Competitive Ski Mountaineering is one of the fastest growing winter sports and will make its Olympic debut at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games in 2026, after an extremely successful performance at the Lausanne 2020 Youth Games. The International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF) is the international governing body for this sport and is seeking a talented and motivated Legal Specialist to join our team, with the office based in Mondovì (Italy). This is an exciting opportunity to work in an international sports organization, contributing to the development of ski mountaineering while leveraging your expertise in law.
General responsibilities:
- Draft, review, and manage legal documents, contracts, and regulations in alignment with ISMF’s policies and international standards.
- Provide legal advice to the Federation and its stakeholders on various issues, including compliance, governance, and risk management.
- Prepare and communicate official legal statements, reports, and correspondence using precise legal language.
- Collaborate with different departments to ensure legal consistency and accuracy in all organizational communications.
- Maintain updated knowledge of international legal frameworks relevant to sports organizations.
- Assist in drafting and reviewing policies, bylaws, and disciplinary procedures.
- Represent ISMF in legal and regulatory matters as required.
Job activities:
- Conduct research and analysis to assist in planning, developing, and interpreting sports governance policies and appropriate measures for legal compliance.
- Offer guidance and support in legal matters pertaining to contracts involving third parties and ISMF.
- Review, improve, and draft legal documents with precision and compliance with relevant legal frameworks.
- Collaborate in the best interests of the ISMF with various stakeholders (internal and external), such as the ISMF Compliance Office, International Olympic Committee, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Sport Accord, International Testing Agency (ITA), Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF) on legal matters or specific projects assigned by ISMF and tasks related to CAS (excluding legal representation, which would require a separate mandate if needed).
- Develop solutions to meet compliance objectives set by international sports organizations, such as the ones mentioned above.
- In collaboration with the ISMF Office, initiate the development of an Internal Procedures Manual for ISMF, that facilitates the smooth flow of operations within the organization.
- Intellectual property protection: help protect ISMF’s intellectual property rights by managing trademark registrations and maintaining vigilant oversight to safeguard intellectual property rights.
- Provide guidance on compliance with data protection laws, regulations, and industry best practices to safeguard personal information.
- Participate in Plenary Assemblies, Council and Bureau meetings, sporting events, and others if necessary to support the organization’s legal interests.
- In the event of safeguarding concerns, collaboration with the people assigned to the role of Compliance/Safeguarding Officer, in conducting internal investigations, coordinating with relevant stakeholders, and ensuring appropriate actions are taken in line with ISMF regulations.
- Education and legal training: Develop training programs for ISMF staff and stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive understanding of best practices in sports governance.
- Provide guidance in insurance field.
- Support in data privacy field in collaboration with the external consultant for the relevant internal implementation
Candidate Profile:
Essential qualifications:
- Master’s degree in Law.
- Advanced level in English (both written and spoken) is mandatory.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with a focus on legal and technical language.
- Proven experience in drafting legal documents and advising on legal matters, preferably in a sports or international organization.
- Good organizational and interpersonal skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, both in teams and independently.
- Familiarity with Microsoft Office Package (Outlook, Word, Excel and Power Point). Use of AI.
- A keen interest in international sports governance and regulations.
Desirable skills:
- Master’s degree in Sport field is a plus.
- Any additional languages are an asset (e.g. Italian, French, Spanish, German, etc.).
- Familiarity with the governance structures of international sports federations.
- Knowledge of international sports law and arbitration processes (e.g., CAS).
- Experience working in a multicultural and dynamic environment.
- Previous experience in Sports organisation.
What we offer:
Position: Junior profile
Location: Mondovì (Italy)
Time: Full time,from Monday to Friday.
Salary: Apprenticeship contract as per Italian National Labour Contract “Service sector” – CCNL “Terziario Commercio” (under 30 years old age).
Opportunities:
- The chance to contribute to a growing Olympic sport and make a tangible impact.
- A collaborative and dynamic international working environment.
- Professional development within the world of international sports law and governance.
About us:
Founded in 2007, the ISMF is the global governing body for competitive ski mountaineering. Since 2016, the organisation has been officially recognised by the International Olympic Committee. Its main goals are the promotion, regulation and development of the sport of ski mountaineering worldwide. Based in Lausanne, Switzerland, the ISMF’s membership consists of 52 national federations located in Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. The ISMF organizes ski mountaineering Senior and Youth World Cups, as well as Masters and World Championships. For the first time, ski mountaineering was a medal sport at the 2020 Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland, and has been included in the programme of the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympic Winter Games.
How to apply:
For qualified and interested candidates, please send your CV and detailing your qualifications and experience by January 6, 2025 to: jobs@ismf-ski.org
Target start date February, 2025.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Candidacies not respecting the application requirements as described above will not be considered.
Join us in shaping the future of ski mountaineering at the global level!
For a better use and treatment of the information it is recommended to attach the CV in PDF format.
Please consider that the personal data provided in your CV is confidential and will be processed by the ISMF solely for the purpose of handling your job application and assessing suitability for the employee’s position. This data will be kept until our open role is filled. We cannot estimate the exact time period, but we will consider this period over when a candidate accepts our job offer for this position. When that period is over, we will either delete your data or inform you that we will keep it in our database for future roles. The legal basis for the processing of this data is the consent you provide us when you submit your application. However, at any time, if you wish, you can contact us through the addresses provided below to exercise your rights of access, rectification, deletion, opposition, limitation of processing and portability of data, in accordance with the terms provided in the rules of protection of personal data. You can do this by writing to our administrative office in Italy (Via Sant’Agostino, 16, Mondovì, Italy) or by sending an email to the address: privacy@ismf-ski.org. For more information you can consult our Privacy Policy at: http://www.ismf-ski.org/webpages/privacy-policy/.