Head Legal– Foods, India

Key Accountabilities

• Part of India Foods business Leadership team (FLT) Partner with Category Leaders in the development and execution of the category strategy, plans and legal implications of the same. As part of FLT, the Legal Head – Food India will act as point of contact for India Foods business teams for legal issues, end to end for the Foods business, including issues relating to R&D, Supply Chain, Sales (Customer Development) and post-sales.

• Identify and mitigate potential legal and reputational risks by providing high quality, expert legal advice and by improving & maintaining the governance framework in terms of customer compliance, sanctions framework, product & regulatory compliance, contracts compliance on the one hand and providing competitive advantage for the growth of the business on the other.

• Prepare, negotiate and review legal agreements governing commercial relationships with third parties with whom the Company has dealings. Review, draft, approve and negotiate a variety of contracts, agreements, and legal documents, including but not limited to, sourcing agreements, vendor contracts, and licensing agreements.

• Ensure compliance with local laws and regulations.

• Identifying potential legal risks of business activities, being 3 steps ahead in terms of regulations and legislations, proactively taking steps to minimize legal exposure effectively through practical advice to the business and putting the business to growth opportunities

• Advising on new product development projects, including the legality of and support for claims, product positioning, and input into preparation of communication materials

• External legal issues impacting the Foods business such as Competition/ Commercial, Corporate, Marketing, regulatory, and Advertising Environmental/sustainability, related and where relevant.

• Liaison with the regulatory or statutory authority as and when required.

• Collaborating with Foods BG General Counsel and central IP teams in effective IP strategy for all Foods portfolio and finding opportunities of growth through the IP strategy for Foods business in India.

• Collaborating and working with central Foods BG legal teams in finalising strategies for Unilever group including in India for critical foods business related issues like contaminants, allergens, FOP/BOP labelling, Ultra-processed foods, HFSS, green washing and other such similar issues.

• Collaborating and working with Foods legal network, external law firms, solving challenges collaboratively across markets, while ensuring to manage budget for Foods legal.

• Preparing strategy and ensuring trainings are conducted for the business in, amongst others, Legal Induction, Marketing & IP Laws, Privacy Laws and Competition Laws

• Support the Executive Director- Legal in leading, managing and developing the Legal team

Experience And Qualifications Required

• Minimum of 15+ years of experience in a fast-paced company; Strong functional expertise and business partnering experience is essential; Ability to understand business drivers and strategic thrusts of the organization.

• Legal drafting skills and good attention to detail, including when operating under pressure. Highly developed ability to successfully negotiate to achieve desired outcomes.

• Ability to use legal knowledge and skills to give strategic legal advice, solve problems, identify pragmatic solutions, proactively manage risks and spot opportunities.

• Ability to establish, develop and maintain good relationships with internal and external stakeholders across levels.

• Leadership and management skills with a proven ability to manage a team.

Key interfaces

INTERNAL

• Executive Director- Legal and Corporate Affairs, India

• Executive Director, Foods and General Manager, India Foods BU

• Group General Counsel, Foods, Unilever

• India Foods leadership team

• Global Foods Legal Leadership team

• BU R&D

• BG and BU Finance

• Procurement

External

• Government Authorities

• Local Authorities

Industries:Facilities Services, Food & Beverages, Food Production