Junior Legal Counsel

About the role

EIT Food is looking for a Junior Legal Counsel to join its Legal Department. The successful candidate will support a wide range of legal activities, from contract drafting to EU‑funded project compliance, within an international non‑profit environment focused on food innovation.

Key responsibilities

• Draft, review and negotiate contracts (service agreements, NDAs, sub‑granting, etc.) under senior counsel supervision.
• Maintain contract repositories and improve template libraries.
• Assist with EU and EIT funding agreements, consortium negotiations and regulatory research.
• Provide legal support for procurement processes, including review of RFQs, RFPs and tender documents.
• Collaborate with project managers, finance and administration to offer basic legal guidance.
• Identify and flag potential legal risks, and contribute to legal reporting for management.
• Support broader legal matters such as IP and data‑protection under Belgian law.

Required profile

• Master’s degree in Law or equivalent qualification.
• Approximately three years of legal experience (internship, junior counsel or junior associate).
• Strong interest in contract drafting and negotiation.
• Motivation to learn EU funding frameworks and KIC operations.
• Excellent analytical and communication skills.
• Fluent English; additional EU languages are a plus.

Required skills

What we offer

• A collaborative, innovative and inclusive work culture.
• Opportunity to contribute to sustainable food systems.
• Flexible working arrangements within Madrid, Bilbao or Warsaw.