Legal Counsel

Our client, a prominent player in the FMCG industry, is currently seeking a Legal Counsel Operations professional to join their team on a contract basis. This role is focused on providing dedicated legal support on a specific programme. Key Responsibilities:Legal Coordination (Global & Markets) • Engage with regional and local legal teams to assess legal and regulatory implications of proposed supplier changes • Support consistent interpretation of legal constraints raised by markets • Drive alignment across jurisdictions while allowing for local requirements Contracting & Commercial Support • Support re-opening and amendment of existing supplier contracts, including payment term changes • Provide legal input into contractual mechanisms (amendments, variations, side letters) • Review and support development of standardised contractual approaches and templates Programme Tracking & Governance • Maintain oversight of contract changes, legal sign-offs and key issues • Track progress against programme timelines and escalate delays or risks • Support reporting into programme governance forums Risk & Compliance • Identify and manage key legal risks, including local law/payment term restrictions, contract enforceability, and supplier engagement risks • Ensure compliance with governance frameworks such as UKCAP and SoDA Stakeholder Engagement • Partner with Procurement, Finance and programme leadership • Support development of supplier communication strategies and negotiation positions • Act as a pragmatic legal advisor within a fast-paced programme environment Job Requirements:Essential Skills & Experience • Qualified lawyer (or equivalent professional experience) • Strong commercial contracts experience, ideally within procurement or supply chain • Experience managing multi-jurisdictional legal matters • Ability to operate independently with minimal supervision • Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills Desirable Skills & Experience • Experience supporting global transformation or cost optimisation programmes • Familiarity with indirect procurement and supplier contracting models Personal Attributes: • Highly organised with strong tracking and delivery discipline • Pragmatic, solutions-oriented and commercially focused • Comfortable operating in a high-profile, fast-paced global project • Collaborative and able to work across functional and geographic boundaries Additional Information: • Contract role to end-2027 • Dedicated to a Project (primary focus), with limited flexibility to support wider Ops Legal team if required If you are a qualified legal professional seeking a dynamic role within a global organisation, we would love to hear from you.