Legal Counsel

Who We Are:

Unilever is a truly global business. Globally we are organized into 5 distinct Business Groups: Beauty & Wellbeing, Homecare, Ice Cream, Nutrition, and Personal Care.

Our brands are available in around 190 countries and over 3 billion people use our products every day. Our 400+ brands are on a mission to offer superior products while doing good for people. The Group generated turnover of ~60B Euros in 2023 with underlying sales growth of 7% driven by all Unilever Business Groups.

Our vision is to be the global leader in sustainable business. We demonstrate how our purpose led, future- fit business model drives superior performance, consistently delivering top financial results. We are committed to improve health of the planet, improve people’s health, confidence and wellbeing and contribute to a fairer more socially inclusive world.

Background & Purpose of the Job:

The selected candidate will support the Unilever Business Operations function which provides all the systems and processes for Unilever to run effectively, efficiently, and consistently across the different Business Groups. Unilever Business Operations is a unique combination of parts of supply chain, integrated operations and customer operations created with the intention to transform the way our business operates to optimize and accelerate Unilever’s growth.

Unilever Business Operations function in North America is centralized and it manages end to end supply chain including procurement of all raw and pack materials, finished products, logistic services, capex equipment and services, etc. for the United States and Canada, across all five of Unilever’s Business Groups.

Who You Are & What You’ll Do:

The selected candidate will provide focused support mainly for Unilever Business Operations function in North America but will also support different parts of Global Unilever Business Operations. This role will report to the Unilever North America Business Operations General Counsel, who is located in Englewood Cliffs, and you will be a member of the global Unilever Business Operations legal team who are based in different locations across the globe (e.g. Bangalore, Barcelona, London, Mexico, Rotterdam, Sao Palo, Singapore, and others.)

Important: there is a strong managerial and collaboration component of this role. The contracting work and the support of day-to-day business operations will be provided also through Unilever’s Powerhouse team of junior lawyers located in centralized geographic hubs. The role of the selected candidate will, in part, include overseeing, training, and developing these junior lawyers to empower them to provide effective day to day legal support. Further, the role requires the ability to proactively collaborate with internal business partners in other functions (e.g. Finance, Treasure, HR, Tax, etc.) and in other Unilever legal teams (e.g. Business Group Legal Counsels) that are stakeholders in the particular matters being supported and from which input and alignment may be necessary.

Required Qualifications:

• Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school
• Admission in good standing to practice law in at least one U.S. state, and eligible to practice as in-house counsel in the State of New Jersey, where Unilever’s US headquarters is based, if required
• 4+ years of general corporate, transactional, and legal advisory experience acquired in a law firm; some in-house experience preferred*
• Strong oral communication, interpersonal, drafting, negotiation and organizational skills. Excellent business judgment and ability to assess legal risk while also thinking strategically and providing practical, business-oriented advice
• Bias for legal technology to deliver support for business partners through online tools, electronic platforms and other electronic tools
• Ability to support, and if required, to manage work of junior lawyers located in different jurisdictions with strong cross cultural skills
• Experience in leading the negotiation, drafting and review of complex commercial and transactional agreements and advising and consulting with business partners on these matters, including post execution on advice relating to those agreements. In scope contracts include purchasing contracts for production items and finished products, logistics, warehousing, DTC fulfillment, transportation, capex contracts, energy and sustainability related agreements, business services agreements and other transactions related to support of Unilever’s ongoing factory operations
• Ability to support business partners on claims and assessments relating to compensation demands for the provisions of non-compliant goods and services
• Management of outside counsel, for example in connection with strategic projects, transactions and supply chain compliance matters
• Mental agility and a willingness to learn and understand potentially unfamiliar areas of work, including identifying and advising on emerging legal risks affecting Unilever’s supply chain
• Ability to work with both colleagues and internal clients across multiple time zones and jurisdictions

Main Accountabilities:

• Provide clear hands on, proactive business-oriented support and risk balanced solutions for business partners. The ideal candidate must be self-motivated, have a passion for problem solving and be willing to work independently as a primary point of contact for business operations including procurement and supply chain teams
• Overseeing work of junior lawyers by providing them a concise guidance and advise on legal issues escalated by them
• Identifies legal risks and helps the business navigate them, providing creative solutions while also having a lasting impact on business operations/ ways of working by
  • Establishing the practices, policies, and good governance
  • Sharing of knowledge
  • Providing training to ensure compliance
  • Implementing other capability building initiatives for the business operations and across the legal function

Pay: The pay range for this position is $113,400 to $170,200. Unilever takes into consideration a wide range of factors that are utilized in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, qualifications and education, and other business and organizational needs.

Bonus: This position is bonus eligible.

Long-Term Incentive (LTI): This position is LTI eligible.

Benefits: Unilever employees are eligible to participate in our benefits plan. Should the employee choose to participate, they can choose from a range of benefits to include, but is not limited to, health insurance (including prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage), retirement savings benefits, life insurance and disability benefits, parental leave, sick leave, paid vacation and holidays, as well as access to numerous voluntary benefits. Any coverages for health insurance and retirement benefits will be in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans and associated governing plan documents.

What We Can Offer You

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Unilever is an organization committed to diversity and inclusion to drive our business results and create a better future every day for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.
Employment is subject to verification of pre-screening tests, which may include drug screening, background check, credit check and DMV check.

If you are an individual with a disability in need of assistance at any time during our recruitment process, please contact us at NA.Accommodations@unilever.com. Please note: This email is reserved for individuals with disabilities in need of assistance and is not a means of inquiry about positions or application statuses.

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