Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary legal advisor for all business operations across Europe and Africa, delivering practical, business-oriented legal guidance.

• Act as a trusted partner to the commercial and procurement teams, embedding within those functions to provide day-to-day legal support on contracts, negotiations, supplier relationships, and go-to-market activities.

• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements, including sales agreements, distribution agreements, service contracts, procurement contracts, and framework agreements.

• Develop and deliver training programs for commercial and procurement colleagues on key legal topics, including contract management, regulatory compliance, and risk mitigation.

• Advise on regional regulatory and compliance matters, including data privacy, anti-bribery and corruption, trade compliance, and competition law, as applicable across European and African jurisdictions.

• Manage legal entities and employment matters.

• Manage relationships with external counsel and ensure cost-effective delivery of legal services.

• Identify legal risks and develop proactive solutions to protect the company's interests.

• Contribute to the development and implementation of global legal policies, processes, and standard templates.

Qualifications & Experience

• Law degree and qualification to practice in at least one European jurisdiction.

• A minimum of 10 years of post-qualification legal experience, ideally gained through a combination of private practice and in-house roles.

• Demonstrated experience supporting commercial and procurement functions within a large, multinational corporation. Experience in the chemical industry or a similarly regulated industrial sector is strongly preferred.

• Strong knowledge of contract law and commercial transactions across multiple European jurisdictions; familiarity with legal frameworks in African markets is a plus.

• Proven ability to design and deliver effective legal training to non-legal stakeholders.

Skills &Attributes

•Proactive and independent: You anticipate issues before they arise and take ownership of your work without the need for close supervision.

•Business partner mindset: You thrive when working shoulder-to-shoulder with commercial teams and understand that legal advice must be practical, timely, and aligned with business objectives.

•Strong communicator: You can distill complex legal concepts into clear, actionable guidance for diverse audiences.

•Culturally agile: You are comfortable operating across multiple countries, cultures, and legal systems.

•Collaborative: You build strong relationships across functions and geographies and contribute positively to team culture.

Language Requirements

• English: Full professional fluency (required).
• Dutch: Proficiency in Dutch is considered a significant advantage.
• Additional European or African languages are a plus.