Senior Legal Counsel – Environmental Law

Location: Utrecht, Netherlands
Work Model: Hybrid
Hours per Week: 36 Hours
Start Date: ASAP
Contract Duration: Until 31 December 2026
Experience Required: 5+ Years
Education Required: University Degree in Law (WO)

Job Overview

We are seeking an experienced Senior Legal Counsel specializing in Environmental Law to support complex legal matters related to permits, supervision, enforcement, and administrative law within a public-sector environment.

The ideal candidate has strong expertise in handling politically sensitive and complex legal cases, excellent advisory capabilities, and experience coordinating legal processes and supporting colleagues within multidisciplinary teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Advise senior stakeholders and management on complex legal matters related to permits and environmental law
• Handle responses to objections, legal opinions, and complex refusal decisions
• Draft enforcement decisions, including penalty payments, administrative coercion, and administrative fines
• Assess legal validity, proportionality, and effectiveness of legal documentation and reports
• Manage complex and politically sensitive legal cases with potential precedent-setting impact
• Support appeals and higher appeal procedures in high-risk dossiers
• Contribute to policy development, regulatory updates, and legal feasibility assessments
• Coordinate with internal legal and appeals teams
• Provide guidance, coaching, and knowledge sharing to legal colleagues
• Conduct peer reviews and support substantive legal decision-making processes

Required Skills & Experience

• Completed university-level legal education
• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in environmental law, permits, supervision, and enforcement
• Strong experience handling complex and politically sensitive legal cases
• Excellent knowledge of administrative and enforcement law
• Strong advisory, analytical, and decision-making skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in Dutch
• Ability to work effectively with stakeholders across different organizational levels
• Strong collaboration and coaching capabilities

Work Environment

• Hybrid working model available
• Team members typically work onsite at least 50% of the time
• During onboarding, onsite presence of at least four days per week is expected
• Attendance at important meetings is required

Additional Information

• Interviews are planned for the week of 25 May 2026
• CVs must be submitted in PDF format and in Dutch