ABOUT THE ROLE

Having celebrated its 50-year anniversary in 2022, Kerry Diary Ireland looks forward to the future with optimism as the organisation continues to grow and develop its strategic priorities. With the recent change in ownership structure (whereby Kerry Co-operative agreed to purchase Kerry Dairy Ireland from Kerry Group plc on a phased basis) Kerry Dairy Ireland is seeking to appoint a new Head of Legal Affairs. Reporting to the Chief Financial & Strategy Officer, the role of the Head of Legal Affairs is to become a trusted legal advisor to the Board and the Executive team of Kerry Dairy Ireland and will manage an efficient and effective legal and company secretarial administration function.
Kerry Dairy Ireland is a vertically integrated farm-to-fork business with a very substantial consumer foods division and a leading nutritional and dairy ingredients division, delivering high-quality dairy solutions with a focus on sustainability and innovation. From partnering with local family farms to producing world-class dairy products, we ensure every step of our value chain reflects our commitment to excellence.
The role represents an exciting opportunity to play an important role in supporting Kerry Dairy Ireland’s growth at an exciting juncture for the company. Taking ownership of the legal affairs remit, the Head of Legal Affairs will shape the legal strategy as the business continues to grow and evolve. They will play an active role on the Leadership Team, providing counsel on strategic decisions, including M&A, governance, change and transformation. They will act as trusted adviser to the CEO, CFO, and the Board advising them on the legal implications of decisions made by Kerry Dairy Ireland.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide commercial and proactive advice on all legal matters to the Board of Directors, CEO, CFSO, Executive Leadership Team, Business Leaders and Function Leaders
• Assist the Company Secretary to ensure that the Board of Directors is appropriately advised on its fiduciary duties, coordinate and facilitate board meetings, ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements (including filing annual returns and maintaining statutory books) and implement corporate governance best practices
• Provide legal support and counsel on strategic decisions, including M&A, governance issues, change and transformation
• Develop and lead a corporate legal strategy that supports and protects Kerry Dairy Ireland in the achievement of its strategic objectives
• Provide legal advice as required including in relation to M&A, Intellectual Property, Commercial Law, Contract Law, Dispute Resolution, Environment & Property Law and Employment law matters
• Support Kerry Diary Ireland operations to ensure compliance with all relevant law and regulations in the regions in which it operates
• Manage Kerry Dairy Ireland’s Intellectual Property portfolio and support in the protection and optimisation of its IP assets
• Engage and manage external legal counsel efficiently and effectively, where appropriate