Director - Legal Counsel (m / f / d)

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization :

Act as “Strategic Business Partner” “Advisor” and “Leader” of the organization in all relevant Legal & Compliance issues. Ensure that the Legal team is providing the best Legal & Compliance advice, solutions and challenges to enable strategic initiatives and to protect and enhance the Group´s assets, reputation and interests. Ensure consistent and high standard of all Global Legal & Compliance principles. Support in ensuring the team is an effective extension of Global Legal to ensure a consistent and high standard of all Global Legal standards and principles.

Key Responsibilities :

Business Partnering and Leadership

• Take a proactive role as a key business partner to the Zone East Management Team as well as the HQ Campus Team in design and implementation of the strategic plan for the respective Organizations
• Maintain a high level of interaction and communication with the Management Teams and their key business partners and contribute to the decision-making process of structuring and developing the respective Organizations
• Actively help develop business strategy and initiatives with effective Legal & Compliance advice, measures, solutions and challenges
• Ensure and promote cross-functional collaboration and support the One Group Legal Team philosophy

Legal Role

• Provide expert legal advice and support in complex and high-value strategic business initiatives and projects with major impact on the organization and / or connected to large investments of the company and including time pressure and high visibility of and to the Management Board such as construction of Campus buildings and purchases or sale of company property or land (such as for example Pool, Homeground, Novina property)
• Lead the management, negotiation and resolution of significant, complex and high-value contract law matters critical to the company’s infrastructure (such as but not limited to VPPA (Virtual Power Purchase Agreements))
• Ensure and promote cross-functional collaboration and support the "One Global Legal Team" philosophy
• Strategic leadership and responsibility for the delivery of legal services and compliance requirements for any other business stakeholder in the Area and Cluster which is in line with global and local strategies
• Where appropriate, drive the management, negotiation and resolution of legal and business disputes for client groups to enable fact-based decision making
• Draft, review and negotiate variety of contracts to protect interests of adidas working closely with appropriate business stakeholders
• Co-drive an ethics and compliance culture and ensure all related matters are appropriately handled including all aspects of communication, education, and implementation of the Compliance program within the Cluster
• Maintain key relationships with external legal counsel to ensure that legal advice and services are provided in a timely and cost-effective manner. Effectively manage and supervise the delivery of legal advice and services through external counsel where needed
• Manage the implementation of initiatives and efficient Legal & Compliance processes, in close co-ordination with the Europe Legal & Compliance team and in close alignment with the wider Global Legal & Compliance team. Responsible for day-to-day legal needs of adidas in the Area including acting as liaison with Legal's intellectual property team. Provide effective and appropriate supervision and management of delivery of legal services through outside counsel
• Develop and conduct educational programs and materials for clients in the Cluster as appropriate in relevant legal areas
• Actively participate in the team environment through mutual support and pursuit of excellence

Key Relationships :

• Senior Director - Legal Counsel
• Senior Management Team and Steering Committee of Zone East and other senior members of the Cluster
• Senior Management Team of Global HQ Campus team and other senior stakeholders of the Organization
• All business partners of HQ Campus team including Global Procurement and Global Business Services
• All Global Legal functions

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities :

• Proven commercial and strategic thinker with confidence and speed in execution
• Ability to develop and implement strategies
• Comprehensive business understanding of processes and structure
• Must have the ability to interact at the highest levels of the Area
• Ability to build relationships with the key stakeholders of the Area
• Strong background in contract law, drafting, negotiation and business counselling
• A strong sense and experience of legal business management and administration with an ability to make practical evaluations of risk
• Ability to work both independently and as a senior part of a team, and to manage and prioritize substantial and diverse workload
• Ability to effectively communicate complex issues clearly and in an understandable manner.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills required. Must be fluent in English and German
• Very good PC skills, including Legal AI
• Enthusiastic and represents the company's value of integrity

Requisite Education and Qualifications :

• Fully qualified lawyer (2 state exams), with local legal professional admission in good standing
• 10+ years of law firm or corporate counsel experience in general civil and commercial law. Knowledge in construction and architecture law is a must.
• Preferably experience with multinational companies with multi market teams