Legal Director

ABOUT YOU

You are an accomplished legal professional with solid experience in commercial law and intellectual property, looking for an opportunity in Amsterdam to lead and shape the legal landscape in the dynamic Suntory Beverage Food Europe Export Commercial Markets and Benelux Market (SBFE EECM-BNL). Fluent in English, your top-tier private practice or in-house experience, combined with a strong track record in managing legal teams, sets you apart. You thrive in a multicultural context, have a passion for strategic leadership, and are ready to make an impact at Suntory.
 

ABOUT THE ROLE

This role reports into the SBFE Legal Director with a dotted line into the COO of the market and is a member of the market Executive Committee (ExCom), and European Legal Leadership Team. As the Legal Director for EECM-Benelux, you will lead the legal function, providing strategic guidance to senior management, managing legal issues, and contributing to the SBFE-wide Legal team's transformation journey. Your responsibilities will span the breadth of legal support, including commercial contracts, IP portfolio management and litigation, as well as risk management, governance, and compliance. You’ll have overall responsibility for the IP management of some of our brands across key markets, including Schweppes and Orangina,. This role offers a unique opportunity to be a key player in shaping the legal landscape in a fast-paced and dynamic international environment.
 

REQUIREMENTS

•    Solid Experience in commercial law, with a strong focus on commercial contracts and intellectual property
•    Strong Commercial Accumen
•    Proven expertise in managing legal teams
•    Fluent in English. French and/or Dutch language skills would be an advantage
•    Experience working with board level members handling complex legal matters
•    Ability to translate strategy and vision into relevant targets and actions for wider team
•    Demonstrate analytical, evaluative and problem-solving capabilities to lead the legal strategy for EECM-Benelux and support the SBFE wide legal strategy, as well as set and lead the EECM-Benelux wide business strategy as part of Excom.
•    Strong team player and connector, excellent interpersonal and communication skills in a highly matrixed, multi-cultural context, with strong stakeholder management capabilities and influencing skills;
•    Strong influencer with ability to challenge and lead change, and broad leadership skills outside of their own area of expertise;
•    Willingness to travel as required

ABOUT US

Suntory Group is a Japanese company and the world’s third biggest player in the drinks industry. We are renowned for our diverse and iconic brands such as Schweppes, Orangina, Oasis, Lucozade and Ribena. We wouldn’t achieve what we do without our people who are at the heart of everything we do. People are everything. The continuous success and growth of each individual makes Growing for Good possible. We value diversity like no other and it’s what makes us unique. Our Amsterdam office has roughly 110 employees of which 35+ different nationalities!  
 

COMPETENCIES

YOUR FUTURE WITH US

If you join us you will step into a fantastic supportive team where we work very hard but where there is always room for fun. We support each other and we want to see each other succeed. There is a wealth of opportunity to learn and grow in a place where you can truly be yourself.  
 

OUR DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION COMMITMENT

At Suntory, we greatly appreciate the value that diverse knowledge, perspectives, and backgrounds can bring. Our colleagues from a wide range of cultures, lifestyles, and experiences contribute significantly to our collective success.   
We understand that our candidates all have unique career trajectories and experiences, and this can sometimes deter you from applying for a role if you don’t feel that you meet all the criteria. If you believe that you have relevant skills and experience that you feel could benefit us, we would love to know what unique perspectives and experience you can bring to help make us better, together in a company that is committed to Growing for Good and Giving Back to Society.   
Our recruitment, selection and assessment process is based on the skills and competencies of the above role. We are committed to and value diversity, equity and inclusion in our recruitment process and do not discriminate based on gender, race or ethnic background, class, economic status, disability status, sexual orientation, age, political beliefs, marital status or any other protected characteristic. We want to ensure that our interview process is as inclusive as possible. If you require any reasonable accommodation as part of the process, do not hesitate to let your recruiter know who will be happy to help.  
 

NEXT STEPS

Your application will be reviewed by our Talent Acquisition Specialist. You will be notified within 2 weeks if you are invited for a first screening interview.