Research Fellow in European Law and Institutions 0.6 FTE

Salary £36,000 - 38,000 per annum pro-rata | London location

This is a fixed-term position for 12 months from October 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter, with the possibility of extension subject to organisational priorities and funding. The role is offered at 0.6 FTE (3 days per week). Secondments may also be considered.

Apply by 20/09/26

The Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law, a constituent part of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL), is seeking a skilled and motivated Research Fellow to contribute to a strategic programme exploring the relationship between the rule of law and human rights standards and the evolving legal and institutional challenges in Europe.

The Research Fellow will contribute to projects relating to the European Union, the Council of Europe, and other regional European institutions, with particular attention to their development and use of legal frameworks and processes that affect the rule of law, human rights, and effective governance, including actions in support of democracy and regional security. 3. The position forms part of the Maurice Wohl Fellowship in European Law, funded by the Vivmar Foundation. The programme of work involves research, analysis, stakeholder engagement, and assistance with organising events and training in the areas outlined above. The Research Fellow will work closely with other staff, in particular the Maurice Wohl Senior Fellow in European Law, as well as other senior colleagues at BIICL who lead projects on European issues.

Through this teamwork, the Research Fellow will be pursuing BIICL's impact objectives, including the Bingham Centre's objective to advance the rule of law (see further About BIICL and the Bingham Centre below). Among the areas we are targeting for impact include helping European institutions apply rule of law standards when they assess reforms by states seeking EU accession, and when they evaluate rule of law adherence by member states. Our senior staff have track records of doing so in relation to several European states, working both with European and national institutions.

The successful candidate will require a strong understanding of contemporary European legal and institutional developments, and expertise in one or more of the areas set out in the Person Specification will be desirable.

The Role

The main responsibilities of the role include:

Legal and policy research:

• Undertake high quality legal and policy research on topics related to the rule of law, human rights and European institutions.
• Monitor and analyse developments within the European Union, the Council of Europe, and other relevant regional organisations.
• Contribute to comparative and interdisciplinary research projects addressing contemporary legal and governance challenges in Europe.
• Support the development of new research projects and funding proposals within the European law cluster co-ordinated by the Maurice Wohl Senior Fellow in European Law.

Research outputs and communication:

• Produce high-quality research papers, legal analyses, blog posts, briefings and consultation reports,
• Contribute to academic publications and collaborative research reports within BIICL and with external partners.
• Assist with the public communication of these outputs to policymakers, practitioners, academics, and wider audiences. Engagement, events and training
• Engage with a range of stakeholders, including policymakers, EU institutions, civil society organisations, legal practitioners, and security experts. This engagement will combine online and in-person interactions and includes, but is not limited to, events and training.
• Contribute, through this engagement, to the development and expansion of BIICL's European law network and partnerships.
• Assist with the organisation of events, including public events and private events such as roundtables and policy dialogues.
• Contribute to the preparation and delivery of training on European law topics for the BIICL Training programme.

Further Details and Application 

Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee

Appointment for a three year term, renewable for a maximum of two consecutive terms.

The Finance and Audit Committee (FAC) provides BIICL's Board of Trustees with oversight and assurance on our finances, controls, investments, and audit. We're looking for a chartered accountant or senior finance leader to chair the Committee and join our Board of Trustees at a pivotal moment: a new Director and CEO, a new Director of Operations in post, and a new strategy launching in 2027. You'll bring real technical credibility and the judgement to translate financial detail into confidence for a Board whose backgrounds are mostly legal and academic. In return, you'll help shape the next chapter of one of the world's most respected independent legal institutes.

The current Chair's term ends in December 2026. We are seeking a successor to join in October, allowing time for handover and induction ahead of the November FAC meeting and the December Board meeting.

Purpose of the role

The Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee provides strategic, non-executive financial oversight rather than day-to-day accounting.

As a trustee, you hold joint legal and fiduciary responsibility for the charity's overall governance, strategic direction and financial health.

As Committee Chair, you will act as a trusted advisor and critical friend to the Director and Chief Executive and the Director of Operations, ensuring that BIICL's income is robustly governed, financial risks are mitigated, and resources are deployed optimally to deliver maximum social impact. BIICL outsources financial management to a specialist non-profit accountancy firm, overseen internally by the Director of Operations; you'll evaluate how well that arrangement is working and recommend change if needed.

Key responsibilities

Strategic financial oversight

• Budgetary scrutiny: oversee the annual £2.5m operational budget and financial forecasts provided by the executive team.
• Performance monitoring: review quarterly management accounts, analysing variances, cash flow health, and performance against key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Reserves management: champion the regular review of a robust Reserves Policy to safeguard the charity against sudden funding fluctuations.
• Investment assets: oversee the performance of the charity's cash reserves and any investment portfolios, ensuring alignment with ethical investment strategies.

Audit, risk and internal controls

• Statutory reporting: lead the FAC in reviewing the Annual Report and Accounts, ensuring compliance with Charity SORP FRS102 and statutory filing deadlines.
• External audit: manage the relationship with the External Auditor, leading on the tender process and reviewing the post-audit management letter.
• Risk mitigation: oversee the financial section of the organisation's risk register, ensuring internal controls are sufficient to prevent fraud and compliance failures across complex funding streams, and ensure FAC oversight of the wider Risk Register.
• Fiscal compliance: monitor compliance with complex tax regimes relevant to this scale, including VAT, Gift Aid, and trading subsidiary operations (as applicable).

Committee leadership and Board reporting

• Meeting governance: set the agenda and chair quarterly FAC meetings, fostering an environment of collaboration, constructive, and high-quality challenge.
• Board communication: report clearly to the full Board of Trustees, translating complex financial positions into strategic insights for non-financial board members.

Statutory trustee duties

• Legal compliance: ensure the charity complies with charity law, company law, and all other relevant legislation or regulation.
• Strategic direction: contribute actively to the Board of Trustees in setting the charity's overarching vision, mission, values, and strategic goals.
• Asset protection: act as a responsible custodian of the charity's assets, ensuring funds are spent solely in furtherance of its charitable objectives.
• Effective governance: attend and actively participate in full quarterly Board meetings, the Annual General Meeting (AGM), and strategic away days.
• Collective decision-making: maintain the principle of collective board responsibility, upholding and supporting decisions made by the wider board.

Legal and regulatory frameworks

The postholder is required to understand, uphold, and apply the following core regulatory frameworks:

• The 6 Essential Trustee Duties (Charity Commission Guidance CC3): You share collective legal liability to ensure the charity carries out its purpose for the public benefit, complies with its governing document, acts in the charity's best interests, manages resources responsibly, acts with reasonable care and skill, and remains fully accountable.

• Financial Reporting Standards 102 and the Charities SORP: Because our annual income exceeds £250,000, the accounts must be compiled under the Statement of Recommended Practice (Charities SORP), transparently separating restricted, unrestricted, and designated funds.

• The Charity Governance Code: Our Board intends to benchmark itself against this code. You will directly champion Principle 5 (Board Effectiveness) and Principle 6 (Risk and Control) to ensure internal controls are regularly evaluated.

Full details of the role and application