Counsel Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands Legal, Ethics & Compliance

at  Philip Morris International

Welcome to Operations!
Are you, besides a brilliant lawyer, hands on, business-minded and ready to discover the fascinating world of Operations?
We are looking for a Counsel to join our dynamic and enthusiastic Operations law team. In this role you will be responsible for delivering key legal support to Operations, together with the Senior Counsel Operations.
Role Summary:
An experienced Dutch qualified attorney within the Legal & Compliance Department who will be effective in exercising seasoned judgment and providing guidance to business and functional leaders with responsibility for performing a variety of moderately complex to complex legal matters and projects including day-to-day advice to the Company and its business professionals on a broad range of commercial transaction issues.
Aside support to Operations Global Functions, the role will focus on providing pragmatic and practical legal counselling to a wide array of stakeholders at the Bergen Op Zoom factory.
Responsible for managing matters and activities related to PMI Operations activities across the value chain. Reporting to the Senior Counsel – Operations, the Counsel – Operations will require a person of integrity, commitment, maturity, judgment, and meticulosity.

Key Responsibilities:

• Builds relationship and partners with internal clients to create proactive strategies designed to avoid or minimize exposure to legal liability.
• Helps business partners accurately identify and understand the risks and consequences of the given situation or course of action.
• Effectively communicates the risks and the consequences and develops alternatives to manage identified risks.
• Identifies and analyzes legal issues, drafts key documents, presents clear recommendations, and ensures legal compliance as it relates to the noted areas of law.
• Stays current with legal developments, best practices and benchmarks in the noted areas of law and assists internal clients in implementing policies and procedures in response thereto.
• Maintains a culture with a high degree of emphasis on dignity, respect, and inclusion.

Critical Skills:

• Ensures high quality, relevant and timely day-to-day legal support for operations matters, as agreed with Senior Counsel - Operations. Anticipates possible bottlenecks and recommends practical solutions to ensure compliance with applicable laws.
• Provides legal support to Bergen Op Zoom factory’s stakeholders, across a variety of functions, including People and Culture matters.
• Reviews, drafts and negotiates various agreements and advises, in coordination with Senior Counsel – Operations, on various topics linked to our overall sourcing strategy and related legal issues.
• Performs updates of legal forms and documents, policies and procedures. Provides trainings and solves recurring issues in a structural way.
• Has a sound understanding of business strategies and actively contributes to identifying and mitigating the applicable legal risks.
• Secures the necessary external legal support and other resources. Liaises with other teams and colleagues in the Legal & Compliance Department, when appropriate, to seek their input or involvement in work.
• Delivers the objectives while staying within the agreed budget. Efficiently uses outside counsel to get best value for money, applies alternative fee arrangements, recharges legal fees to business project budgets, if appropriate. Closely supervises budget utilization on an ongoing basis. Secures the optimal mix of outside counsel in view of expertise, cost, jurisdictional background & geographies and interchangeability to ensure a healthy level of competition. Keeps open dialogue with outside counsel and challenges when needed. Follows a “zero loss” mindset to constantly optimize budget use.
• Seeks opportunities to improve ways of working and delivering legal support by optimization, educating business colleagues, improving communication with business and other colleagues in the Legal & Compliance Department. Continuously strives to simplify processes and eliminate redundant activities. Looks for ways of automating certain activities, where technology is available. Regularly reviews external counsel panel and, while building lasting business relationships, seeks best value for money solutions. Adjusts ways of working to changing business requirements.

Desired Profile:

• Juris doctor and licensed to practice law in the Netherlands.

Fluent in Dutch and English.

• Relevant experience which demonstrates an in-depth knowledge and applied understanding of area of expertise; both in-house and major law firm experience preferred.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, handle multiple, conflicting priorities while managing a substantial workload and client expectations.
• Experience of working successfully in a highly results-oriented and performance-driven environment with a focus on excellence.
• Ability to maintain an appropriate perspective regardless of the delicacy or pressure of a situation.
• Robust interpersonal, networking, public speaking, and writing skills, with the confidence and credibility to act quickly, communicate effectively with diplomacy and civility, and command respect of both internal and external audiences.
• Understanding cultural differences; maintaining composure and treating colleagues with respect and kindness.
• Proven ability to think strategically and exercise sound judgment.
• Ability to perform on moderately complex to complex projects and see them to successful completion in an organized, efficient, and effective manner.
• Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary setting to achieve consensus.
• Extreme attention to detail.

• Builds relationship and partners with internal clients to create proactive strategies designed to avoid or minimize exposure to legal liability.
• Helps business partners accurately identify and understand the risks and consequences of the given situation or course of action.
• Effectively communicates the risks and the consequences and develops alternatives to manage identified risks.
• Identifies and analyzes legal issues, drafts key documents, presents clear recommendations, and ensures legal compliance as it relates to the noted areas of law.
• Stays current with legal developments, best practices and benchmarks in the noted areas of law and assists internal clients in implementing policies and procedures in response thereto.
• Maintains a culture with a high degree of emphasis on dignity, respect, and inclusion