France General Counsel (H/F)

France General Counsel (possibility to combine with EU GC role)

Scope: Country, Permanent, FTE, Full time

Reports to: Ice Cream Europe BU General Counsel (or to the Chief Legal Officer if combined with EU GC role)

Location: France

Terms & Conditions: Full time, right to work required

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 as a standalone entity, once we separate from Unilever, which is planned to happen by November 2025.

Ice Cream has distinct characteristics from Unilever’s other operating businesses and the growth potential of Ice Cream will be better delivered under a different ownership structure. As Ice Cream company we are committed to developing and nurturing talent within our Ice Cream company. You will have ample options for career growth and exploration, allowing you for you to explore roles and opportunities across the new organisation. Your career development will be a priority for us, and we are dedicated to supporting your growth journey within the new company. We hope that you will want to build the new chapter of our Ice Cream history together with us.

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 and European legal team, for the leading ice cream business in the world? Then this role is tailored for you.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

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

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

• Partnering the France Leadership team and support transformational projects arisen around the creation and development of the Ice Cream Company, manage the Legal Department budget.

• Implementing & Rolling-out compliance and global legal corporate policies for the Ice Cream Business

• 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.

• Managing any Ice Cream related litigation;

• Be externally focused by managing & reporting to Leadership Team any new regulation possibly 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 France 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 France.

• 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, European Alliances, Wholesalers & chains (Foodservices & OOH), Direct to Consumer & E-commerce. On that role, you will be invited to support International Client account team such as CWT, AUCHAN or IRTS and /or European alliances.

• 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).

• If the role is combined with the EU GC role, the person will also business partner the EU GM and his leadership team and will be responsible for driving the legal agenda in Europe, having the country GCs reporting to him/her. European GC – Coordinate and align with the central CD GC and with European CSP on

Strategy & European negotiation legal workstream on European buying alliances (Eurelec, Everest + any new one) & European / global centralized customers, together with European GC located in the front line with the CD team”. European GC main role will be to manage legal risks & trends with key stakeholders across Europe, support any transformational projects across Europe, drive budget efficiencies across Europe, manage legal resources according to main area of risk and key projects on short term and long term.

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.

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.