Brazil Legal Counsel

Forvia; São Bernardo do Campo; On-site; BRL 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Faurecia South Africa seeks a Brazil-based Legal Counsel to support the company’s Brazilian operations from its Sao Bernardo do Campo headquarters. The role provides day-to-day legal and compliance guidance, drafts and negotiates key contracts, and coordinates with HR, Purchasing, Finance, and Operations to mitigate risks.

The candidate should have a law degree in Brazil and 5+ years of experience in corporate, commercial, or compliance roles, with fluent Portuguese and English communications.

Qualifications

• Solid knowledge of Brazilian corporate, commercial, labor, and regulatory matters.
• Strong contract drafting, review, and negotiation skills.
• Good communication skills in Portuguese and English.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day legal advice to local management and operations in Brazil.
• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial contracts, supplier and service agreements, and NDAs.
• Support corporate, commercial, labor, regulatory, and operational legal matters.
• Assist in management of litigation, disputes, and pre-contentious matters with external counsel.
• Support corporate governance and legal entity administration for Brazilian entities.
• Advise HR on employment and labor-law matters in coordination with HR and external counsel.
• Advise Purchasing and Operations on contractual risks and compliance requirements.
• Support real estate, leases, and facility-related legal matters where applicable.
• Coordinate with external counsel and monitor cost and timing of legal work.
• Provide legal input for local projects, restructurings, or transformation initiatives.

Skills

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Compliance

Labor law

Education

Law degree (Brazil)

Job description

Your mission, roles and responsibilitiesInteriors Business Group is looking for its Brazil Legal Councel to be based in Sao Bernardo do Campo Headquarters.The Brazil Legal Counsel provides legal and compliance support to the company’s operations in Brazil, with Headquarters, 2 plants in Sao Bernardo do Campo and another plant in Goiana, Pernambuco. The role advises local management and operational teams on legal matters, supports contract review and governance, contributes to compliance deployment, and helps ensure that business activities are conducted in accordance with applicable laws, internal policies, and ethical standards. The position works closely with the local management, HR, Finance, Purchasing, Operations, and Group Legal & Compliance teams to provide pragmatic, business-oriented legal advice while helping to mitigate legal and compliance risks.KEY MISSIONS — LEGAL- Provide day-to-day legal advice and support to local management and operational teams in Brazil.- Draft, review, and negotiate commercial contracts, supplier agreements, service agreements, NDAs, and other legal documents.- Support legal matters related to corporate, commercial, labor, regulatory, and operational topics.- Assist in the management of litigation, claims, disputes, and pre-contentious matters in coordination with the Group Legal & Compliance and external counsel.- Support corporate governance and legal entity administration for Brazilian entities.- Provide legal support to HR on employment and labor-law matters, in coordination with local HR and external counsel when required.- Advise Purchasing and Operations teams on contractual risks, liability, confidentiality, termination clauses, and compliance requirements.- Support real estate, lease, facility, and operational legal matters where applicable.- Contribute to legal risk identification, escalation, and mitigation across Brazil operations.- Ensure proper legal documentation, record keeping, and follow-up of legal matters.- Coordinate with external counsel and monitor the quality, timing, and cost of external legal support.- Support legal input for local projects, business changes, restructuring, or transformation initiatives.KEY MISSIONS — COMPLIANCE- Support the deployment of the company compliance program in Brazil, including Code of Conduct, internal policies, and compliance procedures.- Contribute to compliance awareness, training, and communication initiatives for local teams.- Support prevention and monitoring activities in key compliance areas, including anti-bribery / anti-corruption, conflicts of interest, competition law, trade compliance, sanctions, and data protection.- Assist in third-party due diligence processes for suppliers, intermediaries, consultants, and other business partners.- Support the review and follow-up of compliance alerts, red flags, and mitigation actions.- Participate in local compliance risk assessments and contribute to action plans.- Support internal investigations and Speak-Up / whistleblowing matters when requested, ensuring confidentiality and appropriate escalation.- Monitor completion of mandatory compliance trainings and support follow-up with local teams.- Help ensure that local practices are aligned with Group compliance requirements and applicable Brazilian regulations.- Promote an ethical culture and a Speak-Up mindset across the Brazilian operations.- Provide regular updates to the Group Legal & Compliance and relevant stakeholders on legal and compliance matters.Your profile and competencies to succeedEXPERIENCE5+ years of relevant experience in legal counsel, commercial law, compliance, or corporate legal roles, preferably in an international industrial, manufacturing, or automotive environment. Experience in contract management, labor-law support, compliance programs, and interaction with operational teams in Brazil is appreciated.EDUCATIONLaw degree in Brazil. Admission to practice law in Brazil is required. Additional training or certification in compliance, corporate law, labor law, or business ethics is appreciated.KEY COMPETENCIES- Solid knowledge of Brazilian corporate, commercial, labor, and regulatory matters.- Good understanding of compliance principles, including anti-corruption, conflicts of interest, third-party due diligence, and Speak-Up processes.- Strong contract drafting, review, and negotiation skills.- Pragmatic, business-oriented legal judgment with the ability to propose practical solutions.- Ability to identify, assess, and escalate legal and compliance risks.- Strong stakeholder management with local management, HR, Purchasing, Finance, Operations, and regional legal teams.- High level of integrity, confidentiality, and professional ethics.- Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple topics in parallel.- Good communication skills in Portuguese and English.- Ability to work in an international and matrix organization.