiefly regulates the rights and obligations of the various parties concerned (organizers, members and insurance companies or pension funds). You will participate first and foremost in supervising compliance with that social legislation. You will also be asked to reply to various requests for clarification or interpretation of the legislation, as well as to handle complaints lodged by members.
• With respect to the prudential supervision of institutions for occupational retirement provision (pension funds), you will be tasked specifically with examining the more institutional aspects of IORPs. Such institutions must meet various legal conditions in this area, and in particular as far as legal form, articles of association, etc., are concerned. You will also be tasked with ensuring that the institution’s organization meets the good governance requirements.

Initially, you will be carrying out your tasks principally in the area of supervision of insurance products.

What knowledge, experience and skills do you bring?

• A Master’s degree in law. A specialization in insurance and pension law is an asset.
• You are knowledgeable in topics relating to life insurance and non-life insurance as well as to supplementary pensions, or you are prepared to acquire an in-depth knowledge of these topics.
• Knowledge of topics relating to labour or social legislation, and/or an interest in these areas, are likewise an asset.
• Solid competence in French and Dutch and a good command of English.
• You have an analytical mindset combined with an excellent capacity for synthesis. Your strengths are accuracy and professionalism.
• Skill in logical structuring of verbal and written communication.
• Both a team player and able to work independently.
• You are curious, love learning and are constantly seeking improvement.
• Good knowledge of the commonly used Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, etc.).

What we offer

• A full-time job with a permanent contract.
• Work that has an important social impact that will give you the opportunity to contribute to consumer protection.
• A competitive salary package with a wide range of family-friendly and fringe benefits (including group and hospitalization insurance, reimbursement of public transport costs, budget-friendly company restaurant, contribution to your mobile phone and internet subscriptions, additional non-statutory holidays, bank holidays, etc.).
• Good work/life balance (possibility of teleworking a few days a week).
• Easy to reach location in central Brussels.
• Many opportunities for training and development.

Each member of the FSMA staff is subject to a strict code of ethicsand is bound by the obligation of professional secrecy.