Legal Counsel

Sika AG; Sydney; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary package

Supportive working environment

Training and development

Job summary

Sika Australia is seeking a senior in-house Counsel to provide high-quality legal advice across Australian entities, coordinating external counsel and aligning commercial, regulatory, and employment matters with business objectives.

You will lead compliance programs, advise management on corporate governance, and support statutory filings, with a track record in industrial/manufacturing sectors and bar admission.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Law and successful completion of the bar examination.
• At least 8 years of post-qualification legal experience in reputable law firms and senior in-house roles with strong commercial law expertise.
• 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Skills

Commercial law

Contract drafting

Legal negotiation

Leadership

Education

Master of Law

Bar admission

Job description

Sika is a specialty chemicals company with a globally leading position in the development and production of systems and products for bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing, and protection in the building sector and industrial manufacturing. Sika has subsidiaries in 103 countries around the world and, in over 400 factories, produces innovative technologies for customers worldwide. In doing so, it plays a crucial role in enabling the transformation of the construction and transportation sector toward greater environmental compatibility. With more than 33,000 employees, the company generated sales of CHF 11.20 billion in 2025.

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.

We thank you in advance for your application, however only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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

Disclaimer – Sika Australia does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Sika Australia is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

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.

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