Senior Commercial Counsel (Europe)
- Naas, Co Kildare
- Permanent
- Full-time
Position Type: FT Permanent
Workplace Arrangement: #LI-HybridRole OverviewWe are seeking a seasoned and dynamic Commercial Lawyer to support Kerry's Procurement, Logistics and Supply Chain functions in Europe, reporting to the Regional Head of Legal (Europe and Dairy). This role will also support Kerry's Global Procurement Team (based in Ireland) on relevant global procurement projects. In addition, this role will be pivotal in delivering commercial contract transformation initiatives, operationalising global contracting strategies, and driving efficiency across procurement legal processes. The successful candidate will be a strategic legal partner to Kerry Europe's procurement, supply chain and logistics teams, delivering high-impact legal advice and enabling value creation through contracts and processes.Kerry operates a Hybrid working policy, candidates will be required to work from our offices in Naas each week.Key ResponsibilitiesCommercial Contract Expertise
- Draft, review, and negotiate complex commercial and procurement agreements, including outsourcing agreements, inbound/outbound technology licenses, master services agreements, OEM contracts, energy contracts, and marketing agreements.
- Develop and maintain standard contract templates and playbooks tailored to business needs.
- Provide actionable, business-oriented legal advice to internal clients across Europe and globally.
- Horizon Scanning that results in proactive, business partnering support to the Procurement, Supply Chain and Logistics Functions on changes in law that impact Kerry's business in Europe.
- Experience in working with senior leaders in developing procurement/tender and contract processes.
- Lead and influence global contract transformation projects, including the optimisation of Kerry's contract lifecycle management system (Ironclad).
- Drive operationalisation of procurement and other commercial contracts, ensuring consistency, scalability, and alignment with Kerry's commercial objectives.
- Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to embed legal best practices into procurement processes and systems.
- Experience in leading, managing and using CLM systems (e.g. Ironclad) within an organisation.
- Identify and implement contract strategies that reduce risk, improve turnaround times, and enhance procurement team effectiveness.
- Support initiatives to streamline commoditised contract management, including integration with SAP and Salesforce platforms.
- Lead training and education sessions on contracting processes and legal risk management.
- Ensure all procurement and other commercial contracts comply with Kerry's legal policies, risk tolerances, and regulatory requirements.
- Support internal audits and functional management reviews related to procurement specifications and contract governance.
- Support Kerry's Ethics & Compliance team on initiatives in Europe.
- Qualified solicitor (Ireland or England & Wales) or EU lawyer with a minimum of 7 years PQE.
- Extensive experience in commercial and procurement law, ideally within a multinational or FMCG environment.
- Experience in Technology Law (including AI) and/or EU Food Law is preferred (but not required)
- Fluency in another EU language (preferred but not required)
- Experience working with Ironclad or other global CLMs is preferred.
- Proven track record in leading contract transformation and operationalisation projects at a global scale.
- Strong leadership and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Project management: You have solid experience in project management for strategic and complex problems with high-level stakeholders, navigating dependencies and conflicting interests.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
- High professional maturity and autonomy in managing complex legal matters.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with a collaborative mindset.
- Willingness to travel occasionally across Kerry's European and global sites.
Posting Type: LI