Business Applications Manager

Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law (DGI)

Description & Requirements

Your Team

You will be part of the Accountability for Ukraine Unit, which operates under the direct authority of the Director General for Human Rights and the Rule of Law (DG1). The role is embedded within a dynamic and expanding operational environment, with activities to be carried out across multiple locations, including Strasbourg and The Hague, and in close co‑ordination with the Directorate of Information Technology.

Your Role

As a Business Applications Manager, you will:

• analyse and document institutional workflows and operational requirements to inform the design of secure IT and data management systems for the Special Tribunal;
• translate complex legal, procedural, and administrative needs into clear and actionable system specifications on both functional and technical scope;
• define and lead the specification and design of interoperable, secure, and scalable digital systems and services supporting the Tribunal’s core functions (e.g., case management, evidence handling, secure communications, document management);
• embed cybersecurity principles (confidentiality, integrity, availability) from the outset of every solution (“security‑ and privacy‑by‑design”), in close collaboration with cybersecurity experts and the IT security officer;
• lead the identification, design, and integration of artificial intelligence solutions to automate and enhance activities such as legal document analysis, evidence management, multilingual processing, anomaly or fraud detection, and intelligent search, whilst ensuring strict adherence to ethical and regulatory standards;
• develop policies, procedures and technical standards related to system architecture, access control, data protection, and digital integrity;
• lead the selection, procurement, and implementation of secure platforms and tools, including the assessment of cloud infrastructure when appropriate;
• ensure long‑term sustainability, maintainability, and compliance of all designed systems with judicial and institutional requirements;
• establish and manage collaboration mechanisms with partner organisations and states to enable technical interoperability and secure data exchange.

Qualifications

• at least 5 years of relevant professional experience in business application development, business system design or as solution architect, including at least 2 years focused on secure development of applications in sensitive institutional settings or a judiciary body; practical experience in requirements analysis, business analysis, process mapping, and stakeholder engagement in complex, multicultural or international environments;
• very good knowledge of English;
• citizen of one of the member states of the Council of Europe and fulfil the conditions for appointment to the civil service of that state;
• discharged any obligation concerning national service (military, civil or comparable);
• not be the parent, child, step‑child or grandchild of a serving staff member of the Council of Europe;
• under the age of 65 years.

Professional and Technical Expertise

• demonstrated experience of supporting IT system design in a judicial, governmental, or international organisation;
• strong analytical skills and ability to translate operational requirements into secure, functional system designs;
• experience of designing digital systems that meet evidentiary integrity standards, chain of custody requirements, and strict confidentiality protocols;
• familiarity with the IT requirements of judicial or international accountability mechanisms, including secure case management, multilingual document processing, and digital archiving;
• proven experience of implementing or advising on systems compliant with data protection standards and cybersecurity standards;
• capacity to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams and deliver high‑quality outputs in politically sensitive, transitional, or high‑security contexts;
• experience of project management, including agile or hybrid development cycles and stakeholder engagement in multicultural environments;
• professional certifications such as TOGAF, CBAP, or PRINCE2/AgilePM;
• experience of working for or with international criminal tribunals, hybrid courts, or other international legal mechanisms;
• familiarity with evidence management systems (e.g., Relativity, CaseMap) and judicial workflow platforms;
• proven experience in the integration, development, or management of AI‑driven solutions (e.g. NLP, intelligent automation, advanced analytics, machine translation) within regulated or highly secure environments such as legal, governmental, or international organisations;
• possess strong knowledge of AI governance, ethical and legal considerations, including explainability, auditability, algorithmic bias, and relevant data protection standards (e.g. GDPR);
• understanding of IT governance in multilateral or intergovernmental institutions;
• working knowledge of Ukrainian and/or Russian;
• experience of supporting the creation or scaling‑up of institutions in post‑conflict or transitional settings.

Core Competencies

• Operational – Professional and technical expertise
• Operational – Planning and work organisation
• Operational – Analysis and problem solving
• Operational – Results orientation
• Interpersonal – Teamwork and cooperation
• Managerial – Management of teams
• Interpersonal – Initiative

Equal Opportunity Employer

As an equal‑chance employer, the Council of Europe welcomes applications from all suitably qualified people, irrespective of sex, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic or social origin, disability, religion or belief. Under its equal opportunity policy, the Council of Europe is aiming to achieve gender parity in staff employed in each category and grade. At the time of appointment, preference between suitable persons shall be given to the person of the gender which is under‑represented in the relevant grades within the category to which the vacancy belongs.

Applicants with specific needs are encouraged to request reasonable accommodations at any stage during the recruitment process.