Legal Counsel ( 6 month contract)

Job Title:  Legal Counsel ( 6 month contract)

Location: Dublin                   

About the Function:

We’re legal experts, understanding the complex laws that surround our business and our much-loved brands. Our Legal team are responsible for a range of legal challenges, from Corporate and Intellectual Property to Merger & Acquisitions and Compliance.

We’re always seeking new and creative ways to take on the evolving challenges that today’s commercial world presents. Our talented colleagues around the world are not just outstanding lawyers but also brilliant communicators and advisors. Whatever your skill as a lawyer, your distinct and valuable perspective will be celebrated and nurtured in our inclusive culture.

About the role:

The purpose of the role is to provide commercially focussed, strategic legal support to enable Diageo Ireland’s long-term success in a changing regulatory environment. The Public Health (Alcohol) Act has resulted in a critical change in the way Diageo markets and advertises its brands, with one of the strictest regulatory environments in Europe expected over the next 3 years. Coupled with Ireland’s long-term strategy of digital transformation, this role will provide strategic support to the business in navigating complex challenges in relation to contract, consumer, competition, data privacy and marketing laws.

About you

• 1-3 years’ PQE in a law firm and/or corporate legal department.
• Experience of the FMCG sector advantageous, but not essential.
• Excellent legal analysis and drafting skills
• A skilled advisor, negotiator and team player who can actively work with the businesses to engineer pragmatic solutions to a wide range of challenges, while balancing the need to align with all legal, regulatory and internal policy requirements
• Ability to drive value through informed decision-making and understanding of business functions and external factors to provide insights and innovative solutions
• Comfortable challenging constructively, using influencing skills and experience to achieve results in the business’s best interests
• Championing Diageo’s values and vision and ability to build trust through behaviours, leadership style and willingness to embrace change
• Ability to balance legal risk with the commercial needs of the business

Role Responsibilities:

Innovation & Marketing projects

• Advising on marketing, sponsorship and innovation projects with key partners, including advising on tenders, talent and brand licensing agreements and guiding on negotiations with counterparties.
• Supporting on our innovation strategy, including compliance with IP law, advertising law, consumer law, ASAI guidance, laws relating to influencers.
• Working closely with Corporate Relations and Business Integrity teams to advise on forthcoming changes to alcohol labelling and advertising content restrictions under the Public Health (Alcohol) Act.

Commercial Initiatives

• Supporting Diageo Ireland commercial teams with customer agreements, joint business plans, procurement agreements and a broad range of commercial projects, including marketing agency agreements, equipment agreements and software agreements.  

Digital, AI & Data Protection

• Advising on digital and data protection issues as part of the initiatives undertaken by the Digital Transformation Team
• Guiding the Transformation Team on data protection law and digital regulations to help achieve Diageo’s Digital strategy, including digitalisation of route to market to customers and consumers.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and performance-based bonus structure.
• Comprehensive benefits package, including health, wellness, and retirement plans.
• Opportunities for personal and professional growth within a global organization.
• A vibrant, inclusive workplace culture that values diversity and innovation.
• The chance to work with some of the most iconic spirits brands in the world.

Celebrating our inclusive and diverse culture is core to Diageo’s purpose of “celebrating life every day everywhere”. This purpose is, in itself, inclusive in nature, as it values everybody irrespective of background, disability, religion, gender identity, sexuality or ethnicity.

We know that for Diageo to thrive and for us to realize our ambition, we depend on having diverse talent with a range of backgrounds, skills and capabilities in each of the 180 countries in which we operate and to reflect our broad consumer base. We view diversity as one of the key enablers that helps our business to grow and our values, purpose and standards set the conditions for us to respect the unique contribution each person brings.

Flexibility is key to success in our business and many of our staff work flexibly in many different ways, including part-time, compressed hours, flexible location. Please talk to us about what flexibility means to you.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions.