Nordic Development Fund (NDF) is a joint Nordic international finance institution (IFI), established in 1988 by Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. NDF’s work focuses on the nexus between climate change and development in lower-income countries and countries in fragile situations. Together with our strategic partners, we develop, launch and scale high-impact projects to support developing countries and people vulnerable to climate change. NDF flexibly provides co-financing on concessionary terms in the form of grants, loans and equity and engages both in the public and the private sector. Today we are some 30 employees. Our headquarters is in Helsinki, Finland, in a hub co-located with the Nordic Investment Bank and the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation.

We are strengthening our resources and are now looking for a

COUNSEL

to join our Legal and Administrative Services (LAS) department at our headquarters in Helsinki.

Your main tasks will include  

• Drafting, reviewing, negotiating and advising on a wide variety of agreements, including those for the procurement of goods and services.
• Providing legal advice across a broad range of financing instruments and institutional and administrative matters, ensuring compliance and integrity in everything we do.
• Supporting colleagues in negotiations of financing and other agreements, liaising with external counsels and other parties as necessary.
• Contributing to the development of internal policies, governance frameworks and legal templates.
• Participating in various internal working groups for institutional and administrative matters pertaining to NDF’s legal status as a treaty based international governmental organisation (e.g. data protection, intellectual property rights, integrity due diligence).

The focus of the work will mirror both the priorities varying over time and the working experience and skills of the candidate.

Key Competencies, Experience, and Personal Attributes

• A genuine interest in the purpose and values of NDF.
• Master of Law degree from a reputable university.
• At least 3 to 5 years of relevant professional work experience in international finance, development and/or corporate law be it from a major law firm, as in-house counsel, in another development financial institution or similar, evidencing a strong generalist legal background.
• Ability to work as part of a multicultural team as well as to working effectively independently (knowing your scope of authority and when you need to escalate matters).
• Analytical approach and ability to make decisions in the best interest of NDF ,prioritise among urgent tasks, and to meet deadlines.
• Fluency in English, including a demonstrated skill to draft and negotiate legal documents in English. Skills in Finnish language is considered a plus.
• Strong organisational skills, structured and systematic approach to tasks and good IT skills relevant for the job, such as MS Office tools.
• Practical exposure/experience working with IFI trust fund and challenge fund type of funding mechanism is considered as a benefit.
• We value open-mindedness, flexibility, good interpersonal and organisational skills and a genuine interest in learning new things and the ability to deal with the unusual, including a keen sense for developing practical solutions and problem solving, whilst ensuring risks are mitigaged to an appropriate level is key. Given NDF’s dynamic nature and size, coupled with its unique status, the lawyers often need to be creative, think outside the box and deal with the unusual and this makes for an interesting and varied caseload.

We offer you

• An opportunity to make a contribution to the Nordic countries’ efforts in development and climate change financing.
• Interesting work in a multicultural and multilingual environment in an international organisation in the heart of Helsinki.
• An opportunity to grow and develop as a professional, as part of NDF’s Legal and Administrative Services Department while maintaining a good work-life balance.
• An opportunity for a hybrid working model and other attractive employee benefits.
• A four-year contract on local terms with possibility for extension.

Additional information

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Christina Stenvall, General Counsel, Director Legal & Administrative Services (e-mail: christina.stenvall@ndf.int).

To apply for the position, please complete the application form, including your CV and application letter, available in the ”Jobs” section of NDF’s website. The deadline for submitting your application is 7 October 2025.