This vacany is now closed.
Position of Legal Assistant
Embassy of Ireland, Beijing, People's Republic of China
The Embassy of Ireland in Beijing is seeking to recruit a qualified and highly motivated candidate for the position of Legislative Assistant in the Food and Agriculture area. Native level Chinese language skills as well as fluent English are required for this position.
The Legislative Assistant will be a full time employee on a fixed contract of six months based at the Chancery building; 3 Ritan Dong Lu, Beijing. The contract would have a built in one-month probation period.
The selected person will report to the Ambassador through the Head of the Agriculture Section. He/she will investigate current changes in Chinese legislation and report on the likely impact of these changes on Irish businesses. A successful candidate would have a fluent command of the Mandarin Chinese language, both spoken and written. He/she would be familiar with Ireland's projection in China and have proven strong experience over several years of the Chinese legal system. An excellent knowledge of the food sector would be a distinct advantage.
China is a particularly important market for Ireland. Irish food companies doing business in China need to understand Chinese legislation but may have language and cultural challenges. The implementation of the Food Safety Law has become increasingly difficult to monitor. It has led to many new rules across all agri-food sub-sectors but with a particular emphasis on the infant formula sector that is so important to Ireland. Analysing the impact of this legislation and preparing a report outlining this impact and consequent recommendations will be the principal task of the Legislative Assistant.
Job Description:
- Assess the increasing body of law in relation to food exports to China, in particular the 2015 Food Safety Law and its ongoing implementation;
- Analyse the impact of this legislation on Irish business;
- Discuss the ongoing impact and likely future impact with legal experts based in China and working for the larger Irish food companies;
- Discuss the implementation with relevant Chinese officials, businesses, Chambers of Commerce, etc.;
- Visit ports of entry to China to see first-hand the issues being faced by Irish companies;
- Provide a report on the findings of the above study, including recommendations as to future policy to deal with the increasingly restrictive environment; and
- Prepare an explanatory manual for Irish SME's dealing with China's import requirements in the new scenario brought about by the Food Safety Law.
Requirements
- Able to work fluidly in both Mandarin and English, verbal and written.
- Third level graduate in a suitably related field.
- The successful candidate will be a self-starter with a willingness to work independently.
- Strong IT skills and report writing skills.
Additional desirable competencies
- Experience of working in the governmental and/or commercial sector in China particularly in providing market research and maintaining and developing key relationships.
- An enthusiasm for engaging with new people, areas of business and countries will be a distinct advantage.
- Flexibility in terms of required tasks and ongoing projects will assist in a successful placement.
- Experience of providing administrative support.
Application Process:
Letters of application should state the salary expectation of the candidate and be accompanied with a current CV and two references.
Applications should be submitted to the Embassy by post or by e-mail to colm[dot]ocribin[at]dfa[dot]ie and beijing[at]dfa[dot]ie before 5pm (Beijing time) on Monday 7 August 2017 with the following subject line: "Legal Assistant Application".
Candidates will receive confirmation of receipt of their application and following a screening of applications, may be contacted directly for interview which will be conducted in Beijing no later than 21 August, 2017.
The successful applicant should be available to commence employment at the Embassy of Ireland in Beijing from early September 2017.
The following websites and social media may be useful for prospective candidates:
http://www.weibo.com/irelandinchina
@IrlEmbChina
All enquiries should be directed in writing to beijing[at]dfa[dot]ie AND colm[dot]ocribin[at]dfa[dot]ie
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Embassy of Ireland
Beijing
21 July 2017