Counsel, Procurement - North America

Why Valvoline Global Operations?



 
At Valvoline Global Operations , we’re proud to be The Original Motor Oil , but we’ve never rested on being first. Founded in 1866, we introduced the world’s first branded motor oil, staking our claim as a pioneer in the automotive and industrial solutions industry. Today, as an affiliate of Aramco , one of the world’s largest integrated energy and chemicals companies, we are driven by innovation and committed to creating sustainable solutions for a better future.

With a global presence, we develop future-ready products and provide best-in-class services for our partners around the world. For us, originality isn’t just about where we began; it’s about where we’re headed and how we’ll lead the way. We are originality in motion.

Our corporate values— Care, Integrity, Passion, Unity, and Excellence —are at the heart of everything we do. These values define how we operate, how we treat one another, and how we engage with our partners, customers, and the communities we serve. At Valvoline Global, we are united in our commitment to:

• Treating everyone with care.
• Acting with unwavering integrity.
• Striving for excellence in all endeavors.
• Delivering on our commitments with passion.
• Collaborating as one unified team.

When you join Valvoline Global , you’ll become part of a culture that celebrates creativity, innovation, and excellence. Together, we’re shaping the future of automotive and industrial solutions.

Our current Lexington, Kentucky, location is our Americas Hub. We prefer local candidates willing to work an in-office work schedule (4 days per week).

The  Counsel, Procurement – North America provides strategic and practical legal support for Valvoline Global Operations’ North American procurement activities, supporting both direct and indirect procurement transactions and, as appropriate, global procurement agreements managed through the North America organization. This role is responsible for advising procurement and business stakeholders on contract structure, negotiation strategy, legal risk, compliance, and commercial terms, while balancing VGO’s business objectives with appropriate legal and financial risk mitigation.

How You Will Make An Impact

This is a fast-paced, high-touch role with responsibility for a significant volume of contracting activity. The Counsel will serve as a trusted business partner who can quickly understand business needs, exercise sound judgment, make practical decisions, and efficiently move transactions toward completion. In addition to day-to-day contracting, the role will help continuously improve VGO’s procurement contracting framework, including legal processes, technology utilization, playbooks, standard terms, rules of engagement, and contract management practices.

Key Responsibilities Include 

Procurement Contracting & Legal Support

• Provide legal counsel and strategic support for direct and indirect procurement transactions across North America, including goods, services, professional services, technology, logistics, facilities, marketing, consulting, and other categories.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and approve a broad range of commercial and procurement agreements, amendments, statements of work, purchase-related terms, master agreements, and related contractual documents.
• Support North America-led global procurement agreements, partnering with regional and global stakeholders to identify and address jurisdictional, regulatory, operational, and commercial considerations.
• Develop negotiation strategies that appropriately balance VGO’s business objectives, commercial requirements, operational needs, and legal risk.
• Identify, evaluate, communicate, and mitigate contractual risks, including issues relating to indemnification, limitation of liability, warranties, intellectual property, confidentiality, data privacy, insurance, compliance, termination, dispute resolution, service levels, cybersecurity, business continuity, and other material terms.
• Provide timely, practical legal guidance to Procurement and other business partners, helping stakeholders understand legal risks and available options without unnecessarily slowing the business.
• Determine when issues can be resolved through standard contracting positions and when matters require escalation or specialized legal support.
• Partner with subject-matter experts and other members of the Legal function on matters involving privacy, intellectual property, employment, tax, regulatory, compliance, litigation, and other areas of legal risk.

Business Partnership & Stakeholder Management

• Establish strong relationships and credibility with Procurement and key business functions through responsive, solutions-oriented legal support.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to Procurement leadership and business stakeholders, understanding their objectives and translating legal requirements into practical recommendations.
• Work closely with Finance, Supply Chain, IT, Information Security, Compliance, Operations, and other functions to align legal, commercial, and operational considerations.
• Build trust and rapport quickly in a high-volume environment and effectively manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Communicate complex legal issues clearly to non-legal stakeholders and provide recommendations that support informed decision-making.
• Demonstrate appropriate business judgment, knowing when to accept, manage, or escalate risk based on the circumstances and potential impact to VGO.

