Legal, Operations, Compliance and Implementation Director (m/f/d) 

FOUR PAWS is the global animal welfare organisation for animals under direct human influence, which reveals suffering, rescues animals in need and protects them. Find out more about our sustainable campaigns and projects on www.four-paws.org.  

Would you like to contribute to something meaningful and work with us on our mission? This is an opportunity to take on a leadership position at the intersection of governance, operational execution and global impact. We are looking for a dedicated person to enrich our team in the position of Legal, Operations, Compliance and Implementation Director, as the current role holder is transitioning into a new role within the organisation.  

Your contribution will be  

• Providing strategic legal advice across the organisation, including on animal welfare issues, governance, contracts, partnerships, intellectual property, data protection and regulatory matters
• Ensuring legal governance and compliance across all FOUR PAWS entities globally, including adherence to applicable laws, regulations, standards and internal policies
• Designing, developing and socialising global operational and compliance frameworks, ensuring alignment between global directives and local implementation
• Leading the implementation of key operational initiatives and business as usual activities, in close collaboration with Strategy and Transformation, Finance, People, Programmes, Fundraising and country operations
• Identifying legal, compliance and operational risks and developing appropriate mitigation strategies and crisis management approaches
• Overseeing the setup and continuous development of sanctuary related alignment frameworks, including coordination, exchange, and capacity planning across locations
• Ensuring robust document management, process documentation and internal governance standards across the organisation
• Actively contributing as a member to the Senior Leadership Team, advising the Executive Board on strategic, legal and operational matters
• Leading, developing and empowering a diverse, international and multidisciplinary team, promoting a culture of accountability, collaboration, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Managing budgeting and financial stewardship for the respective functions and areas of responsibility
• Representing FOUR PAWS externally with authorities, partners and other relevant stakeholders where appropriate

Your profile ideally illustrates 

• Senior leadership experience in legal, compliance, operations or governance roles, ideally in complex, international or impact-driven organisations
• Proven ability to operate effectively in international environments, balancing global frameworks with local realities
• Strong capability to lead in ambiguity, combining structure, sound judgement and pragmatism
• Experience managing multidisciplinary and cross cultural teams at senior level
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to operate credibly at Executive Board and senior leadership level
• Fluency in English and German is required
• Strong integrity, high ethical standards and clear alignment with FOUR PAWS’ values and mission

Our offer includes 

• The opportunity to truly contribute to global animal welfare
• An international, dynamic work environment
• Flexible and family-friendly working arrangements including the option of partial remote work
• A dog-friendly workplace
• Workplace health and wellbeing initiatives
• Wiener Linien annual ticket (or partial contribution to Klima Ticket) and pension fund after probationary period
• PAWSdays: extra days off at the end of the year on top of your annual leave
• Birthday leave: extra day off to use around your birthday
• The minimum gross annual salary for this position starts at 89,000 EUR (full-time base, consisting of 14 payments), in accordance with our internal compensation scheme 
   

We reveal, rescue and protect unique animals from many different species through systems change and by creating species-appropriate environments at our sanctuaries! 

We celebrate our colleagues' differences and strive to create an inclusive environment because we believe that only by working together, we can advance animal welfare worldwide. We value diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we strongly encourage candidates from all diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. This includes, but is not limited to, individuals with diverse lived experiences, racial identities, national origins, religions, socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and disability statuses to apply. We welcome everyone who wants to support our mission.  

All interested individuals are invited to submit their applications for the position. Please note that in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, having a valid work permit for the respective country or being eligible to obtain one is a requirement for this position prior to commencing employment. 

FOUR PAWS is collaborating with Pedersen & Partners for the recruitment of this role.

Join our passionate team to make a difference for animals. Apply with your CV in English today to: