Job Introduction
The market for spirit drinks in the US & Canada is among the most dynamic, exciting (and regulated!) of any spirits markets globally. Together, the US & Canada represent a huge opportunity for our incredible portfolio of premium spirit brands. Our business is growing, and the legal challenges are also dynamic and ever present. The Senior Counsel’s role is to lead the US & Canadian legal team in maximizing our business opportunities and manage our legal risk in this exciting environment.
Main Responsibility
You will be a member of the US leadership team and be responsible for the effective management of legal risk across the US & Canadian markets. You will get involved in the day-to-day legal work but you will have an eye on the horizon too, supporting our US & Canadian corporate affairs initiatives, scanning for opportunities and representing the business in industry bodies that are lobbying for regulatory change. You’ll manage our external legal spend and our panel of law firms. Every day you will lead, support and develop your team of legal professionals – always inspiring, motivating and energizing them to provide a great legal service to a fast-paced business.
Our Ideal Candidate
As a qualified legal professional, your excellent technical and legal knowledge, skills and experience are taken as given. You will have almost a decade’s experience across a range of compliance and commercial legal issues that you can apply to providing practical, pragmatic legal solutions and advice. Your natural curiosity to get to know the business and capacity for quickly understanding detail is complemented by your ability to communicate and articulate complex messages with clarity and simplicity. You approach your work with effortless professionalism and integrity, but with humility, humor and a sense of fun. You’re not phased by big numbers or material litigation. You’re ready to stretch. It’s time to step up to an executive level role. To lead, support and develop a team. If this is you, then make the call.The pay range for this role located in our New York City office is $207,900 - $232,360.
Additional skills and qualifications needed for this role:
- Law degree and right to practice in relevant jurisdiction as an attorney-at-law or in-house counsel.
- Post-qualification experience 8- 10 years
- Experience of developing and leading a team. Demonstrating a solid commercial understanding and the context in which legal advice is given and capable of managing senior stakeholders and holding them to account on the legal agenda.
- Legal experience to include significant experience dealing with US matters (experience in Canadian matters too is preferred), including managing distributor arrangements, managing disputes, establishing businesses, M&A experience, dealing with antitrust matters and other compliance issues; experience of advising on e-commerce related issues, marketing and advertising law and social media marketing.
- Experience of developing and rolling out compliance programs including delivering legal compliance training.
- Have exceptional technical skills including exemplary contract drafting, review and negotiation skills gained in multiple complex transactions.
- Be capable of working under pressure and juggling competing priorities.
- Have the ability to communicate with and collaborate with Executive board on high-value or important corporate initiatives.
- Have a practical, commercially oriented, and customer-centric approach to providing legal solutions and advice.
- Have exceptional written and verbal English communication and presentation skills, with excellent stakeholder engagement and management skills.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, the ability to work cross-functionally and interact proactively and confidently with multiple stakeholders.
- Experience of operating at board level within previous roles and leading on the legal agenda is preferred but not essential.
- Have excellent planning and organizational skills and the ability to prioritize, manage time effectively and work to deadlines that may be tight at times.
- Experience in alcohol/beverage sector or advising other brand-led businesses would be advantageous.
What we can offer you
- We offer a competitive salary and benefits which are designed to promote our employees financial wellbeing. Employees are also eligible to participate in a bonus plan.
- Our employees enjoy a generous vacation entitlement.
- Comprehensive Private Healthcare that includes Medical, Dental & Vision
- Our employees can join our 401(k) savings plan. The company matches employees’ contribution up to 5%, in addition to a Discretionary Contribution.
- Our Employee Assistance Programme offers practical, impartial support on everyday matters ranging from medical, financial and legal to home and family issues.
- Our Life and AD&D cover is a multiple of three times your annual basic salary.
- Product allowance so that you can enjoy our fantastic portfolio of brands with your family and friends.
- Every employee has the opportunity to claim funding each year for a charity or charities for which they have raised money, volunteered their time or personally donated.
- Learning resources to help you be your best self.
About William Grant & Sons
A HOME FOR RARE CHARACTERS
William Grant & Sons: a home where Rare Characters thrive.
We value every employee for their rare character, distinctive skills, experience and perspectives. Every one of our colleagues has a role to play in helping us to achieve our growth ambitions.
At William Grant & Sons, our vision is to be A home where rare characters thrive. We value all colleagues for their rare character, distinctive skills, experience and perspectives. Diversity & Inclusion is at the heart of how we do things at William Grant & Sons, fully aligned to our purpose and our company values. We strive to create an environment where we can all be our best and bring our whole selves to work.
We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for the benefit of our employees, our products, and our community. We’re proud to provide equal opportunity to all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, status as a parent, national origin, physical or mental disability, veteran status, family medical history or genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
OUR AGILE WORKING PHILOSOPHY
Our agile working philosophy is to “Have your best work day everyday”.
Built on trust, we empower our rare characters to have their best work day every day. Where flexibility and positive working experiences help employees to feel connected and release potential across our teams.
We are open to discussing possible agile/flexible working options as part of the recruitment process.
INCLUSIVE RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Diversity & Inclusion is at the heart of how we do things at William Grant & Sons, fully aligned to our purpose and our company values. We want to ensure that our recruitment process is inclusive. If you have any questions or need some support with your application we’d love to hear from you. So please get in touch with our HR team at recruitment.enquiries@wgrant.com.
William Grant & Sons
