Legal Counsel CGO Germ protection (Fixed Term Contract)

City: Slough

We are Reckitt, home to the world’s best loved and trusted hygiene, health, and nutrition brands. Our purpose defines why we exist: to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. We are a global team united by this purpose. Join us in our fight to make access to the highest quality hygiene, wellness, and nourishment a right and not a privilege.

Step into the world of our Legal and Compliance Function and prepare to be challenged and stretched with a combination of impact, innovation, and excellence. Our Legal team is at the forefront of shaping the corporate landscape and redefining the boundaries of what is possible. We go beyond the traditional realms of a legal and compliance function, transforming ourselves into strategic partners who help drive business growth, mitigate risks, and champion ethical and sustainable practices. Every day, our team delivers on groundbreaking transactions and navigates complex regulatory landscapes that help our organisation make a positive societal impact. Join us, and you’ll be collaborating towards shared goals, solving complex challenges, and leaving an enduring legacy.

As Legal Counsel, you will provide practical and proactive legal support to the Reckitt business in relation to its global product innovation and marketing activities. Reporting to the Head of Legal, you will collaborate closely with Global Research & Development, Marketing, Brand Protection, Patents and other cross-functional teams. This role requires a solutions-oriented mindset and a strong ability to deliver timely legal guidance that enables business efficiency.

Your responsibilities

• Act as a key legal partner to Global cross-functional teams — including Global Research & Development, Marketing, Medical, Regulatory, Safety — by providing clear and business-oriented legal advice for entrusted germ protection projects.
• Demonstrate strong ownership and leadership in managing the germ protection projects within your scope of responsibility.
• Attend project calls on germ protection innovations for entrusted brands and provide input in a timely and efficient manner.
• Work closely with Legal colleagues around the globe, Global Brand Protection, and Patents teams to help navigate in a multijurisdictional landscape and ensure consistent legal approach via training and optimization of legal processes.
• Complete the documents for entrusted germ protection brands to be presented at innovation leadership team meetings.
• Work closely with Global Marketing, Research & Development, Regulatory, Safety, Medical and other cross-functional teams to substantiate product claims on germ protection products, ensuring they align with the legal framework in multiple jurisdictions.
• Offer expert legal advice on advertising, marketing campaigns, and consumer protection regulations.
• Identify and provide practical and business-oriented solutions to mitigate potential legal risks at an early stage to ensure smooth business operations.
• Ensure the completion of all necessary legal documentation related to product innovation, maintaining accuracy and timeliness.
• Conduct assessments for entrusted germ protection projects to ensure compliance with European Dual Quality laws.
• Support Head of Legal, Germ Protection, on any innovation work for germ protection projects.
• Keep Head of Legal, Germ Protection, regularly updated on the status of germ protection projects, risks, opportunities, and potential challenges; flag issues that potentially might escalate.
• Support Head of Legal, Germ Protection, on potential contractual disputes, competitor challenges and litigious matters; coordinate tracking of same across Reckitt countries and share insights.
• Help Head of Legal to prepare and deliver trainings to Global Marketing, Research & Development, local Legal colleagues around the globe, and other cross-functional teams.

Contract Negotiation:

• Support contract negotiations to facilitate product innovation, including NDAs, development, service agreements, and partnerships with commercial and academic and research institutions.
• Ensure contracts are structured effectively to protect business interests while enabling commercial success.

The experience we’re looking for

• 5+ years of legal experience within the FMCG or Healthcare sectors.
• Strong background in marketing and advertising law, commercial contract negotiation, and intellectual property.
• Expertise in managing legal aspects of product innovation across diverse categories, including medicines, medical devices, cosmetics, and general consumer products.
• A proactive and solutions-driven approach, with a strong ability to collaborate within a fast-paced, innovative environment.

This is an excellent opportunity for a commercially minded legal professional who thrives in a collaborative and dynamic setting. If you are passionate about delivering clear and strategic legal guidance to enable business success, we encourage you to apply.

The skills for success

• Integrity
• Corporate Governance
• Compliance Management
• Solutions Focused
• Excellent Communication Skills
• Risk management
• Intellectual property
• Patents
• Commercial contracts
• Marketing
• Teamwork
• Fact-based Decision Making
• Ability to manage and prioritize workload
• Continuous Improvement Mindset
• Legal Services
• Process Optimisation

What we offer

With inclusion at the heart of everything we do, working alongside our four global Employee Resource Groups, we support our people at every step of their career journey, helping them to succeed in their own individual way. We invest in the wellbeing of our people through parental benefits, an Employee Assistance Program to promote mental health, and life insurance for all employees globally. We have a range of other benefits in line with the local market. Through our global share plans we offer the opportunity to save and share in Reckitt’s potential future successes. For eligible roles, we also offer short-term incentives to recognise, appreciate and reward your work for delivering outstanding results. You will be rewarded in line with Reckitt’s pay for performance philosophy.

Equality

We recognise that in real life, great people don’t always ‘tick all the boxes’. That’s why we hire for potential as well as experience. Even if you don’t meet every point on the job description, if this role and our company feels like a good fit for you, we still want to hear from you. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, disability or medical condition; colour, ethnicity, race, citizenship, and national origin; religion, faith; pregnancy, family status and caring responsibilities; sexual orientation; sex, gender identity, gender expression, and transgender identity; protected veteran status; size or any other basis protected by appropriate law.