Employment Legal Counsel - CDD

Context & Purpose of the Role

Agicap is a high‑growth scale‑up structured as a group of 7 entities. We are looking for a Senior Employment Lawyer on a part‑time basis to take over and consolidate the Legal HR scope.

The role reports directly to the VP Legal & Social Affairs and is the operational legal reference point for all employment law matters across the 7 group entities.

The incumbent will work closely with the People team (HRBP, People Ops), the Legal team, as well as with Finance on payroll‑related matters.

Key Responsibilities

• 1. Employment contract lifecycle
  • Drafting, review and update of employment contracts and offer letters (permanent, fixed‑term, internships, apprenticeship contracts) for the 7 entities.
  • Drafting of amendments: mobility, role changes, salary adjustments, day‑rate schemes (forfait jours), remote work, specific clauses.
  • Advice on sensitive clauses: non‑compete, confidentiality, IP assignment, restrictive covenants, garden leave.
• 2. Terminations & exits
  • Legal guidance on termination procedures, with active hands‑on involvement as soon as the case becomes contentious (e.g. opposing counsel involved): dismissals for personal reasons (disciplinary, underperformance), individual and collective economic dismissals, mutual termination agreements (ruptures conventionnelles).
  • Drafting of official documents: pre‑dismissal meeting notices, dismissal letters, settlement agreements, mutual termination agreements.
  • Calculation of exit costs: severance payments, settlement indemnities, final pay, notice, paid leave, variable compensation.
  • Analysis and assessment of litigation risk: evaluation of employment tribunal exposure, strategy recommendations, preparation of defence files.
  • Legal guidance on disciplinary procedures with active hands‑on involvement as soon as the case becomes contentious: pre‑sanction meetings, precautionary suspensions, sanctions.
• 3. Employment litigation
  • Interface with external counsel on employment tribunal and employment matters: briefing, preparation of evidence, hearing follow‑up.
  • Drafting and provision of the documents and materials required for the defence.
  • Regular reporting on ongoing litigation to the CPO.
• 4. Legal support for Works Council (CSE) — France
  • Preparation and review of CSE consultations and information processes (including restructurings, strategic projects, and recurrent consultations), ensuring compliance with legal timelines and requirements.
  • Ongoing legal support to HR and management on employee representative matters (meetings, minutes, relations with elected members, risk management and dispute prevention).
• 5. HR policies & advisory
  • Drafting and review of company policies: company car, leave, remote work, confidentiality, code of conduct, whistleblowing, travel policy.
  • Response to day‑to‑day legal questions raised by HRBPs and People Ops (technical answers, recommendations).
  • Legal review of HR communications addressed to employees.
• 6. Employee personal data
  • Implementation of GDPR obligations relating to HR data processing.
  • Interface with the DPO: registers, DPIAs, international transfers, safe harbour, local obligations.
• 7. Immigration & international mobility
  • Legal advice on immigration matters: visa and work permit applications, intra‑group mobility.
  • Interface with external immigration counsel (within the HR budget).

Scope & Interactions

• Scope covered
  • 7 Agicap group entities (FR, IT, UK, US, DE, ESP, PT)
  • All employee populations: permanent, fixed‑term, interns, apprentices, salaried executives.
• Key stakeholders
  • VP Legal & Social Affairs (line manager and sponsor).
  • CPO.
  • HRBPs and People Ops (day‑to‑day operational collaboration).
  • DPO (employee data protection matters).
  • Finance & Payroll (exit costs, payroll, day‑rate schemes, variable compensation).
  • External counsel: employment law, immigration, litigation.
  • Regulatory authorities: Labour Inspectorate, URSSAF, CARSAT (via HRBP).

Requirements

• Education & experience
  • Master's degree (Master 2) in employment law or equivalent (DJCE employment law, professional Master's in employment relations law, etc.).
  • 5 to 8 years of experience in employment law, gained in a specialised law firm, in an in‑house role (scale up, international group, mid‑cap), or a combination of both.
  • Significant experience in managing terminations (individual and ideally collective) and employee representative bodies (CSE).
  • Prior experience in a multi‑entity or multi‑country environment is a strong advantage.
• Technical skills
  • Expert mastery of French employment law: contracts, terminations, disciplinary, working time, compensation, collective agreements.
  • Exposure to international employment law (e.g. UK or German law) is a plus — not required, but highly valuable.
  • Solid knowledge of employee representative body law (CSE, collective agreements, mandatory annual negotiations / NAO).
  • Regular practice of employment tribunal litigation and the ability to manage external counsel.
  • Working knowledge of data protection (GDPR applied to HR).
  • Familiarity with Anglo‑Saxon incentive plans and international employment contracts appreciated.
  • Working knowledge of another European employment law jurisdiction (UK or German law in particular) is a strong plus, given the multi‑country scope.
• Soft skills
  • Autonomy: ability to handle the full scope with limited day‑to‑day supervision.
  • Speed: ability to deliver high‑quality output under tight deadlines, in line with scale‑up pace.
  • Pragmatism: ability to arbitrate between legal security and operational flow in a scale‑up.
  • Pedagogy: ability to explain the law to non‑lawyer managers and HRBPs in plain language.
  • Rigour and reliability: the scope is primarily operational, with limited margin for error on exits and Works Council matters.
  • Team spirit: the role sits at the interface of several functions (Legal, People, Finance, DPO).
  • Discretion and integrity: strong exposure to sensitive information (terminations, compensation, litigation).
• Languages
  • French: primary working language.
  • English: fluent level required (international contracts, multi‑country interactions, foreign counsel).

Conditions

• Working time and location
  • CÂD
  • Part‑time (20h/week) — working schedule to be agreed: ideally spread over 5 days per week
  • Lyon (Agicap's main site): preferred location to foster proximity with the People team and the historical office.
  • Paris: possible
  • Full remote: possible

AGICAP is committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone, and we foster an inclusive work environment that values diversity!