Legal and Risk Officer – 12 month fixed-term contract

Birdlife International; Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 34,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension 12%

Hybrid work

LinkedIn Learning

Cycle to work

Health portal access

Job summary

BirdLife International is seeking a qualified solicitor or experienced paralegal to join its Legal & Risk team in Cambridge on a 12-month maternity cover contract. The role covers contracts, compliance and data protection, with hybrid working and a salary of £40,000 per year plus a 12% pension.

The successful candidate will draft and review agreements, support procurement, manage legal risk, and advise global teams.

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor, experienced paralegal or Legal Executive with proven in-house or private practice background.
• Strong knowledge of English contract law, data protection and governance.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to explain complex legal matters clearly.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review and improve contracts and legal documents; advise on risks.
• Support partnerships and procurement via sub-grant, consultancy and other agreements.
• Manage organisational risk through insurance renewals, claims handling and compliance processes.
• Support GDPR compliance and data protection practices across BirdLife offices and entities.
• Translate legal advice into clear, practical guidance for colleagues and external counsel.
• Keep templates and internal resources accurate and up to date.

Skills

English law

Contract law

Data protection

Compliance

Governance

Drafting contracts

Education

Law degree

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Application deadline: Monday 19 October 2026– 23:59 BST

Location: Cambridge, UK (hybrid working, minimum one day per week in Cambridge)

Full-time: 35 hours per week

Contract: 12 month fixed-term maternity cover contract

Salary: £40,000 per annum depending on skills/experience, plus competitive 12% pension benefit

Annual Leave: 25 days pro rata

We’re BirdLife International, the only global Partnership conserving birds and all life on our planet. We exist to give one voice to nature, and to unite and strengthen conservation across borders.

As part of BirdLife’s Legal & Risk team, you’ll provide practical, solutions-focused advice across a diverse range of legal and compliance matters, working with colleagues and partners around the world. If you enjoy applying your legal knowledge to meaningful challenges, collaborating across cultures and helping an organisation manage risk while achieving its goals, we’d like to hear from you.

How you will do this:

• Drafting, reviewing and improving contracts and legal documents, advising colleagues on risks and escalating issues where appropriate.
• Supporting effective partnerships and procurement through the preparation and review of sub-grant, consultancy and other agreements.
• Managing organisational risk through insurance renewals, claims administration and effective legal and compliance processes.
• Protecting BirdLife and our partners by supporting due diligence, including checks relating to sanctions, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing requirements.
• Helping develop and implement policies, procedures and controls that manage legal and regulatory risk.
• Supporting GDPR compliance activities and promoting good data protection practice.
• Advising local teams on the legal and compliance requirements affecting BirdLife offices and separately registered entities around the world.
• Working with trusted external counsel, translating legal advice into clear, practical recommendations for the organisation.
• Researching and communicating legal developments on relevant topics, providing clear and useful advice to colleagues across BirdLife.
• Keeping template contracts, guidance and internal resources accurate, accessible and fit for purpose.

What we are looking for:

We’re looking for a qualified solicitor, experienced paralegal or Legal Executive with proven experience in a legal department, either in-house or in private practice, and a good working knowledge of English law, particularly contract law, data protection and privacy, compliance and corporate governance. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential, with the ability to explain complex legal matters clearly and confidently to colleagues without a legal background. Strong organisational skills, meticulous attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities are important, alongside a high level of initiative and the ability to work effectively under pressure. A creative, pragmatic approach to problem-solving will be valued, with the confidence to interpret guidance and develop practical, robust solutions. Good planning and project management skills, strong numeracy and literacy, and proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Word and Excel, are also required. Fluency in English is essential; additional languages such as French, Spanish or Portuguese would be an advantage.

Some of our benefits:

• We are able to offer a hybrid model of working on-site and from home/remote for most roles, which helps to ensure a flexible work-life balance.
• A chance to work in the award-winning David Attenborough Building, which brings together much of the Cambridge-based conservation community on a ‘conservation campus.’
• A generous pension scheme, up to 12% company contribution.
• Holiday starting at 25 days excluding Bank Holidays and increasing for every year of service up to a maximum of 28 days.
• Full access to LinkedIn Learning with access to more than 13,000 high-quality, on-demand courses.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Employee Assistance Programme, including access to Health Assured online health portal.

BirdLife values a diverse workforce and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Find out more about our Diversity statement.

We are committed to building and maintaining an inclusive and supportive culture, a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit. We aim to promote a more inclusive environment, which attracts all candidates and signals our commitment to celebrate and promote diversity.

We know that everyone’s needs are different. If you need us to make any adjustments to our recruitment process, let us know, we’ll do our best to make it happen.

Interviews:

Interviews will be held during the week of 26 October.