Starting Date: August/September 2026
Contract type: Full-time and open-ended
Salary: CHF 80,000
Location: Geneva
Application closing date: 02/07/2026 (09:00 BST)
If we receive a high volume of applications, we may close this vacancy earlier than the advertised deadline, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
About the Job
The Legal Associate supports the Senior Legal Manager in the effective management of BCI’s global legal and compliance matters, ensuring that contractual, procurement, data protection, trademark and certification mark activities comply with applicable regulations. The role plays an important part in safeguarding BCI’s legal position by independently managing contract and procurement workflows, supporting GDPR and broader data protection compliance, and contributing to the maintenance and protection of the organisation’s global trademark portfolio.
The role also provides essential support for managing contract workflows, supporting compliance processes, and ensuring alignment with applicable Swiss legal and regulatory requirements.
As such, the position requires strong working knowledge and practical experience on Swiss law and applicable regulatory requirements enabling the role holder to navigate cross‑jurisdictional legal matters effectively.
The Legal Associate contributes to a robust organisational compliance framework by monitoring relevant Swiss, EU and international legal developments, supporting their implementation, and ensuring consistent documentation and governance processes. Working closely with the Senior Legal Manager and internal stakeholders across multiple functions, the role ensures that legal matters are managed in a consistent, timely, and well‑documented manner. Through this support, the Legal Associate strengthens contractual, procurement, trademark obligations enhance compliance with Swiss legal obligations, and contributes to the smooth, reliable, and efficient operation of Better Cotton’s global legal department.
The Challenge
Looking ahead to 2030, we are targeting reducing GHG emissions from cotton production by half, big cuts in synthetic pesticide use, improve soil health across our network, improve farm income and support women’s empowerment among farmers and farm workers.
Responsibilities
In this role, you will be responsible for:
Contracts & Procurement (60%)
-
Acts as the first point of contact for contract‑related questions from procurement and internal teams, providing clear, practical guidance on supplier and partner agreements.
-
Supports procurement processes by reviewing supplier terms, assessing contractual risks, ensuring that tendering and vendor selection documentation meets legal, operational, and compliance requirements.
-
Drafts, reviews, and negotiates a wide range of agreements, including donor and grant agreements, procurement and supplier contracts, programme and partnership agreements, and other contracts, ensuring alignment with BCI policies and global legal standards.
Trademark Portfolio Management (25%)
-
Support the management Better Cotton’s global trademark portfolio, including new trademark and certification mark (as relevant) filings for the new BCI and BCI Cotton names and logos, as applicable, including effective renewals, oppositions for use and the prosecution of trademark applications as relevant.
-
Monitoring and recording trademark registrations and related information and the preparation of a system for global evidence of use, including a plan of how to gather and record the evidence internally ensuring we are in a strong position to enforce our rights as required.
Swiss Law Compliance & Regulatory Support (15%)
-
Supports compliance for Better Cotton's with applicable regulatory requirements
-
Assists with Swiss compliance obligations, including Swiss legal requirements applicable to Better Cotton’s operations and internal documentation standards.
Experience
the following skills, knowledge, and experience:
Essential
-
Master's degree in Swiss law (or equivalent).
-
Demonstrated working expertise in Swiss law and others jurisdictions, reflecting the role’s cross‑jurisdictional responsibilities.
-
4-6 years of experience as legal associate or lawyer preferably in an international, NGO setting or law firm.
-
Experience in contract drafting negotiating, procurement support, data protection, or trademark/IP matters.
-
Experience with diverse internal stakeholders.
-
Experience managing legal tools and systems.
-
Experience in legal research, administrative legal support and legal compliance activities.
-
Fluent or native in English (mandatory).
-
Fluent in French (mandatory).
Desirable
-
Other language is an asset
What we offer
- Competitive salary
- Hybrid working – Two to three days/week in the Geneva office
- The opportunity to work from anywhere in the world for up to one month per year
- Flexible working, with core hours from 10 am to 4 pm local time
- Continuous learning and development
- Pension scheme
- A generous annual leave package, including paid holiday, public holidays, additional paid days off during the festive season, study and exam days, and extra discretionary leave for life events such as family weddings or moving home
- Enhanced parental benefits
- The opportunity to make your mark and make a difference.
Working arrangements
The position is full-time (40 hours per week) and will be based Geneva. Better Cotton Initiative offers flexible working, with core hours being 10 am – 4 pm. The position will require limited international travel.
Apply now
Send us your CV (2 pages maximum) and a brief cover letter (1-page maximum) by or before 02.07.2026 via the application link.
In your cover letter, please include an explanation of why your experience is specifically relevant to this role at Better Cotton Initiative. We want to see your personal style – what makes you tick and why you think your next opportunity is here with us.
Better Cotton Initiative does not use artificial intelligence or automated screening tools in its hiring process. Every application is reviewed by our Talent Acquisition team and relevant hiring managers to ensure a fair and human-led assessment experience.
Our hiring process
Initial Screening:
Applicant screening is a crucial step in our recruitment process. This stage may involve a brief phone interview or video call to evaluate your suitability for the position. During this screening, we review resumes and cover letters, and may conduct initial background checks to narrow down the pool of applicant. Internal candidates are encouraged to inform their line manager about their application to promote transparency and help facilitate a smooth transition if selected.
Interviews:
If you successfully pass the initial screening, you will be invited for interviews. The interview process at Better Cotton Initiative may include one or more rounds of interviews with various stakeholders, such as the hiring manager, team members, and potentially senior management. As an internal candidate, you may have discussions regarding your current responsibilities and how they will transition to the new position.
Assessment and Testing:
Depending on the role, you might be required to complete assessments, technical tests, or skills evaluations to gauge your competency and suitability for the position. Internal candidates may have the option to demonstrate their existing skills through current job performance or past project outcomes.
Reference Checks:
Once you progress further in the process, reference checks are conducted to validate your work history, skills, and qualifications, and for some roles, your education and criminal history. Internal candidates may be asked for references from current or previous supervisors within Better Cotton Initiative to provide insights into their performance and capabilities.
Offer stage:
After completing interviews, assessments, and reference checks, the hiring team evaluates your performance and fit for the role. If you are selected and your references are relevant and satisfactory, you will receive a formal job offer letter outlining the terms of employment, compensation, benefits, and any other relevant details. For internal candidates, the offer process may include a discussion about how your transition to the new role will be managed and any support needed for a smooth handover.
About Better Cotton Initiative
Better Cotton Initiative is a global not-for-profit organisation supporting the production of more equitable and sustainable cotton at farm level. We exist to catalyse the cotton farming community with partners, governments and others to continuously drive positive impact by setting standards and facilitating the supply and demand of more sustainable cotton from farm to brand. In just 15 years we have aligned more than a fifth of the world’s cotton with our standard and helped farmers and farming communities thrive. Join us in building a better, more sustainable future for cotton worldwide.
About our Values
The post holder will be expected to operate in line with our workplace values which are:
-
Trustworthy (including honest, transparent, credible)
-
As having Integrity (including responsible, authentic)
-
Positive (including problem-solving, pragmatic)
-
Engaging (including adaptable, inclusive, holistic)
-
Daring (including courageous, innovative, game-changing)
Being you @ Better Cotton Initiative
Better Cotton Initiative is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to good practice and transparency in the management of natural, human, and financial resources.
We have a zero-tolerance approach to any attitudes or behaviours that put children or adults at risk of harm. Safeguarding incidents are acts of serious misconduct and are grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including, dismissal and referral to relevant authorities for criminal prosecution. Therefore, all offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks.
