Manager Legal CEE (f/m/x)

Douglas Group; Warszawa; Hybrid; PLN 360,000 - 540,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Private healthcare

Life insurance

MultiSport card and wellbeing program

Product discounts

Wellbeing initiatives

Job summary

Douglas Group seeks a senior Polish lawyer to provide practical legal advice for Poland and coordinate support across the CEE region. You will advise on Polish law and manage external firms in line with Group guidelines, reporting to the Regional CFO and GC.

You will steer compliance, contract negotiations and corporate housekeeping, ensuring adherence to laws while supporting new business growth in a dynamic retail environment.

Qualifications

• Fully qualified lawyer with Polish practice qualification.
• 7–10+ years in international or multinational environment (in-house or law firm).
• Strong knowledge of Polish commercial contract law, consumer protection, e‑commerce, marketing and pricing.
• Data protection expertise and compliance experience beneficial.
• Ability to coordinate legal advice across jurisdictions with Group Legal and external counsel.
• Business fluent in Polish and English, including drafting and negotiating in both languages.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate external law firms, including selection, scoping and commissioning of advice, and monitor quality and costs.
• Provide hands-on legal advice to business teams across Poland and the CEE region, drafting, reviewing and negotiating agreements.
• Draft, review and negotiate commercial, supplier, marketing and logistics agreements.
• Support compliance, consumer protection, and pricing matters; lead group projects from a legal perspective.
• Develop and monitor guidelines, templates and processes to standardize legal support and compliance.
• Manage pre-litigation, litigation and dispute resolution.
• Oversee corporate housekeeping and data protection/privacy translation/implementation.
• Serve as country compliance contact and advise senior management on risk mitigation.

Skills

Polish law

Commercial contracts

Data protection

Negotiation

Cross-border coordination

Strategic thinking

Languages: Polish & English

Education

Polish legal qualification

Job description

The roleindependently provides practical legal advice and support for Poland and coordinates legal support across the CEE region at regional, cluster and country level, taking into account Douglas Group guidelines and strategy as well as local requirements. As a primary legal contact for Group, regional and local Senior Management, the role advises directly on Polish law and coordinates external law firms for advice on other local legal requirements and specialist matters, including compliance, to the extent not handled centrally by the Group. The position does not involve disciplinary team management. It guides Senior Management in adhering to applicable laws and internal policies to protect the business from damage and help new business grow. The role reports to the Regional CFO (solid line) and the General Counsel (dotted line).

SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Supporting the implementation of the Douglas strategy in the legal area and contributing to the development and improvement of Legal Department processes. Coordinating external law firms, including their selection, scoping and commissioning of advice, and regularly monitoring the quality, effectiveness and costs of the legal services provided.
• Providing hands‑on legal advice to business teams across Poland and the CEE region, including drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial, supplier, marketing and logistics agreements and advising on consumer protection, e‑commerce and pricing matters. Supporting major Group projects and contracts and managing local and regional projects from a legal perspective, in cooperation with Group Legal and external counsel.
• Developing and monitoring implementation and adherence to guidelines, directives, templates and processes to ensure standardized, effective, efficient, consistent and independent legal support and compliance with applicable laws.
• Managing pre‑litigation / litigation / dispute resolution.
• Monitoring developments in legislation, case law and best practices. Overseeing provision of guidance for the implementation of new legal requirements. Promoting decision papers and memoranda.
• Overseeing and steering corporate housekeeping.
• Overseeing translation of Group data protection and privacy strategy (DMS) and directing its implementation.
• Managing the implementation of the Douglas CMS, monitoring its adherence, conducting trainings, handling incidents and managing the whistleblowing hotline to protect Douglas from financial/reputational damage as Country Compliance Officer Poland and supporting the CEE Clusters; serving as main point of compliance contact for employees and stakeholders, providing advice to (senior) management and mitigating the organization´s risk landscape in Poland.

OUR REQUIREMENTS:

• Fully qualified lawyer with above-average results and a professional qualification permitting the provision of legal advice on Polish law.
• Several years (7-10+) of relevant professional experience in an internationally orientated and well-regarded law firm or multi-national corporate environment (in-house).
• Sound knowledge of Polish commercial contract law, consumer protection, e-commerce, marketing and pricing requirements. Data protection expertise and experience in compliance matters would be beneficial. A good understanding of business contexts and the ability to coordinate legal advice across different jurisdictions with Group Legal and external counsel.
• Strong negotiating and assertive skills with a pragmatic and constructive solution‑orientation in discussions and projects.
• Strategic, analytical thinking skills. Willingness to drive change.
• High level of personal responsibility, communication and teamwork skills.
• Business fluency in Polish and English, including the ability to draft and negotiate legal documents in both languages.

WE OFFER:

• Employment contract (fixed term - approx. 18 months).
• Hybrid work model (3 days in office, 2 days remotely).
• Benefits package – private healthcare, life insurance, MultiSport card and MultiLife program, product discounts, and wellbeing initiatives.
• The opportunity to bring your own ideas to life and make a real impact on processes.
• Opportunities for professional development in a dynamic retail environment.

DO YOU RECOGNIZE YOURSELF?

As an international employer, we stand for equal opportunities and diversity. We therefore welcome applications from mothers, fathers, people with disabilities and people from the LGBTQIA+ community. Please let us know if, for example, we should use a gender-neutral pronoun, if you need barrier‑free access to our offices or if we should allow more time for the application process.
We look forward to hearing from you!

About the DOUGLAS Group

The DOUGLAS Group, with its commercial brands DOUGLAS, NOCIBÉ, Parfumdreams and Niche Beauty, is the number one omnichannel premium beauty destination in Europe. The DOUGLAS Group is inspiring customers to live their own kind of beauty by offering a unique assortment online and in around 1,970 stores. With unparalleled size and access to customers, the DOUGLAS Group is the partner of choice for brands and offers a premium range of selective and exclusive brands as well as own corporate brands. The assortment includes fragrances, color cosmetics, skin care, hair care, accessories as well as beauty services. Strengthening its successful omnichannel positioning while consistently developing superior customer experience is at the heart of the DOUGLAS Group strategy “Let it Bloom”. The winning business model is underpinned by the Group’s omnichannel proposition, leading brands, and data capabilities. In the financial year 2024/25, the DOUGLAS Group generated sales of 4.58 billion euros and employed more than 19,900 people across Europe. The DOUGLAS Group (Douglas AG) is listed at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.