The Role
Lead external disputes and contentious matters globally for FIFA, managing litigation, criminal and arbitration cases, settlement negotiations, external counsel, budgets, and court hearings. Provide cross-functional legal advice on contentious risks, draft and review documents, and represent FIFA in hearings and negotiations.
Summary Generated by Built In
We govern the beautiful game and ensure it's run with transparency and integrity.
Join our team in Miami and support us on our mission.
Join our team in Miami and support us on our mission.
THE POSITION
These are your key tasks:
- Responsible for the conduct of all external disputes and contentious matters involving FIFA, including civil and criminal matters and arbitration cases (note: this does not include the conduct of any sports-related matters in the CAS);
- Providing legal advice and guidance across all functional areas at FIFA related to contentious matters, including advising on litigation risks and outcomes;
- Conduct of settlement negotiations in the context of disputes;
- Managing multiple cases in Switzerland and internationally;
- Engagement and instruction of external counsel, and responsibility for budgets for external legal spend; and
- Attending court hearings, reviewing, drafting and commenting on documents.
YOUR PROFILE
We work hard at FIFA.
We are dedicated, ambitious and innovative.
And we respect our values. Always.
For all roles, we seek talented people with an entrepreneurial spirit and a global mindset.
The specific competencies we require for this position are:
We are dedicated, ambitious and innovative.
And we respect our values. Always.
For all roles, we seek talented people with an entrepreneurial spirit and a global mindset.
The specific competencies we require for this position are:
- Fully qualified to practise law (admitted to the Florida bar or eligible to register as Florida Authorized House Counsel) having completed academic and practical training
- 8+ years of legal practice PQE
- Substantial professional experience of working with and drafting legal documents in English
- Excellent negotiation, drafting, problem solving and analytical skills
- Enhanced expertise: 8 years expertise "on the job" in a recognised firm or in a similar role in an in-house legal department
- Demonstrable interest in or experience of sports, media, sponsorship and regulatory matters, including and interest in the interplay between sports and competition law
- First class written and spoken English language skills, consistent with drafting and negotiating complex, high value and nuanced English language agreements
- Comfortable providing advice and recommendations to senior leadership
- Ability to provide and communicate effectively practical and solutions-based legal advice
- Excellent negotiation, drafting, problem solving and analytical skills
- Structured, reliable, highly organised with a strong eye for detail
- Ability to work as part of a high-performing team, fostering collaboration, driving results, and ensuring the successful achievement of organizational goals.
- Proactive, with a strong sense of personal responsibility with an ability to work autonomously on a wide variety of projects
- Resilient, with an ability to competently handle a large workload amid rapidly shifting priorities
- Open-minded team player with an affinity for working within a variety of cultures and excellent communication skills
- High degree of professionalism and confident demeanour
- Ability to be a good ambassador for FIFA in all manner of external facing situations, including during court hearings, mediations and negotiations, external workshops and during FIFA competition-related assignments
- Ability to create, develop and maintain strong and reliable relationships with FIFA senior management as well as external legal and commercial counterparts
- Willingness to operate outside of comfort zone
- Takes initiative to reflect on how to improve and develop working styles and methods to assist the organisation and internal clients
- Native level English (or equivalent), consistent with requirement to draft and negotiate complex and nuanced English language agreements and advice.
- Proficiency in any other FIFA language (French/Spanish/German) is an asset but not necessary
- Proficient in Word / PowerPoint / Excel
- Willingness to travel
PERKS & BENEFITS
The biggest benefit of a career at FIFA is the privilege to work for the beautiful game and create something that matters.
Alongside that privilege, we also offer some extra perks and benefits:
Health insurance: We offer generous medical, vision, and dental insurance coverage.
Continuous learning: We care about your development and encourage internal mobility, offering a variety of training and education to help achieve it.
Retirement: We offer generous 401(k) employer contributions.
Vacation: Maintain a healthy work/life balance with a generous vacation allowance.
About
We are FIFA, the global governing body for football.Our vision is to make football truly global, diverse and inclusive, for the benefit of the entire world. The last FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 attracted more than 5 billion viewers and the last FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2023 was the greatest-ever FIFA Women's World Cup that inspired millions of girls and women around the globe. The opportunities for growth are exciting.We are a modern organisation with over 800 passionate employees who are Living Football every day. Our headquarters are based in Zurich, Switzerland, and we have offices in Miami, Paris and Rabat, plus eleven regional offices from New Zealand to India, South Africa, Panama and Paraguay.
Skills Required
- Fully qualified to practise law (admitted to the Florida bar or eligible to register as Florida Authorized House Counsel)
- 8+ years of post-qualification legal practice (PQE) with at least 8 years' on-the-job experience in a recognised firm or in-house legal department
- Substantial experience drafting and working with legal documents in English; first-class written and spoken English
- Demonstrable interest or experience in sports, media, sponsorship and regulatory matters, including interplay between sports and competition law
- Excellent negotiation, drafting, problem solving and analytical skills
- Ability to provide practical, solutions-based legal advice and counsel senior leadership
- Experience managing multiple international cases, engaging and instructing external counsel, and overseeing external legal budgets
- Comfortable attending court hearings, mediations and negotiations and acting as FIFA ambassador externally
- Highly organised, structured, reliable, with strong attention to detail and ability to handle large workloads under shifting priorities
- Proficient in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel
- Willingness to travel
- Proficiency in French, Spanish or German
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The Company
What We Do
FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) is the international governing body for association football, futsal, and beach soccer. It is responsible for organizing major international tournaments, such as the World Cup, and works to grow the game globally, promote inclusivity, and advocate for integrity and fair play. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, it oversees 211 national associations and invests in football development worldwide to ensure the sport remains accessible and beneficial to all.
