(This position requires professional proficiency in Finnish.)

Are you looking to join an organisation committed to positive societal impact? Are you an experienced legal professional with the vision and motivation to lead our Legal function? If yes, then maybe you are the person we are looking for. Join us as our Head of Legal in leading societal transformation towards a fair, sustainable and joyful future!

About Demos Helsinki

Demos Helsinki is a globally operating, non-profit and independent think tank. We are a community of motivated experts dedicated to instigating and sustaining essential transitions to a fair, sustainable and joyful future. We believe that change can only happen together. That is why we carry out consultative and research projects together with hundreds of partners, such as private international foundations, UN organisations, the European Commission and also companies. Over the past 20 years, we have grown into an over 80-person organisation working on more than 100 projects per year with a forecasted revenue of over 5 M€.

Head of Legal in a nutshell

Demos Helsinki is a non-profit, impact-based, independent think tank. Our attitude is can-do: we set our impact goals first and then build the legal and financial pathways to make them a reality. Moving forward, we want our legal expertise to evolve from a compliance function into a strategic architect of societal change.

Head of Legal is a new role, fitted for a passionate professional with skills to transition our legal function from a compliance-based support service to a strategic engine. You will ensure our mission is globally scalable, ethically grounded and legally pioneering. You don't just tell us what the law says today, but how the law should serve society tomorrow.

In practice, your role balances operational precision with strategic transformation. You will secure our foundation by managing organisational compliance while acting as a legal strategist to enable systemic shifts. You enjoy making sense of complex topics, even when they fall outside your primary area of expertise.

Legal Function at Demos Helsinki

Our legal function will consist of you and a Legal Counsel who owns the day-to-day operational responsibility. You will work closely with our Finance and People functions, while also providing strategic support to various project teams and business areas aligned with your expertise. You are not expected to be the master of every trade: you will have access to our existing expert contacts and you can also tailor and manage your own advisory network. As this is a new role, you will have a significant opportunity to shape your own workflow and the strategic direction of the function.

Areas of responsibility:

• Ethical Pioneering: Acting as an "ethical partner" by contributing to the creation of guidelines for emerging fields in our society, especially where formal legislation is still evolving.

• Global Risk Management: International contract law and negotiation strategies in complex, unfamiliar legal environments

• Compliance & Data Governance: Internal compliance and broader data governance

• International Labor Law: Making sense of complex international employment situations to enable global talent acquisition and compliance with local legislation

• Openness vs. Protection: Balancing open-source impact goals and the intellectual property needed for competitive advantage

• Strategic IPR & Data Policy: Developing and executing internal rules for how we manage, use, and share research data and methodologies.

What we expect from you

You’ll enjoy working at Demos if

• You are mission-driven and genuinely motivated by Demos Helsinki’s ethos

• You are curious and enjoy constant learning

• You value kindness and joy as core elements of a professional environment.

• You are comfortable with both getting tasks done yourself and delegating them

Professional requirements

• Proficiency in English and Finnish

• A Master of Laws (LL.M./ OTM) degree and a solid career as a versatile legal professional

• Experience from both strategic leadership and supervisory duties

• Strong negotiation skills and the grit to hold your own in different environments

• Solution-oriented mindset and a proven track record of identifying, prioritising, and balancing risks; you have the nerve to take strategic risks when needed

• Good communication skills with the ability to translate complex topics and “legalese” into clear, accessible language

• High tolerance for ambiguity and the ability to keep cool when moving fast

We also value (but don’t require)

• Experience in legal design

• Experience in either EU framework programmes or the non-profit sector

• Experience from project-based and/or growing multicultural organisations

We are building a diverse and inclusive community. If you are excited about this role but don’t tick every single box, we still encourage you to apply. The role can be tailored to suit the right candidate’s unique strengths.

What we offer you

• Salary: Fixed salary of 4790 € or 5410 € per month (for 100% working time). The salary is based on tiers B and A of our transparent compensation model, and is determined by the candidate’s experience and the final scope of the role.

• Working hours: This is a permanent position with 50%–100% working time (18.75–37.5 h/week).

• Location: Our office is located in Central Helsinki, Mechelinkinkatu 3d. We have flexible remote work policies and working partly or fully remotely is possible.

Demos Helsinki promotes equality in working life, and our office and all workspaces are physically accessible. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive community, a place where we can all be ourselves. This means, for example, flexible working arrangements and family-friendly employment policies. We treat others with dignity and respect, do not tolerate discrimination or harassment and educate ourselves constantly.

How to Apply

We use an anonymous recruitment process for the first phase of candidate selection. This ensures that our preliminary evaluation is based solely on your professional skills and experience. Details such as your name, age, and location are temporarily hidden from the hiring team during the initial review.

To apply, please submit your CV and short written responses to the specific application questions provided. Application Deadline: 26 April 2026 at 23:59 (EET).

All applicants will be contacted about their situation in the application process after the application period has ended, at latest at the start of week 19. Interviews will start during week 19 – you are welcome to join us either live at our office in Helsinki, or remotely via Google Meets.

Questions?

For more information about the role, please contact:

• Katariina Pietilä, CFO, katariina.pietila@demoshelsinki.fi, or by phone +358406127236 April 17th 15:10–16:00 EET or April 24th 14:00–15:00 EET.

For more information about the process or working at Demos Helsinki, please contact:

• Ifeoma Kulmala, ifeoma.kulmala@demoshelsinki.fi, or by phone +358 50 365 8993 April 15th 11:00–12:00 EET or April 21st 10:00–11:00 EET.

We are happy to provide additional information and answer any questions you may have. However, please do note that the application process is anonymous, so any prior discussions are not taken into consideration when assessing your application.