Senior Counsel Pet Nutrition France & Benelux - M/F/X

Location: Paris; Saint-Denis-De-L'Hôtel; Ernolsheim

Segment: Pet Nutrition

Type of contract: Permanent

We are looking for a Senior Counsel to join our Pet Nutrition Europe legal team, acting as a trusted advisor to the Leadership Team of the France & Benelux cluster (France, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg). As a broad legal generalist, you will be the primary legal partner for the business, supporting key areas such as Marketing, Sales, Corporate Affairs, Employment, Supply, Commercial, and Sustainability, all while ensuring our operations align with The Five Principles.

You will play a key role in shaping and implementing the legal strategy, managing legal affairs across the Unit, including factories, and providing guidance to Regional Segment Functions. In this role, you will navigate complex legal challenges, providing pragmatic, business-friendly solutions while effectively managing risks. You will also oversee external legal partners, ensuring high-quality, cost-effective legal services that are fully aligned with business needs. Additionally, you will collaborate with internal legal teams (including Compliance, Security, Intellectual Property, and Marketing Properties) to create synergies and enhance overall legal support.

What are we looking for?

• You are a fully qualified lawyer in France with at least 10 years of experience, with strong French law knowledge.
• An expertise practicing law in other EU countries would be a strong asset.
• You have a background in FMCG or retail and solid expertise in sales and competition law.
• You have worked in a multi-country or cluster role and have an interest or experience in sustainability and privacy.
• You have leadership team experience, understand P&L and organizational structures, and can navigate long-term strategy.
• You are proactive, reliable, and business-minded, thriving in fast-moving, ambiguous environments where you balance strategic topics with hands-on execution.
• You are curious, independent, and eager to learn, with a plug & play attitude, ready to step in and make an impact from day one.
• You are approachable, easy to connect with, and build strong relationships across the business while making clear, pragmatic legal decisions.
• Fluent in French & English.

What will be your key responsibilities?

• Strategic Legal Leadership: Act as an engaged and high-performing member of the Unit Leadership Team, providing proactive legal counsel that goes beyond compliance to support business growth. Anticipate legal risks and implement a forward-thinking legal strategy across all functions, ensuring business-friendly, efficient, and effective solutions.
• Day-to-Day Legal Support & Risk Management: Oversee all legal affairs of the Unit, including factories, ensuring alignment with business priorities and legal requirements. Provide expert legal guidance across multiple domains, including reviewing and approving communications, advertising, promotions, and product claims; drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts (e.g., supply chain, commercial agreements); advising on sustainability, privacy, and employment law (including re-organizations and labor proceedings); supporting Sales teams in contract negotiations, dispute resolution, and compliance matters; guiding Public & Corporate Affairs and Scientific & Regulatory Affairs on policy and regulatory developments; ensuring full compliance with legal obligations, Mars Ethics & Compliance programs, and internal policies; providing legal counsel on crisis management, serving as a permanent member of the local CALM (crisis) team; managing and coordinating disputes and litigation.
• Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement: Work closely with corporate, segment, and cross-functional legal teams to ensure a consistent “One Mars” approach on key legal matters. Partner with Corporate, ICTC, Compliance, Privacy, Sustainability, Food Law, and other legal functions to align legal strategies and best practices. Oversee and optimize relationships with external legal counsel, ensuring cost-effective, high-quality legal services.

This role requires a strategic thinker with strong business acumen, the ability to navigate complex legal landscapes, and a passion for delivering pragmatic legal solutions that enable business success.

What can you expect from Mars?

At Mars, we believe in a relationship of mutual trust, dignity and respect between our company and Associates that is more meaningful than the standard employer/employee relationship. As Associates, we can expect to be respected, supported and valued as individuals, to be treated fairly and equitably. The PetLovers segment, committed to building a better world for our pets! An office where your dog will be welcome and will be accompanied by 18 other Associate dogs. You will join a large family of 1000 Petcare Associates, spread over 2 sites in France, including 2 factories.