Data Protection Legal Adviser

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) seeks a Data Protection Legal Adviser to join its Data Protection Office. The ICRC, founded in 1863, works worldwide to protect human dignity and alleviate suffering caused by armed conflict, delivering aid, reuniting families and locating missing persons while engaging with authorities to promote respect for international humanitarian law. In this position you will help the ICRC apply its Rules on Personal Data Protection across the organisation. Daily tasks include advising delegations, regional offices and internal departments on the correct use of the rules and related policies such as the Biometrics Policy, drafting procedures, templates and information notices, and negotiating data‑processing or data‑sharing agreements. You will also support the integration of Data Protection by Design and by Default in new projects, assist with data‑protection impact assessments, apply the Cloud Strategy framework where relevant, and coordinate breach management together with information‑security staff. Additional duties involve monitoring rule compliance, identifying cases for the Independent Commission on Data Protection, delivering training sessions, contributing to external panels, and keeping abreast of legal developments that affect privacy in humanitarian action. The role requires a solid academic background and extensive professional experience. Candidates must hold a bachelor's or master's degree in law, international law or human rights and possess a recognised Data Protection Officer certification. A minimum of ten to twelve years of overall work experience is essential, including roughly five years as a legal adviser or attorney. Applicants need a strong grasp of data‑protection legislation, excellent written and spoken English, and competence with Microsoft Office tools such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Additional assets that will strengthen an application are fluency in French or Spanish, about two years of specialised experience in data‑protection or privacy, and prior operational work in the humanitarian field, for example as a programme coordinator or manager. The position is a full‑time, long‑term assignment based in Geneva, offered on an open‑ended contract with a 100 % activity rate, starting 1 December 2026. What the role asks for: - Bachelor's or Master's degree in Law, International Law or Human Rights - Data Protection Officer certification - 10–12 years overall professional experience - Approximately 5 years experience as legal adviser or attorney - Strong knowledge of data protection law - Excellent written and spoken English - Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) - Proficiency in French or Spanish (nice-to-have) - Around 2 years experience in data protection or privacy (nice-to-have) - Operational experience in humanitarian sector (nice-to-have)