Legal and Governance Senior Manager

Founded in Japan in 1887, Kao is passionate about making a difference in people's lives with our high quality products and services to create a Kirei Life for all - a beautiful life that respects the needs of our consumers and customers as well as the planet. We never compromise on quality and craft our products with care for the consumer and the environment.

As a company driven by purpose and strong corporate values we pride ourselves to be listed among the World's Most Ethical Companies since 19 consecutive years. Our corporate philosophy, the Kao Way, guides us in everything we do - acting with integrity, courageously driving innovation and treating each other with trust and respect.

The role:

The position is responsible for the legal support of brands such as Molton Brown and our Consumer Care brand portfolio; John Frieda, Biore, Curel and Bondi Sands. Reporting into the Legal Director EMEA, you will form part of a dynamic and commercially focused team supporting multiple stakeholders across the Kao business

What you will do:

• Drafting , reviewing and negotiating a range of commercial contracts including supplier agreements, wholesale and distributor agreements, IT and technology contracts, and various marketing agreements.
• Managing litigation and commercial dispute resolution including co-ordinating, and where applicable, supervising external counsel on key disputes 
• Legal support on handling regulatory matters generally
• Advise the business on issues related to current and upcoming green legislation including the practical steps required to ensure compliance from a contractual, product labelling and marketing perspective
• Responsible for delivering advice on competition law matters, advertising and general consumer law 
• Advise commercial teams on relevant changes in laws and regulations in the UK and EU and
• Provide strategic legal and commercial advice across all business areas and promote the Legal function both internally and externally 
• Optimise legal processes and maintain legal precedent database 
• Conduct, Integrity, Anti-Trust, IP and UK Bribery Act trainings for the groups UK entities.

What you will need:

• Degree educated or equivalent 
• Qualified Solicitor
• Solid training and qualification from a leading city or national law firm preferred
• In-house experience is essential, preferably within the beauty, fashion, retail or FMCG industry 
• Excellent knowledge in general commercial, contract, consumer and competition law 
• Deep understanding of complex matters and sound business acumen
• Good technical understanding, especially of cosmetic industry and regulations
• Affinity to work with and sound understanding of luxury global brands
• Be proactive in working on issues and lead to a resolution of them
• Ability to develop wide networks in the industry and build relationships with colleagues, including individuals in management
• Demonstrate a practical and commercial approach in dealing with a variety of legal issues across multiple jurisdictions and legal systems 
• Personable and approachable, with excellent communication skills

How we work: Having been selected among the World´s Most Ethical Companies for 16 consecutive years, we are a company with a purpose and strong corporate values. We never compromise on quality and craft our products with care for the consumer and the environment. At Kao, each employee can actively shape their job and their career. We work collaboratively to achieve our common goals, always aiming to deliver the best for our customers.

What we offer: A friendly and flexible work environment with competitive salaries, benefits package, ongoing development and the opportunity to enhance your skills and deliver tangible results. At Kao your voice will be heard. Your opinion really counts. We believe that change comes from taking opportunities into your own hands, so we value and reward entrepreneurial thinking and innovation.

Hiring Process: Kao embraces the diversity and the individual personalities of its people because we believe it is diversity that makes us strong. This is why we welcome applications from all areas of the global community. 

Want to learn more: If you feel you are as unique as our products and want to find out why 33,000 people across the globe opted for a career with us please visit our Americas website (https://www.kao.com/americas/en/) or EMEA website (https://www.kao.com/emea/en/)

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