At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead legal strategy and support commercial growth in a dynamic environment.
- Company: Join Ornua, Ireland's largest dairy exporter with a mission-driven ethos.
- Benefits: Generous salary, hybrid working, 33 days leave, and a bonus scheme.
- Other info: Embrace a culture of continuous learning and career progression opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact while navigating legal challenges in a global business.
- Qualifications: Qualified lawyer with 8-10 years of experience in commercial contracts.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Reports to: Head of Legal, Group HQ
Location: Leeks, Foods UK
Salary: Generous salary depending on experience
Hours: 36.25 hours per week
Benefits: Bonus Scheme, Matched Pension Scheme, 33 days Annual Leave, Hybrid Working, Annual Salary Review, Discount on Bikes & Tech Scheme, Confidential Employee Assist Programme
Ornua (meaning “new gold”) is Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products, proudly bringing the unique taste of Irish dairy to the world for over 55 years.
Are you a commercially minded, qualified lawyer with extensive Post Qualified Experience, looking for the challenge of taking a mission driven organisation to its next level of success? Ornua is actively seeking a proactive and strategic Legal Counsel to join our Group Legal department as we continue our growth trajectory. This is a high-impact role at the centre of our UK and global business. You will act as the lead legal partner to Ornua Foods UK and Ornua Food Solutions International —working closely with senior stakeholders to shape strategy, enable innovation and support commercial growth.
This role goes beyond traditional legal support. You will be expected to anticipate risk, influence decision-making and deliver pragmatic, solution-focused advice that helps the business move forward with confidence. You’ll operate with a high degree of autonomy, embedding yourself in the business and building trusted relationships across functions. In doing so, you’ll play a key role in helping Ornua navigate an evolving legal and regulatory landscape while continuing to grow. You will report to the Head of Legal for Ornua in Dublin.
Why Ornua? Ornua operates as a commercial organisation from 10 business units worldwide, including 12 production facilities located in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa. The commercial organisation is responsible for the marketing and sales of Ornua’s consumer brands including Ireland’s most successful food export: Kerrygold. It also manages the procurement of Irish and non-Irish dairy products, the sale of dairy ingredients to food manufacturing and foodservice customers globally, and the implementation of de-risking and trading strategies to manage market volatility. Our co-operative ethos lies at the heart of how we do business as a purpose and values-led organisation, creating value for Irish dairy farming families. Our Values lie at the core of everything we do. Our five values encourage us to Seek and Embrace New Ideas, Make It Happen, Be Our True Selves, Show You Care, and Achieve Great Things Together. Dynamic Working policy in place which facilitates flexible hours and hybrid working. We invest in our people and foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement. Career Progression including Global Mobility opportunities. Comprehensive Benefits with regional specific offerings.
Why This Role Is Valuable: As our Legal Counsel you will be responsible for leading on:
- Business Partnering & Advisory: Act as a trusted legal advisor to senior stakeholders across Ornua Foods UK and Ornua Food Solutions International. Embed yourself within commercial teams (marketing, innovation, procurement, sales) to anticipate needs and provide timely, practical advice. Enable innovation and marketing teams to deliver campaigns and product launches confidently and compliantly. Manage external legal advisors efficiently, particularly outside the UK.
- Commercial & Contracting: Lead the drafting, negotiation and execution of a wide range of commercial agreements (sales, distribution, procurement, media, digital and professional services). Drive efficiencies in contracting processes and identify opportunities to improve templates and ways of working. Support complex negotiations, balancing legal risk with commercial objectives.
- Risk & Compliance: Proactively identify emerging legal and regulatory risks, particularly in areas impacting FMCG, marketing and sustainability. Translate legal developments into clear, actionable guidance for the business. Partner cross-functionally to implement practical, risk-based policies and governance frameworks. Support and enhance compliance programmes (e.g. data privacy, competition law, ESG, anti-bribery, cyber security).
- Disputes & Issue Management: Manage disputes, litigation and settlement negotiations, working with external counsel where required. Take a proactive approach to issue resolution, minimising risk and business disruption.
