Sr. Legal Counsel

Job description

About the role The Senior Legal Counsel serves as a trusted business partner to the organization in Europe, Middle East and Africa, providing pragmatic, solution-oriented legal advice across a broad range of commercial, corporate, compliance, and operational matters. The role supports business growth while ensuring legal compliance and managing risk in a fast-paced international environment. Key responsibilities include Commercial Legal Support

• Draft, review, negotiate, and advise on a broad range of commercial agreements.
• Provide practical legal guidance to commercial teams during contract negotiations.
• Develop and maintain standard contract templates and legal playbooks.

Corporate and Business Advisory

• Advise management and business stakeholders on legal matters affecting operations across Europe, Middle East and Africa.
• Support corporate governance activities and ensure compliance with applicable company policies.
• Participate in strategic business projects, acquisitions, integrations, restructurings, and transformation initiatives.
• Identify legal risks and propose commercially viable mitigation strategies.

Compliance and Risk Management

• Promote adherence to company policies, ethical standards, and applicable laws and regulations.
• Provide legal support on compliance matters.
• Deliver legal training and awareness programs to business stakeholders .
• Support investigations and internal compliance reviews when required.

Dispute Resolution and Litigation Management

• Manage pre-litigation and litigation matters in collaboration with external counsel.
• Advise on disputes involving commercial contracts, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
• Coordinate legal strategies and oversee external legal spending.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Sales, Procurement, Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, HR, Sustainability, and Digital teams.
• Act as a key legal contact for regional leadership.
• Collaborate with the broader global legal network to ensure consistency and sharing of best practices. About you
• Master’s degree in law
• Fluency in English, French and Dutch
• Qualified lawyer in Belgium or another European jurisdiction preferred
• Minimum 8-12 years of relevant legal experience.
• Experience gained in a leading international law firm and/or multinational corporation.
• Strong background in commercial contract law and business advisory.
• Experience supporting manufacturing, food industry, FMCG, B2B, or industrial environments is highly desirable.
• Experience working in a matrixed, international organization.
• Deep expertise in commercial and contract law.
• Sound understanding of corporate and compliance matters.
• Strong business acumen and ability to translate legal concepts into practical business solutions.