Legal Counsel - Leaf

BAT is evolving at pace into a global multi-category business. Our purpose is to create A Better Tomorrow™ by Building a Smokeless World.
To achieve our ambition, we are looking for colleagues who are ready to join us on this journey! Tomorrow can’t wait, let’s shape it together!

The role is to provide specialist commercial legal advice and expertise to the Global Leaf Pool (GLP).

The focus of the role is to provide proactive and business relevant legal counselling of a high professional standard to the Global Leaf team on all aspects of the Company’s Leaf/Agri business, including Operations, Leaf, recon, Beyond Leaf, ESG and financing, whilst ensuring legal compliance and mitigating business risk within Global Leaf.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Acting as commercial counsel to the Global Leaf Team, with a focus on Leaf sale and purchase agreements, warehousing agreements, advice on compliance issues, financing arrangements, procurement contracts, and providing strategic input to support GLP initiatives.
• Structuring, negotiating, drafting, reviewing and advising on a broad range of global Leaf and Operations transactions and projects including intra-group transactions and governance related papers and board meetings. 
• Identifying and mitigating legal risk in proposed and operational commercial arrangements (including risks relating to competition, sanctions, intellectual property, data protection, tax, and other compliance risks), advising on the escalation and resolution of contractual disputes, and about contract termination.
• Providing guidance on application of Group policies, procedures and governance to proposed and operational third party and intra-group arrangements.
• Advising on the presentation of proposed transactional matters for consideration and approval by the appropriate leadership team, board or committee.
• Providing strategic advice and commercial counselling directly to the Global Leaf senior managers to support the operation of key contractual arrangements in place with suppliers, customers and partners.
• Instructing and leading external legal counsel in relation to complex, high profile and/or strategically important transactions and other advice, reviewing output, and controlling and approving spend.
• Ensuring good information flows between business contacts, Legal Affairs, and other business partners about business initiatives to optimise commercial opportunities and handle risks.

What are we looking for?

Experience Required

• Experience and expertise in commercial law and practice, with a consistent record of advising on complex and high-value global frameworks and cross-border transactions and other operations contractual arrangements.

Technical / Functional Skills Required

• Excellent legal drafting skills with an ability to identify and advise on compliance risk and cross-border issues.
• Strong negotiation and project management skills, and ability to plan, anticipate and handle priorities to optimise output and enhance the effectiveness of commercial solutions throughout the contract lifecycle
• Business sense in order to advise the business on how to deliver results whilst leading legal risk
• Hands-on and flexible attitude, sound commercial judgement, and ability to work under pressure and to cope with unexpected and varied demands.
• Good awareness of legal issues relating to intellectual property, competition, employment, tax and compliance (e.g. sanctions, anti-bribery) to enable potential issues to be identified at an early stage of a transaction or initiative.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and a high degree of emotional intelligence, with the ability to build trusted and effective relationships with peers and partners.
• Ability to express legal issues in a straightforward and compelling way to internal and external collaborators.

Education / Qualifications / Certifications Required

• English qualified lawyer with post qualification experience gained in a large national or international law firm or as in-house counsel for a major multi-national company.  Lawyers qualified in similar common law jurisdictions (e.g. Australia) may be considered.
• Excellent written and spoken English.

QUALIFYING QUESTIONS FOR APPLICANTS

• Are you motivated by taking on new challenges and broadening your legal and commercial skills?
• Do you have the interpersonal and communication skills to build trusted and effective relationships with peers and stakeholders?

What we offer you?
•    We offer a market leading annual performance bonus (subject to eligibility)
•    Our range of benefits varies by country and includes diverse health plans, initiatives for work-life balance, transportation support, and a flexible holiday plan with additional incentives
•    Your journey with us isn't limited by boundaries; it's propelled by your aspirations. Join us at BAT and become a part of an environment that thrives on internal advancement, where your career progression isn't just a statement – it's a reality we're eager to build together. Seize the opportunity and own your development; your next chapter starts here.
•    You'll have access to online learning platforms and personalized growth programs to nurture your leadership skills
•    We prioritise continuous improvement within a transformative environment, preparing for ongoing changes

WHY JOIN BAT?
We’re one of the few companies named as a Global Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute – certified in offering excellent employee conditions.

Collaboration, inclusion and partnership underpin everything we do here at BAT. We are looking forward to enabling every individual to thrive, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, skills, experience, education, socio-economic and professional background, veteran status, perspectives and thinking styles. We know that embracing talent from all backgrounds is what makes us stronger and best prepared to meet our business goals.

We see the career breaks as opportunities not obstacles. Through The Global Returners program, we support professionals looking to restart their careers after an extended absence from the workforce (e.g. time out caring for family, parental leave, national service, sabbatical and/or starting an own venture).

Come bring your difference and see what is possible for you at BAT. Learn more about our culture and our award winning employee experience here.

If you require any reasonable adjustments or accommodations to help you perform at your best during the recruitment process, you are encouraged to notify us. We are fully committed to support you by making appropriate arrangements for you to demonstrate your full potential.