General Counsel Africa

With 3.4 billion people in over 190 countries using our products every day, Unilever is a business that makes a real impact on the world. Our mission is to Brighten Everday Life For All and to deliver best in class performance with market-making, unmissably superior brands. We have 4 Business Groups focused on 24 markets together with our One Unilever organisation managing our operations in all other markets. We will excel in unmissable brand superiority, multi-year scalable innovations, premiumization, social first and growth channels. Our strategy is underpinned by a strong commitment to our values and to bringing the best performance for our business and our people through our behaviours.  

JOB PURPOSE

If you are a lawyer who is passionate about delivering legal business partnering in a dynamic environment focused on innovation, clear growth priorities, and creative solutions, then this role is just for you.

WHAT WILL YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES BE

• This role covers a broad range of legal support across all 4 Unilever Business Groups - BGs (Personal Care, Home Care, Nutrition and Beauty & Wellbeing) in Southern &EWA together with the national support across Unilever’s Southern Africa business, a key market for Home Care.
• Leading the Legal team across Southern Africa and EWA
  • Business Partnering the business in these markets as the first point of contact for all legal matters arising across the region including marketing, sales, distribution and supply chain related legal matters as well as corporate law, local litigation and compliance topics.
  • Closely collaborate with Unilever’s dedicated global expert legal teams on topics such as Intellectual Property (IP), data privacy, business integrity, M&A and competition law.  
  • Provide legal advice and commercial risk analysis to the marketing and R&D teams on legality and support for product claims and marketing materials in line with all relevant local legal and regulatory laws and guidelines governing the products in collaboration with the Regulatory team and with the teams working globally and regionally on marketing asset development and product launches.
  • Provide legal advice and trainings on legal topics including competition law issues.
  • Coordinate and defend, in accordance with the business strategy, out-going and in-coming competitive challenges in respect of product claims, marketing campaigns etc.
  • Coordinate and defend, in accordance with the business strategy in -coming and out-going litigation in collaboration with the global Litigation team.
  • Provide strategic legal advice on initiatives and material agreements with customers and suppliers to ensure full compliance within the organization.
  • Member of the Southern Africa business Leadership team.
  • Member of the One Unilever Legal Leadership Team
  • Align legal strategy and exchange best practices with other Unilever lawyers in One Unilever and, as necessary, also with the Legal team in the BG led markets and the global legal teams within Unilever to optimally manage and mitigate risk.
  • Select and manage external counsel as and when required.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO SUCCEED

• Must be able to be pragmatic and quickly and agilely prioritise competing demands whilst leveraging internal expertise from colleagues within the broader Unilever legal team.
• Must be able to quickly assimilate information, scoping out legal risks and provide pragmatic, commercial advice to the business, with a solution orientated approach.
• Must be able to lead senior decision makers, including coordinating input from several business partners, such as R&D and Regulatory Affairs.
• Excellent communication skills both written and oral: ability to communicate with business partners
• Must consistently bring their best self to a role of strategic importance.
• Strong organisational and prioritisation skills required in a role that has a significant range of contractual arrangements and innovative marketing models requiring broad-based business acumen.

Experiences & Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer with 8+ years of post-qualification experience of general marketing/commercial/corporate/compliance legal experience.
• Experience sitting on business leadership teams and/or providing counsel to senior business leaders.
• Experience working cross-functionally with multiple stakeholders.
• Broad-based legal experience supporting a consumer business, including drafting and negotiating a variety of commercial agreements

Skills

• Legal expertise – broad based legal generalist skills with emphasis on commercial law.

• People management – demonstrable ability to lead and inspire people to deliver on business objectives.
• Crisis management and transformation – demonstrable crisis management and business transformation skills
• Problem solving - ability to analyse & propose legally and commercially viable solutions.

• Business acumen – strategic understanding, application and execution.
• Stakeholder management - influence key stakeholders and act as an agent for change.
• Collaboration – working successfully with both business and cross-functional teams.
• Decision making - exhibits solid judgment and integrity.
• Risk management – demonstrates a successful combination of rigour and pragmatism.
• Project management - excellent organization, execution, and project management skills. 
• Excellent English language communication skills are required.

Leadership

• Critical Behaviours
  • Focus on what counts – real prioritization with stretching goals and recognition of maximum performance impact
  • 3 Steps ahead – think boldly and creatively for breakthrough performance, curious and confident, anticipating consumer needs and trends
  • Deliver with excellence – delivery with pace, personal ownership and holding people accountable
  • Care Deeply – about how our consumers experience our brands, our people’s development, our planet and our performance .

Unilever is an equal opportunities employer and committed to diversity and inclusivity in the workplace.  We are intentional in employing the best talent that reflects the demographics of our country and which will help build representation of currently under-represented groups. We therefore invite applications from all candidates representing diversity of age, sex, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief. When appointing potential candidates, the South African Employment Equity and Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Legislation will be considered.  

We are required by law to verify your ability to work lawfully in South Africa. If you are applying as a foreign national, please note that you may be requested to provide supporting documents supporting this.

This is an office-based role in Johannesburg and requires 100% of time attendance on site.

Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.