Senior Counsel, Cocoa & Strategic Alliances

Job Description: At Mars we believe that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. The Mars Snacking global Marketing & Innovation Legal team provides ongoing strategic and operational support to business partners in central innovation, marketing, R&D, Science & Technology, and Mars Cocoa Enterprise teams. The Senior Counsel, Cocoa & Strategic Alliances will support the Mars Cocoa Enterprise team and other commercial partners on the strategy, structuring, drafting, negotiation and administration of contracts, transactions, and partnerships with customers, suppliers, governments and non-government organizations, and other parties to support Mars Snacking sponsored cocoa sourcing and other projects, commitments and goals. This role will work closely with the Mars Snacking Senior Counsel, Cocoa Sustainability. The role reports to Mars Snacking’s Associate General Counsel (AGC), Marketing & Innovation. What are we looking for? J.D. from an accredited law school and bar accreditation. At least 10-15 years of legal experience with a significant portion of that time spent in in‑house roles. Demonstrated expertise in commercial legal and transactional legal work. Prior experience in the CPG industry a must. Experience in cocoa plus. Background in strategic partnerships in agriculture and/or sustainability within global agricultural supply chains preferred. Antitrust and litigation expertise or familiarity, a plus. Strong business partnering skills and demonstrated experience building relationships and influencing within corporate environments. Ability to evaluate and balance risk and opportunity and manage ambiguity. Ability to influence without authority and to stand alone. Ability to act decisively. A proactive approach to problem‑solving with a strategic mindset and the ability to handle sensitive issues with discretion and integrity. Ability to juggle multiple matters at once under time pressure. Collaborative team player who works to meet both personal and organization goals. Demonstrable written and oral communication skills. Strong organization, execution and project management skills. Ability to travel and work outside of normal work hours to connect with global teams, as needed. What will be your key responsibilities? Provide strategic, proactive and practical legal advice on direct sourcing and supply chain matters as they relate to cocoa. Support day‑to‑day legal needs of Mars Cocoa Enterprise. Advise on strategy, drafting, negotiating and administration of direct sourcing agreements with Mars cocoa suppliers. Advise on contracts and transactions with suppliers, governments and non‑government organizations, and other parties to support Mars sponsored initiatives globally (e.g., contribution and funding agreements on government and non‑government organization sponsored programs; multiparty collaboration / cooperation agreements; off‑take contracts on Mars sponsored projects; etc.) Advise on “best practice” language for sustainability covenants and assist commercial buyers and legal teams as needed with drafting and negotiation of sustainability covenants in sourcing contracts. Advise on compliance with sustainability obligations and requirements in administration of contracts. Advise on holding suppliers and other parties accountable for complying with sustainability contracts and standards and assisting in resolving disputes over any actual, alleged, or suspected incidents of non‑compliance. Build guidance and upskilling tools on contracts, SOWs, NDAs, etc. for the cocoa team to leverage. Counsell commercial and sustainability leaders on long‑term strategic sourcing and sustainability projects and the commercial agreements required (e.g., the development of “medium” and “large” scale farming). Counsell teams on how to ensure contractual agreements with suppliers and partners effectively support public‑facing communications, including published sustainability claims, commitments, goals and targets. Support the Sustainability Legal team’s development and updating of sustainability‑related policies, procedures and standards and ensure alignment with sourcing and sustainability agreements, objectives and projects. Provide guidance on best practices, strategic negotiation tactics, legal risk analysis, troubleshooting, etc. to global commercial teams. Partner with other members of the global sustainability legal team and relevant regional and division legal teams as needed. Seek assistance from and manage external counsel when necessary. What can you expect from Mars? Work with diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles. Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today. A strong focus on learning and development support from day one, including access to our in‑house Mars University. An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus. The base pay range for this position at commencement of employment is between the range listed below, however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including but not limited to job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position will include variable pay, medical and dental benefits, participation in 401k plan, and paid time off benefits. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an applicant receives an offer of employment. The pay range shown is applicable to all US locations listed within the job posting: USD 0.00 - USD 0.00 #J-18808-Ljbffr Mars