Senior Legal Counsel

UNAVAILABLE; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, life, and salary continuance

26 weeks paid parental leave

Employee Share Subscription Plan

Performance-related incentives

Flexible/Hybrid work options

Job summary

Danone is seeking a Senior Legal Counsel for ANZ, based in Melbourne. This high-impact, trusted advisor role supports Dairy & MADE portfolios across Australia and New Zealand, partnering with Marketing, Sales, Operations and Compliance to enable growth while managing risk.

You will advise on product innovations, contracts, IP, regulatory matters and governance, acting as primary legal partner to factory and commercial teams and contributing to strategic initiatives across ANZ and global

Qualifications

• Admitted legal practitioner in Australia or New Zealand.
• 6–8 years post-qualification experience in a leading law firm and/or in-house team.
• Experience advising FMCG, food, dairy, healthcare, manufacturing or highly regulated businesses.

Responsibilities

• Lead legal adviser for the Dairy & MADE portfolio across Australia and New Zealand.
• Draft, review and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements.
• Advise on marketing, consumer law, IP, and regulatory risks.
• Support governance, sponsorships, corporate projects and strategic initiatives.
• Partner with cross-functional teams including Marketing, Sales, Operations and Compliance.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Stakeholder management

Contract negotiation

Regulatory compliance

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Admitted in Australia or New Zealand

Tools

Contract lifecycle management

MS Office

Job description

Short Intro and About the Job

Strategic Legal Role | Business Impact | Trusted Advisor

Shape decisions. Enable growth. Protect what matters.

At Danone, we do not just create products, we deliver health through food to as many people as possible. With a strong purpose (One Planet. One Health), we operate in a fast-paced, highly regulated environment where legal expertise plays a critical role in enabling sustainable growth.

We are looking for an experienced and commercially minded Senior Legal Counsel to join our ANZ team in Melbourne.

This is a high-impact role where you will act as a trusted legal advisor to the business, influencing decisions across the full product lifecycle.

About the Role

Reporting to the Head of Legal & Compliance ANZ, the Senior Legal Counsel is a trusted business partner responsible for supporting Danone's dairy product portfolio and the MADE Group's full product portfolio (and associated operations) across Australia and New Zealand (Dairy & MADE).

The role provides strategic and day-to-day legal support across innovation, marketing claims, commercial contracts, procurement, manufacturing and supply point operations, intellectual property and company secretarial matters.

The successful candidate will partner with Marketing, Sales, Operations, Procurement, Quality, Regulatory, Sustainability, Corporate Affairs and global Legal teams across Dairy & MADE to create value while ensuring they maintain their licences to operate.

Key Responsibilities

Dairy & MADE Business Partnering

• Serve as lead legal counsel for the Dairy & MADE across Australia and New Zealand.
• Provide pragmatic legal advice on product innovations, renovations, packaging changes, brand activations and commercial initiatives.
• Advise cross-functional teams on legal and compliance risks associated with business strategies and growth opportunities.
• Support delivery of business objectives through commercially focused, solution-oriented legal advice.

Marketing, Claims and Consumer Law

• Review and advise on advertising, packaging, digital content, social media campaigns, influencer arrangements, sponsorships, competitions and promotional activities.
• Support cross-functional claims review and approval processes.
• Advise on consumer protection, advertising and intellectual property risks.
• Assist in managing consumer complaints and regulatory enquiries where required.

Commercial Contracts and Procurement

• Draft, review and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements, including supplier, procurement, manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, services, technology and sustainability-related contracts.
• Provide legal support to Cycles & Procurement teams across indirect procurement and operational contracting activities.
• Develop practical contracting solutions that appropriately balance business objectives and risk management.

Supply Point and Manufacturing Support

• Act as primary legal partner to factory and operations stakeholders.
• Advise on manufacturing, production, quality, logistics, supply chain and operational risk matters.
• Support investigations, incidents, remediation activities and operational governance initiatives.
• Partner with Quality, Regulatory and Operations teams on product-related and manufacturing matters.

Sponsorships, Corporate and Strategic Projects

• Lead legal review and negotiation of sponsorship, partnership and strategic collaboration arrangements.
• Support corporate projects, business restructures, intercompany arrangements and selected disputes.
• Contribute to strategic initiatives across ANZ, Zone and Global functions.

Company Secretarial Support

• Provide support for board and committee governance activities.
• Assist with preparation and review of board papers, resolutions and meeting materials.
• Support maintenance of corporate records and governance documentation.
• Coordinate external company secretarial service providers and internal stakeholders as required.

Intellectual Property

• Support trademark and intellectual property portfolio management.
• Advise on brand protection, infringements, licences and intellectual property risks.
• Collaborate with global and external intellectual property specialists where required.

Sustainability and Regulatory Support

• Advise on sustainability initiatives, claims, reporting obligations and related legal risks.
• Support business teams in implementing emerging regulatory requirements and Danone and/or MADE standards.
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments relevant to the FMCG industry.

Compliance and Risk Management

• Identify and proactively manage legal and compliance risks.
• Support implementation of Danone and/or MADE policies, training programmes and governance frameworks.
• Lead or support investigations and remediation activities where required.
• Champion ethical business practices.

Leadership Expectations

• Build trusted relationships with stakeholders across all levels of the organisation.
• Demonstrate strong business acumen and commercial judgement.
• Communicate complex legal issues clearly and influence decision-making.
• Operate effectively in ambiguity and drive pragmatic outcomes.
• Mentor colleagues and contribute positively to team development.
• Balance operational delivery with strategic impact and long-term value creation.

About You

Who You Are

You are a commercially astute and pragmatic legal professional who thrives in a fast-paced, regulated environment and enjoys working closely with the business to enable growth while managing risk effectively.

You bring:

Essential

• Admitted legal practitioner in Australia or New Zealand.
• Minimum 6-8 years post-qualification experience in a leading law firm and/or in-house legal team.
• Experience advising FMCG or other consumer goods, food, dairy, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing or other highly regulated businesses.
• Strong experience drafting and negotiating commercial contracts.
• Experience supporting cross-functional commercial and operational stakeholders.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.

Highly Desirable

• Previous in-house FMCG or food manufacturing experience.
• Company secretarial or governance experience.
• Experience in advising on manufacturing matters and/or infrastructure projects.
• Experience advising on marketing, consumer law and claims substantiation.

About Us, We offer and What's next

Why Join Danone?

At Danone, purpose and performance go hand in hand, we are committed to creating a positive, inclusive, and rewarding experience for our people.

What you can expect:

• A high-performing, collaborative culture where you can make a real impact
• Flexibility that supports balance, including 3 PM finishes every Friday
• A diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive
• Personalised learning and development to support your growth

Competitive total rewards, including:

• Health, life, and salary continuance insurance promotions
• 26 weeks gender-neutral paid parental leave
• Optional Employee Share Subscription Plan
• Performance-related incentives

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

We are committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences.

Ready to Make an Impact?

If you are ready to combine legal expertise with business influence and play a key role in a purpose-led organisation, we would love to hear from you.