Job Opportunities Head of Legal Affairs

Join us and celebrate the beauty of human experience. Create for happier, healthier lives, with love for nature. Together, with kindness and humility, we deliver food innovations, craft inspired fragrances and develop beauty and wellbeing solutions that make people look and feel good. There’s much to learn and many to learn from, with more than 16,000 employees around the world to explore ideas and ambitions with. Dive into varied, flexible, and stimulating environments. Meet empowered professionals to partner with, befriend, and stretch your skills alongside. Every day, your energy, your creativity, and your determination will shape our future, making a positive difference on billions of people. Every essence of you enriches our world. We are Givaudan. Human by nature. 

Head of Legal Affairs - Your future role?

Reporting to the CLCO, the Head of Legal Affairs will play a pivotal role in shaping the legal framework that supports Givaudan’s ambition for sustainable, long-term growth. The new leader will ensure the legal function is a forward-looking enabler of innovation, growth and enterprise value creation. In particular, this function will:

• Ensure appropriate legal practices and legal defence of the group’s interests
• Design legal policies and strategies to govern the legal aspects of the group activities
• Support the group functions in achieving their objectives and strategies with pragmatic and sound legal approaches

Your main responsibilities:

• As a strategic leader, set and oversee the direction of Givaudan’s legal strategy,
  ensuring alignment with the company’s evolving business model, growth agenda and global
  operations
• Lead the implementation of the legal organisation, including clarifying roles, reporting
  lines and decision rights across the function enabling a strong governance and culture
• Partner closely with senior leadership to ensure robust governance of legal risks,
  including escalation protocols and transparent reporting
• Build a high-performing legal team with the right capabilities, leadership and tools to
  operate effectively across business units and regions
• Manage legal aspects of the activities of the group and ensure coordination of legal
  across the regions and the divisions
• Ensure adequate legal resources worldwide and competences are available to
  support the activities of the group across the various fields of activities and across the
  regions

Head of Legal Affairs activities include (directly or indirectly), without limitation:

• Draft, review and negotiation of contracts for all the divisions worldwide;
• Provide legal advice on best way to achieve the group’s goals and strategies generally and in individual situations;
• Design legal processes or standards and coordinate their implementation globally
• Manage litigations
• Coach internal teams on their relationship with third parties and other counterparts to address legal matters
• Manage legal projects and scout for applicable new technologies
• Hire, instruct and supervise outside counsels

People Management 

• Lead, direct, evaluate, and develop professional legal staff to ensure that the legal activities across the group are conducted accurately, ethically and according to corporate guidelines.

You have:

• University Degree in Law + Bar admission.
• 10 - 15 years of relevant experience in an international law firm and as a high-ranking member in the legal department of a multinational company. Experience as an in-house is a must
• Strong corporate generalist background, able to advise on broad legal topics, including dispute resolution, commercial contracts, M&A, financing transactions
• Experience in a complex international listed setting
• Fluent in English
• Ability to drive, develop and motivate a team of professionals spread across the world
• Professional ethics and integrity
• Excellent oral, written and interpersonal/communication skills

Our Benefits:

• Healthcare support

• Paid time off and family leave

• Retirement plan

• Sport and leisure clubs

• Company shop

• Staff restaurant

At Givaudan, you contribute to delightful taste and scent experiences that touch people’s lives.
You work within an inspiring teamwork culture – where you can thrive, collaborate and learn from other talented and passionate people across disciplines, regions and divisions.
Every essence of you enriches our world.
Givaudan is committed to equal opportunities. Therefore, we welcome applications regardless of cultural and social background, gender, age, religion or sexual identity. 
We also have a safe working environment, progressive working conditions and are certified as an equal pay employer.