Job Description:
Title: Counsel, Corporate
Location: McLean, VA (MVA)
Workstyle: Hybrid (4 days in office)
Mars does not sponsor visas for this role. This position is not eligible for relocation benefits
The Counsel role provides high-quality legal support across corporate, treasury, tax-adjacent, and legal entity matters for the Mars, Incorporated group of companies. The position reports to the Associate General Counsel & Assistant Corporate Secretary and works closely with the global legal team, Treasury, and Tax to deliver practical, business-focused legal advice while supporting strong governance, compliance, and effective risk management. This role plays an important part in maintaining the integrity of Mars’s global legal entity structure and corporate governance framework, while also contributing to corporate financing, currency, and special project matters. The Counsel partners with internal stakeholders and external advisors to ensure legal solutions are aligned with business objectives and evolving regulatory requirements.
What will be your key responsibilities?
- Managing required disclosures of Mars beneficial ownership information for compliance with ultimate beneficial ownership (UBO) and know your customer/anti-money laundering (KYC/AML) regulations globally •
- Managing maintenance of the Mars global legal entity organizational chart and database and Finance Manual processes for approval and implementation of legal entity changes for Mars's 1,500+ legal entities, including management of related service providers and software platforms •
- Identifying and leading implementation of legal entity management and other process improvements to increase efficiency and effectiveness and ensure compliance with company and external rules •
- Legal support for Mars corporate financing matters, including third party debt issuances, guarantees, cash pooling, debt covenant compliance, and intercompany loan matters •
- Legal support for global currency matters, including advice on compliance with applicable law governing swaps and derivatives transactions and ISDAs and similar agreements •
- Managing day-to-day corporate law matters for Mars, Incorporated and its subsidiaries, including entity governance, director and officer matters, and corporate records
- Providing legal support for corporate special projects such as real estate matters and corporate governance matters • Providing overflow support on other areas covered by corporate legal, including global and regional tax restructuring projects and corporate development projects
What are we looking for?
- Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school and active bar membership.
- 5–7 years of relevant legal experience.
- Experience with corporate law, entity management, tax and finance-related matters preferred.
What can you expect from Mars?
- Work with over 130,000 diverse and talented Associates, all guided by The Five Principles.
- Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
- Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
- An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus
#LI-hybrid
#LI-RW1
Skills Required
- Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school
- Active bar membership
- 5-7+ years of relevant legal experience
- Experience with corporate law, entity management, tax and finance-related matters
Mars Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Mars and has not been reviewed or approved by Mars.
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Healthcare Strength — The benefits package is positioned as comprehensive, with broad medical coverage and additional protections like life insurance and short- and long-term disability. Mental health support is emphasized, including free mental health services and wellbeing programming under initiatives such as Mars Be Well.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave is highlighted as market-leading in the U.S., with an example of 18 weeks fully paid for both parents. Additional family-related leave types such as sick time for caregiving and bereavement leave are also described as part of the overall package.
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Retirement Support — Retirement offerings are described as strong, including 401(k) matching (with a 6% match cited) and pension plans in some cases. The broader package also references retirement savings options and contributions aligned to local market practice, supporting long-term financial security.
Mars Insights
What We Do
For more than a century, Mars, Incorporated has been driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. This idea is at the center of who we have always been as a global, family-owned business. Today, Mars is transforming, innovating and evolving in ways that affirm our commitment to making a positive impact on the world around us. Across our diverse and expanding portfolio of confectionery, food, and petcare products and services, we employ 133,000 dedicated Associates who are all moving in the same direction: forward. With $40 billion in annual sales, we produce some of the world’s best-loved brands including DOVE®, EXTRA®, M&M’s®, MILKY WAY®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, ORBIT®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, SKITTLES®, WHISKAS®, COCOAVIA®, and 5™; and take care of half of the world’s pets through our pet health services AniCura, Banfield Pet Hospitals™, BluePearl®, Linnaeus, Pet Partners™, and VCA™. We know we can only be truly successful if our partners and the communities in which we operate prosper as well. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire our Associates to take action every day to help create a world tomorrow in which the planet, its people and pets can thrive.
