Job Description:
We believe the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today, which is the vision at the heart of Mars’ Sustainable in a Generation Plan, one where the planet is healthy, people and pets are thriving, and society is inclusive.
The Senior Legal Counsel, Sustainability (EMEA) will play an important role within the Sustainability Legal team at Mars, Inc. This role supports legal compliance for sustainability-related regulations across the EMEA region, with a particular focus on cross-segment regulatory coordination and enterprise alignment.
This position operates within Mars’ Sustainability Legal Center of Excellence model and provides legal advisory support on Material Regulations, including CSRD, CS3D, EUDR, EmpCo, PPWR, and forced labor-related requirements. The role helps translate enterprise legal positions into regionally informed guidance and promotes visibility and consistency of legal approaches across segments.
The role requires a high degree of independence and self-direction. The Senior Legal Counsel is expected to build a strong internal network across legal, sustainability, and business teams in the region, and to proactively steer that network to drive alignment and consistency in legal approaches to sustainability regulations. While supported by enterprise leadership, the role operates day-to-day as the primary driver of regional coordination. This is a legal advisory and coordination role, not an implementation role. It focuses on legal interpretation, risk identification, and the development of guidance and tools, while business and segment teams retain responsibility for operational implementation.
What will be your key responsibilities?
Provide legal advice on sustainability-related regulatory requirements across the EMEA region, with a focus on compliance risk, legal interpretation, and coordinated legal approaches.
Act as the primary driver of cross-segment coordination on sustainability legal topics within the EMEA region, proactively bringing stakeholders together to align on legal interpretation and approach.
Act as the One-Mars legal point of contact for material regulations in the region, helping build an enterprise approach to sustainability compliance.
Own visibility across the region on sustainability-related legal risks, regulatory developments, and legal approaches.
Develop regionally informed legal guidance, playbooks, templates, presentations, and training materials on sustainability regulations in coordination with the other members of the Sustainability Legal Center of Excellence.
Provide jurisdictionally informed legal insights based on local regulatory knowledge, helping the central Sustainability Legal team and segments understand how sustainability regulations apply across EMEA markets.
Support legal analysis of key regulations, including CSRD, CSDDD (CS3D), EUDR, PPWR, and forced labor-related requirements, as well as related enforcement and compliance trends.
Engage directly with segment legal teams and regional stakeholders to influence alignment on legal positions, using judgment and stakeholder relationships to steer toward a consistent One-Mars approach.
Develop and deliver training, presentations, and practical guidance to legal and business stakeholders across the region on sustainability regulatory requirements and legal risk.
Identify potential legal risks, gaps, or inconsistencies in approach and escalate appropriately.
Act as a connector between the central Sustainability Legal team and regional stakeholders to promote a consistent, practical, and risk-based legal approach across the region.
What are we looking for?
Law degree from an accredited university in the EU, UK, or another relevant jurisdiction.
Licensed, admitted, or otherwise qualified to practice law in the EU or UK.
8 to 12+ years of relevant legal experience, ideally including in-house experience in a multinational environment.
Experience advising on EU sustainability regulatory frameworks, including CSRD, CSDDD (CS3D), EUDR, PPWR, EmpCo, or forced labor-related requirements.
Strong grounding in regulatory compliance and legal risk assessment in complex, multi-jurisdictional environments.
Ability to interpret evolving regulatory requirements and apply them in a practical, risk-based way.
Demonstrated ability to operate as a self-directed legal advisor in a complex, matrixed environment, including building networks and influencing outcomes without formal authority.
Ability to work independently with remote management, including setting priorities, progressing matters proactively, and maintaining strong alignment through periodic touchpoints with leadership in a different time zone.
Comfort acting as a regional point of leadership and coordination, even without direct reporting lines.
Experience working cross-functionally with Sustainability, Procurement, Finance, or Public Affairs teams.
Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, including the ability to deliver training, presentations, and practical guidance to legal and business audiences.
Sound judgment, including knowing when to escalate issues to senior legal leadership.
Comfort working within a broader enterprise legal framework while exercising a meaningful degree of independent judgment and initiative.
What can you expect from Mars?
Work with 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.
A strong focus on 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.
Skills Required
- Law degree from an accredited university in the EU, UK, or another relevant jurisdiction
- Licensed, admitted, or otherwise qualified to practice law in the EU or UK
- 8 to 12 or more years of relevant legal experience
- Experience advising on EU sustainability regulatory frameworks, including CSRD, CSDDD, EUDR, PPWR, EmpCo, or forced-labor requirements
- Strong grounding in regulatory compliance and legal risk assessment across complex, multi-jurisdictional environments
- Ability to interpret evolving regulations and apply them using practical, risk-based judgment
- Ability to work independently and self-direct priorities in a complex, matrixed environment
- Experience building networks and influencing outcomes without formal authority
- Experience working cross-functionally with Sustainability, Procurement, Finance, or Public Affairs teams
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, including training and presentations
- Sound judgment and ability to escalate issues appropriately
- In-house experience in a multinational environment
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
