Legal Counsel

Who are we: 

With over 200 brands sold in nearly 180 countries, we’re the world’s leading premium drinks company. From global icons like Johnnie Walker, Guinness and Tanqueray to local favourites like Bundaberg Rum, Mr Black & Ello, we create brands consumers love. Bring your passion and use your curiosity as you explore, collaborate and innovate. Together with passionate people from all over the world, you’ll test new ideas, learn and grow, and unlock a brighter, more exciting future. 

Join us to create a career worth celebrating. 

About the Function: 

Legal at Diageo is about more than managing risk, it’s about helping the business move forward in the right way. 

Working across a global portfolio of brands, this team navigates complex legal and regulatory landscapes, from intellectual property and compliance to corporate activity and commercial partnerships. They work closely with teams across the business, offering clear, pragmatic advice that supports confident decision-making. 

It’s a fast-moving, ever-evolving environment where no two challenges are the same. You’ll need sound judgement, curiosity and the ability to see the bigger picture, balancing risk with opportunity in a way that protects our business while enabling it to grow. 

You’ll be part of a global community of lawyers who are not only experts in their field, but trusted partners to the business, shaping outcomes, influencing decisions and helping bring our brands to life responsibly. 

About the Role: 

We’re looking for a commercially minded Legal Counsel to join Diageo’s ANZ Legal Team and play a key role in supporting our manufacturing, supply and procurement operations across Australia and New Zealand. Reporting to the Legal Director, you’ll partner closely with supply, procurement and site leadership teams to provide practical, risk-based legal advice that enables the business to move with confidence and pace. 

This is a broad and hands-on role with exposure to strategic projects, day-to-day operational matters, supplier and procurement contracting, and emerging regulatory issues impacting manufacturing and supply operations. You’ll join a small, agile and highly collaborative legal team that works closely with the business and is backed by Diageo’s global legal network, APAC IP and Brand Protection teams. 

Role Responsibilities: 

• Partner with Diageo’s ANZ Supply and Procurement teams to deliver practical legal advice across manufacturing, supply chain and operational matters. 
• Draft, review and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements, including procurement, logistics, warehousing, contract manufacturing and supply agreements. 
• Advise on legal and regulatory issues impacting manufacturing and supply operations, including consumer law, product safety, food standards, labelling, environmental obligations, recalls and mandatory reporting requirements. 
• Act as a trusted legal business partner to Supply Leadership and Procurement stakeholders, helping them navigate risk, resolve issues and make informed commercial decisions. 
• Support supplier and vendor matters end-to-end, including onboarding processes, contract approvals, dispute management and remediation actions where required. 
• Contribute to strategic business initiatives, innovation projects and broader legal matters across the ANZ business as needed. 
• Drive continuous improvement within the legal function by enhancing templates, playbooks, training materials and contract lifecycle processes to improve consistency, efficiency and value to the business. 

Experience / Skills Required:  

• Qualified lawyer with a current practising certificate in NSW and 3–5 years’ post-qualification experience. 
• Strong experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts; exposure to supply, procurement, logistics or manufacturing agreements will be highly regarded. 
• Commercially astute with the ability to provide pragmatic, solution-focused legal advice in a fast-paced operational environment. 
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to partner effectively with senior business leaders and cross-functional teams. 
• Proactive and hands-on in approach, with sound judgement, strong ownership and the ability to balance legal risk with business priorities. 
• Exposure to regulatory issues relevant to manufacturing or supply operations — such as employment, industrial relations, WHS, environmental or consumer law — would be advantageous. 
• A continuous improvement mindset, with curiosity, agility and a willingness to simplify processes, challenge thinking and help the business move forward with confidence. 

Flexible Working: 

Flexibility is key to our success. Talk to us about what flexibility means to you, so that you’re supported to manage your wellbeing and balance your priorities from day one. 

Rewards & Benefits: 

At Diageo, we offer more than just a role— we offer an environment where you can thrive, grow and be recognised for your impact. 

• Competitive reward – Market-leading salary, performance-driven bonus and industry perks 
• Flexible ways of working – Hybrid working with no set office days, empowering you to balance work and life in a way that works for you 
• Industry-leading family leave – Generous paid parental leave for all parents, along with support for life’s key moments 
• Health & wellbeing – Comprehensive support including mental health resources, wellbeing initiatives and employee assistance programmes 
• Career growth – Access to global opportunities, leading learning programmes and clear pathways for development 
• Inclusive culture – A values-led, inclusive environment where you can bring your whole self to work 
• Product perks – Employee discounts and experiences across our iconic portfolio 

Commitment to Inclusion & Diversity: 

Our purpose is to celebrate life, every day, everywhere. And creating an inclusive culture, where everyone feels valued and that they can belong, is a crucial part of this. 

We embrace diversity in the broadest possible sense. This means that you’ll be welcomed and celebrated for who you are just by being you. You’ll be part of and help build and champion an inclusive culture that celebrates people of different gender, ethnicity, ability, age, sexual orientation, social class, educational backgrounds, experiences, mindsets, and more. 

Our ambition is to create the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world. Join us and help transform our business as we take our brands to new heights and build new ones as part of shaping the next generation of celebrations for consumers around the world. 

At Diageo, we pride ourselves on our fast paced, bold and agile culture. In order to ensure we’re supporting the performance ambitions of our team, applications for this role will close 21 days after posting.