Legal Counsel

Sika; Sydney; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary packages

Training and development

Inclusive work environment

Equal opportunity employer

Job summary

Sika Australia is seeking an experienced in-house lawyer to oversee all legal matters for its Australian entities. You will coordinate internal functions and external counsel, draft and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements, and advise management on corporate, regulatory and employment issues.

The role requires a Master’s degree in Law, Australian Bar admission and 8+ years’ experience in commercial law within industrial/manufacturing settings.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in law and bar admission required.
• 8+ years post-qualification experience in commercial/industrial sectors.
• Proven ability to draft, review and negotiate high volumes of commercial contracts.
• Experience advising senior management and coordinating with internal teams/external counsel.
• Experience leading compliance programmes and cross-functional stakeholder engagement.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality legal advice across Sika's Australian entities; coordinate internal and external counsel.
• Draft, review and negotiate commercial agreements (supply, procurement, distribution, agency, services, leases, financing and employment documents).
• Advise management on contracts, corporate, employment, competition, regulatory, environmental, restructuring and dispute matters.
• Manage all litigation and disputes with external counsel; coordinate strategy and timelines.
• Lead design and improvement of compliance frameworks for anti-corruption, competition, data privacy and trade compliance.
• Support corporate governance, delegations of authority and internal approvals; assist corporate secretarial tasks.

Skills

Legal advice

Contract drafting

Commercial law

Regulatory & compliance

Litigation management

Stakeholder management

Education

Master's in Law

Bar admission (Australia)

Tools

Legal research tools

Job description

Job Description

• Provide high-quality legal advice and serve as the central coordination point for all legal matters across Sika's Australian legal entities, aligning internal functions and managing external counsel to control cost and timing.
• Draft, review and negotiate commercial agreements including supply, procurement, distribution, agency, services, lease, financing and employment-related documentation.
• Advise management on commercial contracts, corporate law, employment law, competition law, regulatory matters, environmental law, restructuring and dispute management, partnering with Human Resources on employment law and workplace policies.
• Manage all litigation and dispute matters, including civil, labour, consumer, environmental, criminal and regulatory disputes, whilst coordinating litigation strategy and managing external counsel.
• Lead the design and continuous improvement of compliance frameworks to identify and elevate compliance risks across anti-corruption, competition, data privacy and trade compliance.
• Ensure implementation of corporate governance principles, delegations of authority and internal approval frameworks, supporting corporate secretarial matters and statutory filings.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Law and successful completion of the bar examination.
• At least 8 years of post-qualification legal experience, including time in a reputable law firm and senior in-house legal roles, with strong commercial law expertise relevant to industrial and manufacturing businesses.
• Demonstrated ability to draft, negotiate and manage high volumes of commercial contracts independently and to demanding timelines.
• Proven capability to advise senior management, operate as a standalone legal lead, and coordinate internal functions with external counsel.
• Experience leading compliance programmes and managing cross-functional stakeholders with high integrity and sound ethical standards.

Additional Information

As a market leader, Sika Australia understands and recognizes the contribution employees make to the success of our business.

In return for your experience and commitment, you will be rewarded with,

• A competitive salary package.
• A supportive working environment with a strong, positive company culture
• We invest in our employees – you will be provided with all relevant training and development.

Compliance and Important Information

• Applicants must hold unrestricted Australian working rights.
• Successful applicants will be required to undergo a Pre-Employment Medical including a drug and alcohol screen.
• Sika Australia is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

We offer competitive salaries, aligned with local market benchmarks and the specific scope and responsibilities of each role. Compensation is determined based skills relevant to the position, education and/or training. We are committed to fair and equitable pay practices in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Sika Australia uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to support the initial screening of job applications based on inherent duties of the role. However, we want to stress that AI does not make final decisions or disqualify candidates from consideration. Applications are carefully reviewed by our experienced hiring managers and recruiters to ensure a fair and thorough evaluation process.

By combining the efficiency of AI with the expertise and judgment of our hiring team, we are able to identify top candidates while maintaining a human-centered approach to hiring.