Contracting Process & Legal Operations

• Contribute to the continuous development and improvement of VGO’s procurement contracting processes and legal operating model.
• Help optimize use of the Ironclad contract lifecycle management system, including workflows, approvals, templates, reporting, user adoption, and process improvements.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve procurement legal playbooks, negotiation guidance, standard clause libraries, contract templates, fallback positions, and other self-service legal resources.
• Establish and refine standard rules of engagement between Legal, Procurement, and the business to clarify roles, responsibilities, approval requirements, escalation thresholds, and decision rights.
• Identify opportunities to streamline contracting, reduce cycle times, increase consistency, and improve the quality and visibility of legal risk management.
• Use data, contracting trends, and stakeholder feedback to identify recurring issues and recommend process, policy, or contractual improvements.
• Help develop metrics and reporting that provide visibility into contracting volume, turnaround times, material risks, and legal team performance.

Contract Management & Team Enablement

• Provide direction, oversight, and partnership to the Contracts Manager including prioritization of work, issue escalation, process consistency, and continued development of contract management capabilities.
• Establish appropriate division of responsibilities to support efficient handling of routine and complex agreements.
• Develop scalable approaches that allow lower-risk and standardized transactions to be handled efficiently while preserving appropriate attorney involvement for higher-risk matters.
• Share knowledge, provide coaching, and support development of contracting capabilities across the broader Legal organization.

Risk Management & Governance

• Ensure procurement agreements appropriately protect VGO’s legal and commercial interests and are consistent with applicable policies, delegated authority, and risk tolerance.
• Advise stakeholders on contract governance, compliance obligations, and appropriate escalation of material legal or commercial risks.
• Support development and implementation of contracting standards and controls designed to promote consistency and reduce avoidable risk.
• Monitor recurring contractual issues and emerging risks and work proactively with Legal and business leadership to address systemic concerns.
• Support dispute avoidance through thoughtful contract drafting, clear allocation of responsibilities, and effective management of contractual obligations.
• Provide legal support for contract-related claims, disputes, and escalations, partnering with litigation counsel or other specialists as appropriate.

Broader Legal Team Contribution

• Serve as an active member of the Americas Legal team and contribute to broader legal department initiatives and priorities.
• Partner with colleagues across regions and legal disciplines to promote consistency and sharing of best practices in commercial contracting.
• Support special projects, strategic initiatives, and other matters assigned by the Regional Lead Counsel – Americas.
• Maintain awareness of legal and regulatory developments affecting procurement and commercial contracting and evaluate implications for VGO.

What You'll Need

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school and admission to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• Strong commercial and transactional legal experience, with demonstrated expertise in procurement contracting, contract drafting, review, and negotiation.
• Strong technical knowledge of commercial contracts and the ability to identify, assess, and mitigate legal and business risk.
• Ability to effectively manage a high volume of contracts and competing priorities in a fast-paced, high-touch environment.
• Sound judgment and decision-making skills, with the ability to provide practical, business-oriented legal advice and determine when matters require escalation.
• Strong collaborator who can quickly establish trust and rapport with Procurement, business leaders, and cross-functional partners.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, including the ability to translate complex legal issues into clear, actionable guidance.
• Experience developing and improving contracting processes, playbooks, standard clauses, templates, and rules of engagement.
• Experience with contract lifecycle management systems; experience with Ironclad preferred.
• Ability to provide effective direction and oversight to contract management resources.
• Estimated travel: approximately 5–10%, primarily for internal meetings, business reviews, supplier or stakeholder meetings, and occasional regional or global Legal/Procurement activities.

What Will Set You Apart  

• Litigation or commercial dispute experience is a plus.

Benefits That Drive Themselves

• Health insurance plans (medical, dental, vision)
• Health Savings Account (with an employer-base deposit and match)
• Flexible spending accounts
• Competitive 401(k) with generous employer base deposit and match
• Incentive opportunity*
• Life insurance
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• Paid vacation and holidays*
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee discounts
• PTO Buy/Sell Options*
• Tuition reimbursement*
• Adoption assistance*

#LI-MW1

• Terms and conditions apply, and benefits may differ depending on position or tenure.

Valvoline Global is an equal opportunity employer . We are dedicated to fostering an environment where every individual feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and skills. We strictly prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind, regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, genetics, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected characteristic.

We are committed to ensuring accessibility throughout our recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in any stage of the recruitment or selection process, please contact us at:.

• Email : View email address on us.fitly.work

This contact information is solely for accommodation requests. For inquiries about application status, please use the appropriate channels listed in your application materials.

Are You Ready to Make an Impact?

At Valvoline Global, we’re looking for passionate and talented individuals to join our journey of innovation and excellence. Are you ready to shape the future with us? Apply today.

Requisition ID: 2685