Senior Legal Counsel

Bunge; Chesterfield (MO); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment

Competitive compensation

Generous paid time off

Flexible work arrangements

Job summary

Bunge seeks a Senior Legal Counsel to guide labor and employment matters across US and Canadian operations from its St. Louis area team. You will provide strategic counsel, manage significant projects, and collaborate with HR to ensure compliance and risk mitigation across the business.

The role requires strong negotiation, multi-state and cross-border experience, and a commitment to ethical practice. Hybrid work is available, with a focus on delivering practical business solutions.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor or LL.B. from an accredited law school.
• Active US state bar in good standing.
• 6+ years of labor and employment law experience.
• US multi-state and Canadian experience preferred.
• Ability to manage complex litigation and advise on labor matters.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive legal advice on labor and employment law across US/Canada.
• Lead major labor and employment projects and investigations.
• Identify regulatory risks and recommend compliant, efficient solutions.
• Represent the company in disputes, negotiations, and arbitrations.
• Develop and implement best practices for labor and employment law.
• Oversee external legal spend and ensure budget alignment.
• Collaborate with HR and leaders to ensure policy compliance.

Skills

Analytical skills

Negotiation

Communication

Problem-solving

Interpersonal skills

Litigation management

Ethical standards

Education

Juris Doctor (JD) or LL.B.

US state bar admission

Master's in labor law (beneficial)

Job description

City : St. Louis

State : Missouri (US-MO)

Country : United States (US)

Requisition Number : 48026

Bunge has an exciting opportunity available for Senior Legal Counsel. In this role you will be part of a global team working on challenging, meaningful projects impacting core business activities. Since 1818, Bunge has been connecting farmers to consumers to deliver essential food, feed, and fuel to the world. Looking to the future, our ambition is to continuously reinvent ourselves, leveraging data to be at the forefront of analytics, technology and talent to accomplish our purpose in a better, faster and simpler way. Bunge is committed to operating and thriving in the digital world - creating world class agile teams where teammates are empowered and encouraged to collaborate and test and learn to succeed.

At Bunge, people don't just come here to work, they come here to grow - solving challenges that directly impact the world with a diverse team of thinkers and doers. Bunge offers a strong compensation and benefits package, generous paid time off program, flexible work arrangements, and opportunity to progress. Our hybrid work environment provides a balance of in-office and remote work. Most importantly, in all we do we live our values:

• Act as One Team by fostering inclusion, collaboration, and respect
• Drive for Excellence by being agile, innovative and efficient
• Do What's Right by acting safely, ethically, and sustainably

A Day in the Life: The person in this role demonstrates a high level of professionalism, prioritizing the development of innovative solutions to complex labor and employment challenges and ensuring legal compliance across our US and Canadian operations. This role is crucial for leveraging deep knowledge of Bunge's business, structure, and strategy to enhance organizational outcomes and mitigate risks. Responsibilities include providing expert legal guidance, managing significant projects, influencing stakeholders, fostering internal talent, and driving results through meticulous standards and a proactive approach to change.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Provide comprehensive and proactive legal advice and counsel on all aspects of labor and employment law, including recruitment, hiring, performance management, employee relations, disciplinary actions, terminations, workplace investigations, wage and hour compliance, collective bargaining, immigration, and occupational safety and health inspections and investigations in the US and Canada.
• Lead and participate in substantial legal projects and initiatives related to labor and employment matters (such as M&A due diligence), working with a degree of independence and contributing significant influence to project outcomes.
• Anticipate and identify potential internal and external labor and employment legal challenges and regulatory issues, developing and recommending innovative solutions or process improvements to mitigate risk effectively.
• Represent Bunge in labor disputes, negotiations, arbitrations, and litigation, either directly or through the oversight of external counsel, ensuring favorable outcomes and protecting the company's interests.
• Develop and implement legal strategies and best practices for labor and employment, acting as a recognized subject matter expert within the organization.
• Oversee and manage external legal spend for labor and employment matters, ensuring cost-effectiveness and alignment with budgetary goals.
• Collaborate with HR and business leaders to ensure Bunge's policies, procedures, and practices comply with all relevant US and Canadian federal, state, local and provincial labor and employment laws and regulations.
• Provide training on all aspects of the role to business partners, employees, and other stakeholders.
• Provide monthly and quarterly reports of pending and historic matters as requested.
• Support special projects and initiatives and perform other duties as assigned.

Skills/Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Law (Juris Doctor or LL.B.) from an accredited institution. A Master's degree or specialized certification in labor law may be beneficial.
• Active membership in good standing with a state bar in the United States.
• 6+ years of progressive post-qualification experience in labor and employment law, preferably gained in a combination of private practice and in-house corporate settings. Functional management experience in a legal context is highly desirable.
• US multi-state experience and Canadian experience preferred.
• Expert-level knowledge of US and employment laws, regulations, and judicial precedents. Knowledge of Canadian laws preferred.
• Proficiency in collective bargaining, arbitration, and dispute resolution processes.
• Demonstrated experience in managing complex litigation and administrative proceedings.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to translate complex legal concepts into practical business advice.
• High ethical standards and professional integrity.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective partnerships and influence diverse stakeholders.

At Bunge (NYSE: BG), our purpose is to connect farmers to consumers to deliver essential food, feed and fuel to the world. As a premier agribusiness solutions provider, our team of ~34,000 dedicated employees partner with farmers across the globe to move agricultural commodities from where they're grown to where they're needed-in faster, smarter, and more efficient ways. We are a world leader in grain origination, storage, distribution, oilseed processing and refining, offering a broad portfolio of plant-based oils, fats, and proteins. We work alongside our customers at both ends of the value chain to deliver quality products and develop tailored, innovative solutions that address evolving consumer needs. With 200+ years of experience and presence in over 50 countries, we are committed to strengthening global food security, advancing sustainability, and helping communities prosper where we operate. Bunge has its registered office in Geneva, Switzerland and its corporate headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri. Learn more at Bunge.com.

Every day our people exemplify these values, which represent Bunge at its core:

• We Are One Team - Collaborative, Respectful, Inclusive
• We Lead The Way - Agile, Empowered, Innovative
• We Do What's Right - Safety, Sustainability, With Integrity

If this sounds like you, join us! We value and invest in people who believe in our purpose and are excited to live it every day - people who are #ProudtoBeBunge