India General Counsel - IC

Job Title-India General Counsel - IC

Work Level: 3X

Scope: Full time

Reports to: Vanessa Paula Vilar Conte Doratioto

Location: Mumbai HO

If you are in the Unilever Ice Cream business or consider choosing to work for the Unilever Ice Cream business, you will work for the Global, leading Ice Cream player with €7.9bn Turn Over in 2023. The Ice Cream business is operating in a highly attractive category, as we are part of the 1 trillion snacking and refreshment industry, growing consistently at high pace. We have strong brands equities: 5 of top 10 selling brands including Wall’s, Magnum, Ben &Jerry’s. We are investing to unlock the full growth potential of Ice Cream.

You will have ample options for career growth and exploration, allowing you for you to explore roles and opportunities across the Ice Cream Division. Your career development will be a priority for us, and we are dedicated to supporting your growth journey within the Ice Cream Division.

ABOUT ICE CREAM: Life Tastes Better With Ice Cream

Unilever Ice Cream is the largest global Ice Cream Company in the world, with over 100 years of experience delivering a diverse range of indulgent, yet responsible, craft food experiences and treats delighting consumers. Committed to innovation, quality, and sustainability we have 35 brands, including 3 one billion Euro brands (Magnum, Wall’s, Ben & Jerry’s), a strong presence in over 60 countries, generating annual revenue of over $8 billion. All brands are driven to transform moments into memories through indulgent yet responsibly made and marketed products. We have a well-developed strategy to deliver growth and value creation which is clear on where to play and how to win.

We turn the ordinary into the extraordinary by designing unique and innovative Ice Cream experiences that make life taste better, creating joyful experiences. In our Ice Cream business, we’re crafting the future through innovation and imaginative minds, creating unique products. We spark moments of happiness for people and within the communities where we operate. However, it is not as simple as it may seem. As Ice Cream makers we are serious about happiness. With warm hearts, we create the coolest products.

JOB PURPOSE:

Find your purpose at Unilever. Help to protect and land innovations that drive our business to win and grow. Be a frontline lawyer to help business navigate uncertainties and comply with the law, being the guardians of our values. Learn from brilliant leaders and diverse colleagues in a global environment, becoming your best self.

Are you a senior lawyer (+15 years’ experience) passionate about ice cream innovation, digital commerce, marketing and negotiations, in a constant evolving world, and would like to be part of a multi-cultural global legal team, for the leading ice cream business in the world? Then this role is tailored for you.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The India General Counsel will have a rich and engaging role, business partnering the India General Manager and his leadership team and will be responsible for:

• Ensuring compliance of all operations in India (Competition Law, Business Integrity, Data Privacy, Anti-Bribery, Governance, Corporate Secretary)  through effective business partnering to the India Leadership Team and the wider India Ice Cream organisation (Marketing, Sales, Procurement, Supply Chain, R&D and Finance). Collaboration across the METSA (Middle East, Turkey, South Asia, Israel and South Africa) Legal team as well as the Corporate Centre (for Tax, IP, Corporate, M&A, Business Integrity and Data Protection teams).  

• Partnering the India Leadership team and support transformational projects

• The compliance and roll out of global legal corporate policies for the Ice Cream Business in the country.

• Advising on key legal risks for the Ice Cream Business and provide a strategy and plan including resourcing as to how this would be mitigated and managed;

• Advising on sales and route to market topics and projects / alternative business models, including Business2Business/Customer Development models /ecommerce;

• Advising on all legal aspects, including contracts assessments with suppliers, distributors, Ecommerce, Logistics, Factory maintenance and contractors;

• Advising on new product development projects, including the legality of and support for claims, product positioning, input into preparation of communication materials.

• Any Ice Cream related litigation in the country;

• External legal issues impacting the Ice Cream business such as Competition/ Commercial, Corporate, Marketing, regulatory, and Advertising Environmental/sustainability, related and where relevant.

• Managing legal risks & reputation for operations in India by supervising any major crisis and/or litigations in relationship with Authorities (Competition, Consumer, Environmental, Data Protection Authorities amongst others) and Competitors, and implementing policies and compliance program in India.

• Supporting the Sales Department in managing supplier/distributor relations by negotiating, analyzing, and drafting the various contractual agreements (single agreement, GTC/GTS, international agreements) whether for In-Home Retail Clients, Wholesalers & Chains (Foodservices & OOH), Direct to Consumer & E-commerce.

• Providing legal support for the Customer Service, Logistics, Finance teams on all contracts and operations related to their activities in the cluster (Payment terms, electronic invoicing, invoicing, issue related to the transport of goods, negotiation of General Terms and Conditions of Purchase and penalties).

WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED:

SKILLS: Legal Expertise, Advanced Risk Management, Business Partnering, Stakeholder Management, Problem Solving, Decision Making, Business Acumen, Project Management, Collaboration, Influential Leadership, Negotiation Skills, Digital Curiosity, Versatility, Advocacy, Emotion Intelligent, Prioritisation Skills, Multitasking, External Network, External Communications, External Network, Budget and Management Controls.

EXPERIENCES & QUALIFICATIONS: senior lawyer (+15 years’ experience/PQE), experienced in corporate law, commercial & sales contracts, legal marketing activities, competition law, factory support, issues management.

LEADERSHIP:  

• You are an inclusive motivator of people. Your team delivers with real passion, growing and learning from each other whilst delivering quick wins.

• You are still responsible for your own results and as a manager, you also need to motivate others to deliver with passion, creating an inclusive and engaging climate around you. You can balance challenge with support and coaching. You understand the wider business context and you are emotionally intelligent enough to motivate people to deliver what is needed.

• Passion, energy and enthusiasm for your work and for everything that makes Ice Cream unique

• Outstanding communication and problem-solving skills

• A team player who is highly collaborative, flexible and enjoys working with others

• Boundaryless – will go above and beyond to get the job done

• Curious with an unquenchable desire to learn

• Strives for constant improvement

• A commitment to unyielding integrity who will serve as a role model

• A great sense of humor, enjoys fun and strives for a proper work-life balance

• Able to work across time zones and possessing global sensibilities

• A doer more than manager – always willing to roll up own sleeves to get something done

• Ability to assimilate information quickly, identify and articulate risks and provide pragmatic solutions

• A business partner mindset that emphasizes practical and effective solutions

• Close attention to detail

• Strong organizational skills

• Capable of multi-tasking, address changing demands in a fast-paced environment and juggling multiple projects while always meeting deadlines

• Lead with a global mindset to ensure our teams operate on a consistent legal practice on a worldwide, cross-jurisdictional basis.

• Able to work with team members in different jurisdictions, in a truly distributive leadership.

Critical SOL (Standards of Leadership) Behaviors

• PERSONAL MASTERY: Sets high standards for themselves. Has emotional intelligence to take feedback, manage mood and motivations, and build empathy for others.

• PASSION FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE: Generates intensity and focus to motivate people to deliver results at speed. Takes personal responsibility and accountability for execution and results.

• TALENT CATALYST: Invests in people – coaches individuals and teams to realize their full potential. Creates an inclusive climate, empowering everyone to be at their best.

• PURPOSE & SERVICE: Has humility, understanding that leadership is service to others, inside and outside Unilever.

• CONSUMER LOVE: Invests time inside and outside to understand the needs of consumers.

• BUSINESS ACUMEN: Creates sustainable growth with purpose, engaging different partners across the system for change.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Unilever embraces diversity and encourages applicants from all walks of life. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. 

Disclaimer

Equal Opportunity Employer: Unilever is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. 

We take pleasure seriously. Join the Ice Cream team now!