Legal Counsel

About Us

As a leading provider of high-quality food and beverage ingredients, we work with farming communities across the globe to grow, source and produce ingredients that are good for consumers, farmers, and the world around us.  We supply household food brands and manufacturers worldwide with cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts and spices ingredients which are often grown on our own farms and estates and sourced from hundreds of thousands of farmers across ~50 countries. Along with our diverse manufacturing and innovation capabilities, this means we can provide ingredients for a range of products, from a plant-based latte mix to an almond based snack bar or a dairy-free ice cream.  Making a positive impact on people and planet is a core component of our Purpose, to be the change for good food and a healthy future. With a deep-rooted presence in the countries where our ingredients are grown, we are closer to farmers, enabling better quality, and more reliable, traceable, and transparent supply. And whoever we’re with, whatever we’re doing, we always make it real. 

Position Summary

Reporting to the Senior Corporate Counsel, APAC, the role will act as a proactive, strategic business partner to ofi’s businesses and functions across the APAC region. The role will primarily support private label, innovation, sales and other commercial activities, helping to enable business opportunities while ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations, managing legal and commercial risk, and protecting the company’s intellectual property.

The ideal candidate will also work closely with the relevant business units and functions across the APAC region and will also support group functions, including Treasury and Finance functions, as well as selected global projects.

The ideal candidate will have broad experience in diverse areas of law including general corporate and commercial, banking and finance, international trade, dispute management, intellectual property, and food law. The candidate must be comfortable working across jurisdictions, time zones and cultures and managing a diverse range of internal stakeholders and external counsel. The candidate should have a strong academic and professional background, sound judgement with exemplary ethical standards and integrity. The candidate must be able to work effectively in a fast-paced, matrixed organisation managing competing priorities, work both independently and collaboratively, and provide timely, practical and business-focused legal solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Draft, review and negotiate, in collaboration with relevant business stakeholders and within demanding commercial timeframes, a broad range agreements with vendors, customers and other third parties. These may include manufacturing, supply and quality agreements, distribution and agency agreements, packaging agreements, banking and finance agreements, warehousing agreements, R&D agreements, and other commercial agreements.
• Advise Treasury, Finance and other group functions on banking and finance matters, including financing arrangements, guarantees, security documents and intercompany arrangements.
• Provide clear, practical and business-oriented advice on the meaning, implications and associated risks of legal documents and contractual arrangements.
• Provide advice on product, food, labelling, advertising, consumer protection and other regulatory matters relevant to the company’s products and operations.
• Manage disputes, investigations and potential claims, including coordinating internal stakeholders and external counsel and advising on dispute-avoidance strategies.
• Provide strategic legal support to selected key regional customers and assist the business in developing commercially appropriate solutions for customers.
• Participate in cross-functional, regional and global projects involving the Legal team.
• Support business leadership, as well as other members of the APAC Legal team, by analysing complex legal issues and providing advice that ensures compliance with applicable laws, regulations and internal policies.
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments affecting the company and the industry and advise relevant stakeholders on their potential impact.
• Perform other duties appropriate to the role as assigned.

Position Requirements

• LLB, Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent degree is required.
• At least ten (10) years of relevant post-qualification legal experience, gained in a leading law firm and/or a multinational corporate legal function.
• Substantial experience in commercial contracting and banking and finance is preferred, together with experience in one or more of the following areas: manufacturing, international trade, dispute management, and food law.
• Experience with consumer products or the agriculture industry is preferred.
• Qualified to practise law in at least one recognised jurisdiction and, where applicable, in good standing with the relevant professional body.
• Able to navigate complex, global, and matrixed organisations.
• Keen attention to detail is a must.
• Self-starter, highly organised, and able to deliver clear, business-oriented legal advice in a clear and accessible manner.
• Team player who can collaborate with Legal team and cross-functional stakeholders, while delivering with minimal supervision and administrative support.
• Must be eager to learn new areas of the law and also be strongly committed to learning the company’s businesses.
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, are required. Will be required to work with all levels within the organisation, including those in regional and global teams.
• A high degree of professional ethics and integrity are required.

Note: This job description is not intended to be exhaustive. Employee may be required to perform other related duties, as appropriate, to meet the ongoing needs of the organisation.

ofi is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to racial or ethnic origin, color, age, religion or belief, sex, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. 

Applicants are requested to complete all required steps in the application process including providing a resume/CV in order to be considered for open roles.