What You Bring To The Role:
- Experience: Qualified lawyer with a minimum of 8 - 10 years’ PQE. Strong experience in commercial contracts. In-house experience, ideally within FMCG, food or beverage, and/or experience in marketing/advertising compliance is preferred.
- Mindset & Approach: A proactive self-starter who anticipates issues rather than reacting to them. Demonstrated ability to operate autonomously and manage a diverse, fast-moving workload. Commercially astute, with the ability to balance legal risk and business opportunity. Comfortable working in a dynamic environment where priorities evolve.
- Skills: Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the confidence to challenge constructively. Ability to communicate complex legal concepts in a clear, practical and business-friendly way. Collaborative and solutions-focused, with a natural ability to build trust across teams. Curious and adaptable, with an appetite to learn new areas of law quickly.
Our interview process is designed to be thorough yet supportive. This process includes a first stage via Teams to allow us to get to know you better and to understand your skills and experiences and, if successful, a second stage face-to-face interview that will build upon the first stage and give you the opportunity to get a feel for Ornua and the environment in which you will be working. Ornua has ambitious growth plans and we’re building a team to help enable and accelerate that growth. We are looking for people who share our values, are curious, forward-looking, take ownership and work together to build a future for themselves and Ornua. Would you like to make an impact?
To learn more, please visit Ornua at www.ornua.com
Ornua values diversity and inclusion and welcomes applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds. We also strongly encourage women and other underrepresented groups in the manufacturing industry to apply. Your unique perspectives and experiences are highly valued and will be instrumental in driving our company’s continued success. Join us in shaping a more innovative, inclusive, and sustainable future.
Ornua is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible workplace. We will make every effort to provide for any reasonable accessibility needs you may have during your employment with us. If you require accommodations at any stage of the recruitment process or in your role, please let us know — we’re here to support you.
Legal Counsel in Leek employer: Ornua
Ornua is an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and inclusive work culture, offering generous benefits such as a bonus scheme, matched pension, and 33 days of annual leave. Located in Leeks, Foods UK, this role provides unique opportunities for professional growth and development within a purpose-driven organisation, where employees are encouraged to embrace new ideas and collaborate towards achieving great things together.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Legal Counsel in Leek
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the legal field. Attend industry events, join relevant online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out to folks on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews! Research Ornua and understand their values and mission. Think about how your experience aligns with their needs, especially in commercial contracts and risk management. Practise answering common interview questions and prepare some thoughtful questions to ask them too.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your skills! Bring along examples of your past work that demonstrate your ability to manage complex negotiations and provide practical legal advice. Whether it’s a successful contract you drafted or a tricky issue you resolved, having tangible proof of your expertise can really set you apart.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining Ornua and being part of their mission-driven team. So, get that application in and let’s make it happen!
We think you need these skills to ace Legal Counsel in Leek
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Legal Counsel role. Highlight your relevant experience in commercial contracts and how it aligns with Ornua's mission. We want to see how you can bring value to our team!
Showcase Your Skills:Don’t just list your qualifications; demonstrate your skills in stakeholder management and risk assessment. Use specific examples that show how you've influenced decision-making in previous roles. This is your chance to shine!
Be Authentic:We value authenticity, so let your true self come through in your application. Share your passion for law and how it connects with our values at Ornua. We’re looking for someone who’s not just qualified but also a great cultural fit!
Apply Through Our Website:For the best chance of success, make sure to apply directly through our website. It’s the easiest way for us to track your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves. We can’t wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at Ornua
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your legal knowledge, especially around commercial contracts and FMCG regulations. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with the role and how you can add value to Ornua's mission.
✨Show Your Commercial Mindset
During the interview, demonstrate your ability to balance legal risk with business opportunities. Share examples of how you've influenced decision-making in previous roles and how you can support innovation at Ornua.
✨Build Relationships
Highlight your stakeholder management skills. Talk about how you've successfully collaborated with cross-functional teams in the past and how you plan to embed yourself within Ornua's commercial teams to provide timely, practical advice.
✨Be Proactive and Solutions-Focused
Ornua is looking for someone who anticipates issues rather than reacts to them. Prepare to discuss situations where you've identified potential risks early and how you provided solutions that benefited the business.
