Senior Counsel Mars Pet Nutrition and Food & Nutrition UK

Job Description

Job Description:

The Senior Counsel will report to the Associate General Counsel and will take responsibility for legal strategy in line with business and legal priorities, day to day legal matters with focus on key areas listed above, as well as driving Mars Ethics & Compliance programs. The role will also encompass advising Regional Functions and management of law firms and legal budget. The Senior Counsel will act as engaged and high performing member of the Unit Leadership Team.

Overview

• The Senior Counsel is member of the Pet Nutrition Europe legal team and also part of the Unit Leadership Team, defining and driving the business and people related agenda

• The Senior Counsel is a broad legal generalist, primary responsible for managing the legal affairs for the Unit (including local factories). The role supports the growth agenda, whilst protecting our freedom to operate in line with The Five Principles

• The Senior Counsel is responsible for setting and rolling out the legal strategy and managing the day-to-day legal advice of the Unit, including Marketing, Sales, Corporate Affairs, Employment, Commercial and Sustainability in all aspects of the Law (other than Marketing Properties and IP)

• The Senior Counsel is also responsible for legal advice to Regional Segment Functions

• The Senior Counsel masters dealing with ambiguity, navigating complex business legal challenges, providing strategic legal advice and risk management, through business friendly, efficient and effective legal solutions

• The Senior Counsel will manage the network of external legal partners in order to ensure optimization and connection to the business, as well as consistency and quality of competent, timely and cost effective legal services

Key Responsibilities

• Be an engaged and high performing member of the Unit Leadership Team providing proactive & strategic advice & counsel to support the business’ growth agenda not only from a legal perspective but also as a key partner of the business

• Responsible for setting and rolling out the legal strategy across all functions within the Unit, anticipating legal issues and providing proactive business friendly, efficient and effective legal solutions

• Manage all day-to-day legal work (including local factories) consistent with the business and legal priorities

• Review and approve communications, advertising, promotions and product claims and related arrangements with third parties

• Review, negotiate, and formalize contracts, such as supply chain or demand related

• Review and advice on company related policies

• Advise on sustainability matters

• Review and advice on employment law related matters, including major re-orgs or labour proceedings, supporting our HR team (People & Organisation and Associate Relations)

• Support the Sales teams in legal related matters, including the design & implementation of negotiation strategy and resolution of conflicts

• Advise Public and Corporate Affairs as well as SRA to influence the development of policy and regulatory legal environment and support compliance, when becoming effective

• Advice to Regional Segment Functions

• Ensure Business Unit operates complying with all relevant legal obligations and Mars Ethics and Compliance programs, including roll out of policies, governance processes and trainings

• Advise on quality related issues & crisis from a legal perspective and as permanent member of the local CALM (crisis) Team

• Manage and co-ordination of disputes & litigations

• Partner with Corporate and ICTC on corporate governance related matters

• Partner with the regional and local cross-segment legal counterparts to ensure a consistent and aligned “One Mars” approach on key matters, including on outside counsel optimization. Collaborate with Global Legal Functions, including Compliance, Privacy, Corporate, MGS Legal and Food Law, and other key stakeholders

• Manage the external legal network and legal budget in conjunction with Legal Operations and S&F

Knowledge / Experience required

• Experience in a law firm and/or the legal department of an international company with regional exposure in FMCG/retail sector

• Experience in being member of a Business Unit Leadership Team

• Know-how in legal areas above

• Management of outside counsel and legal spend

• Must be a self-starter, highly motivated with a bias for action (strong work ethic) and able to function independently in a “hands-on” environment.

• Good common sense and sound judgment. One who is agile and pragmatic and willing to draw “a line in the sand”, when required for legal compliance or The Five Principles.

• Can act decisively, with cross-cultural sensitivity

• Very good interpersonal skills and influencing skills; strong, flexible team player and collaborator that works to meet both personal and organization goals.

• Capable of analyzing complex legal and policy issues from a commercial perspective.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

• Excellent organization, execution and project management skills.

• Fluency in English.

Key Functional Competencies

• Demonstrate legal fundamentals

• Legal budget management (Advanced)

• External counsel management (Expert)

• Oral and written communication (Expert)

• Training Skills (Advanced)

• Delivers Legal Excellence

• Marketing and Advertising Law (Expert);

• Regulatory / Food Law (Advanced);

• Contract Law (Expert);

• Competition Law (Expert);

• Employment Law (Essentials)

• Privacy (Essentials)

• Sustainability (Essentials)

• Curiosity in all aspects of the law is a must for a generalist.

• Protects the business

• Risk management (Expert)

• Litigation management (Advanced)

• Crisis management (Expert)

• Contract drafting and negotiation (Expert)

• Drives The Five Principles and Ethics and Compliance

• Culture Ethical Leadership (Expert)

• Corporate Governance (Advanced)

Key Leadership competencies:

• Dealing with Ambiguity - Can effectively cope with change; shift gears comfortably, decide and act without having the total picture; isn’t upset when things are up in the air, doesn’t have to finish things before moving on, can comfortably handle risk and uncertainty

• Strategic Agility - Sees ahead clearly; can anticipate future consequences and trends accurately; has broad knowledge and perspective; is future oriented; can articulately paint credible pictures and visions of possibilities and likelihoods; can create competitive and breakthrough strategies and plans

• Problem Solving - Uses rigorous logic and methods to solve difficult problems with effective solutions; probes all fruitful sources for answers; can see hidden problems; is excellent at honest analysis; looks beyond the obvious and doesn’t stop at the first answers.

• Priority setting - Spends his/her time and time of others on what’s important, quickly zeros in on the critical few and puts the trivial many aside, can quickly sense what will help or hinder accomplishing a goal, eliminates roadblocks, creates focus

• Business Acumen - Knowledgeable in current and possible future policies, practices, trends, and information affecting his/her business and organization; knows the competition; is aware of how strategies and tactics work in the marketplace

• Integrity and Trust - Is widely trusted, is seen as direct, truthful individual, can present the unvarnished truth in an appropriate and helpful manner, keeps confidences, admits mistakes, doesn’t misrepresent him/herself for personal gain

• Drive for results - Can be counted on to exceed goals successfully, is constantly and consistently one of the top performers, very bottom-line oriented, steadfastly pushes self and others for results

What can you expect from Mars?

Work with over 130,000 like-minded and talented Associates, all guided by The Five Principles.

Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.

Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.

An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus. #LI-RM1

Mars is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. The company is pleased to provide such assistance, and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request.