Sector General Counsel - Global I&S

Job Summary: This commercially focused Sector General Counsel for Ecolab’s Global Institutional & Specialty (I&S) segment will serve as the senior legal leader for the segment, enabling global growth, strengthening risk governance, improving commercial contracting effectiveness, and supporting scalable execution of the I&S strategy. Based in St. Paul, Minnesota, the role supports operating segments that provide specialized cleaning and sanitizing products to the foodservice, hospitality, lodging, government, education, and retail industries. The Sector General Counsel is expected to provide executive-level legal leadership on complex matters of strategic importance and to build, lead, and develop a high-performing team that supports the global business.

The successful candidate will be an exceptional legal leader with excellent judgment, unquestioned integrity, and the ability to translate legal advice into practical commercial outcomes. The Sector General Counsel will serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on sophisticated and high-impact matters, contributing to Ecolab’s success by aligning legal strategy with business priorities, operational realities, and long-term growth objectives. The role requires strong executive presence and the ability to partner effectively with global stakeholders, including senior leaders and internal and external constituents from multinational backgrounds.

The Sector General Counsel will (a) maintain oversight and management responsibility for legal resources, processes, and solutions that enable execution of the I&S strategy; (b) provide strategic direction, coaching, development opportunities, and accountability for direct reports; (c) lead personnel and performance management for the team; and (d) serve as a key senior leader delivering globally coordinated, business-facing legal solutions for the I&S businesses and sector.

What You Will Do:

Key responsibilities of the Sector General Counsel – Global I&S include driving business-aligned legal strategy, strengthening commercial execution, and leading a scalable legal support model, including:

• Partnering proactively with operating leaders to understand business objectives and develop commercial contract strategies that accelerate growth, improve contracting velocity, and manage material risk.
• Advising senior executives on complex legal and business issues involving significant risk, with accountability for assessing exposure, prioritizing practical solutions, and enabling informed decision-making.
• Leading and managing a legal team on a wide range of commercial legal issues, such as:
  • Preparing, reviewing, and negotiating a broad range of commercial contracts.
  • Reviewing existing contract management processes and working with business leaders to develop and implement simplified procedures for the review, negotiation, and approval of commercial contracts.
  • Providing legal training to operating leaders on critical contract terms, negotiating strategies, and related legal and commercial issues.
  • Providing legal and strategic business advice to operating leaders on a wide variety of commercial matters.
  • Reviewing and evaluating business practices for legal risk and working closely with operating leaders to provide proactive legal advice that effectively supports commercial operations and growth & profit objectives.
• Coordinating seamlessly across all matters to obtain appropriate input from other subject matter experts in the legal department (i.e., compliance, litigation, IP, governance/securities, etc.).
• Building and supervising a team of lawyers and other functional experts covering a broad range of subject matter responsibilities.
• Managing outside counsel as needed on specialized legal matters
  

Minimum Qualifications

This position requires an accomplished, business-oriented commercial attorney with a distinguished professional record and demonstrated ability to operate as an enterprise leader. Candidates must bring deep legal expertise, practical commercial judgment, and the ability to advance Ecolab’s strategy by enabling growth, reducing legal friction, strengthening governance, and building a modern, high-performing legal support model. Personal and professional resonance with Ecolab’s culture is essential, including a collaborative disposition, executive presence, and a commitment to developing talent and partnering across functions.

• A member in good standing of the State Bar of Minnesota (or eligible for admission to the State Bar of Minnesota as in-house counsel within a reasonable time following the commencement of the position).
• JD from an accredited law school, with strong academic credentials.
• At least twelve (12) years of legal experience gained in private practice and as in-house counsel in a multi-national company handling complex commercial matters.
• Extensive experience handling commercial law matters is required.
• Experience leading and managing a team of lawyers and professionals is strongly preferred.
• Unquestioned integrity, credibility, and judgment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with global distribution and government contracts is an advantage.
• Ability to contribute to, influence, and frequently lead cross-functional teams.

• Superior intellect and pragmatic business acumen, with the ability to move beyond issue spotting to clear, well-reasoned decisions that anticipate risk, enable commercial objectives, and create measurable value for business clients.

• Expert in prioritizing and managing a large volume of concurrent projects.
• A proven track record of, and commitment to, the values that are important to Ecolab, including building and leading a high performing team.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate (both orally and in written form) effectively with senior business leaders and other professionals and colleagues at all levels of an organization while utilizing excellent business and legal judgment in complex situations.

• Collaborative, accountable, and inclusive leader who empowers business partners and colleagues, values diverse perspectives, and builds scalable team practices that support consistent, high-quality legal service delivery.

The ideal candidate must be willing to dive into detail when needed, while being a quick study with the ability to handle complex matters and multiple initiatives simultaneously.

This role is based in St. Paul, Minnesota and is subject to Ecolab’s hybrid work model, with 3 days per week in the office and 2 days per week of remote work.  Relocation is available for the right candidate. This role reports to the Deputy General Counsel, Global Commercial, and will be a member of the General Counsel’s leadership team.

Benefits 

Ecolab strives to provide comprehensive and market-competitive benefits to meet the needs of our associates and their families. Click here to see our benefits. 

If you are viewing this posting on a site other than our Ecolab Career website, view our benefits at jobs.ecolab.com/working-here. 

Potential Customer Requirements Notice

To meet customer requirements and comply with local or state regulations, applicants for certain customer-facing roles may need to:

- Undergo additional background screens and/or drug/alcohol testing for customer credentialing.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 

Ecolab will provide reasonable accommodation (such as a qualified sign language interpreter or other personal assistance) with our application process upon request as required to comply with applicable laws. If you have a disability and require accommodation assistance in this application process, please visit the Recruiting Support link in the footer of each page of our career website.