Commercial Counsel, Europe

Kerry Group; Naas; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Kerry Group seeks an experienced Commercial Counsel to support Procurement and Supply Chain contracting across Europe, and biotechnology business in Europe, handling IP, commercial and regulatory work.

You will work with the General Counsel (Europe) and senior counsels, managing an assigned portfolio from instruction through negotiation to execution, with occasional travel within Europe.

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer in a European jurisdiction with 3-5 years PQE and entitlement to practise or provide in-house legal services
• Fluent written and spoken English; a second European language is desirable
• Experience in commercial contracting, typically in-house or at a large international law firm

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, negotiate and advise on procurement, logistics and supply chain agreements.
• Manage an assigned contract portfolio from instruction through negotiation, approval and execution.
• Provide practical, commercial and risk-based advice on liability, indemnities, warranties, security of supply, termination, compliance and IP protection.
• Support pre-litigation contractual disputes and advise on commercial resolutions.
• Partner with Procurement, Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, Quality and Regulatory on risk allocation and outcomes.

Skills

Commercial contracting

Procurement & supply chain

Negotiation

Regulatory understanding

Intellectual property awareness

Stakeholder management

In-house experience

Education

Law degree / qualified lawyer in EU

Tools

Contract lifecycle management

Legal research tools

Job description

Kerry is seeking an experienced and commercially minded lawyer to support Procurement and Supply Chain contracting across Europe. In addition, this role will support Kerry's Biotechnology business in Europe, involving intellectual property, commercial and regulatory work.

Commercial Counsel, Europe will work closely with the General Counsel (Europe) and other Senior Commercial Counsels on the Europe Legal Team and be a trusted day-to-day legal partner to relevant business and functional teams, managing an assigned portfolio from instruction through negotiation and execution.

The successful candidate will set objectives for their assigned portfolio, execute tactical legal plans, deliver operational results, resolve complex contracting issues where precedent may be limited, and contribute to process improvement. The role is expected to operate independently on matters within agreed parameters, while seeking manager support on material, novel, high-risk or strategically significant matters.

Please note : Occasional travel within Europe may be required.

Key Accountabilities

Procurement and Supply Chain Contracts

• Draft, review, negotiate and advise on procurement, logistics and supply chain agreements, including for goods and services, technology, equipment purchase, outsourcing (including third-party manufacturing), warehousing, transport, energy, professional services, NDAs and other supplier arrangements.
• Take ownership of an assigned contract portfolio, progressing matters efficiently from initial instruction through negotiation, approval and execution.
• Provide practical, commercial and risk-based advice on key contractual issues such as liability, indemnities, warranties, security of supply, termination, compliance and intellectual property protection.
• Provide legal support on pre-litigation contractual disputes and advise on commercial resolutions.
• Partner with Procurement, Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, Quality, Regulatory, Digital and other stakeholders on appropriate risk allocation and workable commercial outcomes.

Biotechnology Contractual and Regulatory Support

• Support biotechnology-related commercial arrangements and intellectual property arrangements, including supply, third-party manufacturing, development, collaboration, licensing, material or strain transfer, research services, quality, manufacturing and confidentiality agreements.
• Work with commercial, scientific, R&D, quality, regulatory and operational stakeholders to support the development, manufacture, supply and commercialisation of biotechnology products and technologies
• Provide first-line support on contractual and regulatory questions within experience and delegated scope, coordinating with specialist colleagues or external counsel where required.
• Translate relevant regulatory requirements and developments into concise, practical guidance and contracting actions for the business.

General Counsel (Europe) Support

• Work closely with the General Counsel (Europe) on strategic matters for the European business.
• Support Kerry's Speak Up initiative in Europe within an agreed Speak Up governance framework and under the direction of the General Counsel (Europe) and the Senior Employment Counsel (Europe).
• Support the General Counsel (Europe) on selected cross-functional, governance, regulatory and strategic legal matters, including preparation of briefings and coordination of follow-up actions.
• Support the development of Kerry templates, playbooks, approved positions and contract lifecycle management tools.
• Deliver targeted training and know-how to business stakeholders and share learning across the Europe Legal Team.
• Support effective matter management, reporting and use of data to improve legal service delivery.

Candidate Profile

Qualifications and Experience

• Qualified lawyer in a European jurisdiction with 3-5 years PQE and entitled to practise or provide in-house legal services as required in the relevant location.
• Fluent written and spoken English. Fluency in a second European language is desirable.
• Relevant post-qualification experience in commercial contracting, typically gained in-house and/or in a large international law firm, sufficient to manage an appropriate portfolio with a meaningful degree of independence.
• Demonstrable experience in procurement, supply chain and commercial agreements.
• Experience supporting licensing, collaboration, development, technology or commercialisation agreements.
• Ability to manage complex negotiations and advise stakeholders independently within agreed parameters.
• In-house experience in a multinational organisation, particularly in food, ingredients, biotechnology, manufacturing or FMCG, is preferred.

Skills and Attributes

• Strong drafting, negotiation and contract risk-assessment skills, with the ability to translate legal issues into clear and workable business solutions.
• Commercially pragmatic and able to balance growth, speed, value and legal risk.
• Able to organise and prioritise a varied workload, meet business timelines and maintain appropriate records, workload management and reporting discipline.
• Confident stakeholder manager who collaborates effectively across functions, cultures and jurisdictions.
• Sound judgement, integrity and discretion, with an appropriate understanding of when to decide, when to consult and when to elevate.
• Comfortable working in a matrixed international organisation and using contract lifecycle management and other legal technology tools.