Legal & Compliance Specialist (M/F)

About the job

Step through the doors of Frederique Constant, a Swiss watch manufacturer based in Plan-les-Ouates (Geneva). Frederique Constant places at the heart of its creations its main mission: to produce timepieces of the highest quality at the fairest price. Today, the House designs, develops and assembles mechanical watches - including more than 30 Manufacture calibres such as the Tourbillon, Perpetual Calendar, Flyback Chronograph, Monolithic, Big Date Power Reserve, Moonphase - and also offers quartz watches. Since its creation in 1988, the brand has continuously innovated, always pushing its goals further.

In 2016, the Frederique Constant group (Frederique Constant, Alpina Watches, Ateliers deMonaco) joined the Japanese Citizen group to continue its international development and foster new synergies.

With nearly 3,000 points of sale spread across 120 countries worldwide, our company offers a dynamic working environment with an entrepreneurial spirit, where every idea is valued. Join us in our quest for excellence and exponential growth.

Legal & Compliance Specialist (M/F)

Your mission

As part of the development of our activities and the structuring of our legal function, we are looking for a Legal & Compliance Specialist to join our international watchmaking Group.

Reporting directly to the Group CFO, you will play a key role in securing our activities, providing legal support to our teams, and strengthening our practices in governance, compliance, and corporate social responsibility.

This position offers a great opportunity to leverage your legal skills while developing your expertise and contributing to cross-functional projects in an international, dynamic, and entrepreneurial environment.

Your main responsibilities

1. Commercial law and contract management

• Support operational teams in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial contracts, in Switzerland and internationally.

• Participate in the development and deployment of standardised contract templates.

• Provide pragmatic legal advice, adapted to the operational and commercial challenges of the Group.

• Contribute to the identification and prevention of contractual risks.

2. Corporate law and governance

• Ensure the legal follow-up of the Group's various entities and participate in their corporate secretarial duties (general meetings, board of directors, legal formalities, and record keeping).

• Support corporate operations and projects, in collaboration with internal teams and external counsel.

• Contribute to the improvement of tools and processes for managing legal documentation.

3. Compliance, risk management and intellectual property

• Participate in the identification, assessment, and monitoring of legal and regulatory risks.

• Contribute to the deployment and improvement of compliance policies and procedures, notably regarding personal data protection (FADP, GDPR and other applicable regulations).

• Participate in internal control initiatives and compliance with Group requirements, notably J-SOX.

• Ensure, in collaboration with our external counsel, the follow-up of intellectual property matters and the management of the portfolio of trademarks and other rights.

4. CSR and sustainable development

• Lead the implementation of the company’s overall strategy in terms of corporate social responsibility and sustainable development.

• Coordinate and support the various departments in deploying CSR initiatives.

• Ensure the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of actions in accordance with the Group’s objectives and policies.

• Contribute to the identification and assessment of sustainability issues and risks, notably environmental, social, and governance-related.

• Promote awareness and engagement of teams around responsible practices.

5. Cross-functional projects and team support

• Support various departments, notably Human Resources, in their daily legal issues by proposing concrete and adapted solutions. If necessary, coordinate with experts and external counsel.

• Contribute to the improvement and formalisation of internal legal processes.

• Participate in cross-functional projects involving legal, regulatory, or compliance issues.

• Raise awareness among teams about good contractual practices and the prevention of legal risks.

Your profile

Education and experience

• Holder of a Master’s degree in law, ideally specialised in business law, labour law, or corporate law, or an equivalent qualification.

• You have 3 to 6 years of professional experience within a corporate legal department or a law firm.

• You possess solid legal foundations in your area of specialisation and show an interest in commercial, contractual, and corporate governance issues.

• Knowledge of Swiss law is a significant asset.

• Initial exposure to compliance, data protection, intellectual property, or CSR issues would be appreciated but is not a prerequisite.

• You are fluent in French and have an excellent level of English, both written and spoken.

Your personal qualities

• You are rigorous, organised, and demonstrate a true sense of responsibility.

• You know how to work autonomously while appreciating collaboration and exchanges with various stakeholders.

• You are pragmatic, solution-oriented, and able to adapt your recommendations to operational realities.

• You have good analytical and synthesis skills and know how to identify situations requiring external expertise.

• You demonstrate discretion, discernment, and integrity.

• You are curious, adaptable, and wish to develop your skills in a stimulating professional environment.

• You appreciate human-scale environments where initiative and team spirit are valued.

Why join us?

• A rich and evolving position: develop your legal expertise through diverse assignments and concrete projects.

• An international environment: collaborate with our teams and partners in Switzerland and abroad.

• Close proximity to the teams: work directly with the Finance Department and the Group’s various departments.

• A human-scale company: join a recognised watchmaking house combining know-how, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit.

• A real opportunity to contribute: actively participate in structuring and continuously improving our legal, compliance, and corporate social responsibility practices.

Ready to take on this challenge?

Do you want to evolve in an international environment, put your legal skills to work on varied projects, and contribute to the responsible development of a recognised watchmaking group?

We look forward to receiving your application and meeting you!