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- Tasks: Draft and negotiate legal documents while ensuring compliance across various business areas.
- Company: Join one of Britain's largest food companies with iconic brands in every household.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, car allowance, bonus, pension, and extensive training opportunities.
- Why this job: Gain diverse legal experience in a fast-paced environment and make a real impact.
- Qualifications: Solicitor qualification in England (NQ-4 PQE) and strong communication skills required.
- Other info: Inclusive culture that values authenticity and individuality in the workplace.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Based in St Albans/50% WFHPermanent
We're one of Britain's biggest food companies with a broad stable of leading brands; brands which you can find in around 94% of British households, as well as a growing number of international markets. We are listed on the UK Stock Exchange, have annual revenues of in excess of £1bn and employ over 4,000 colleagues across our 14 locations.
Our brands include Mr Kipling, Merchant Gourmet, Cadbury (under licence), Bisto, Batchelors, Ambrosia, Sharwood's, Oxo, Loyd Grossman, Homepride, Saxa, The Spice Tailor, Fuel 10k and McDougall's.
Our UK Business Unit is responsible for developing our portfolio of leading brands in the following key categories: Flavourings & Seasonings, Cooking Sauces & Accompaniments, Quick Meals & Soups, Ambient desserts, Sweet Treats.
Our International Business Unit is focused on developing new markets for our brands around the world, including key strategic markets in Australia, USA, and Republic of Ireland, and other markets such as Middle East, South Africa and Canada.
The Legal and Secretarial Department's role is to ensure that Premier Foods plc, and its subsidiaries, comply with their legal, regulatory and corporate governance obligations. This is a small central team that is highly-regarded, impactful and moves with pace and has a focus on business partnering. The job offers a great opportunity to gain a wide variety of experience in the domestic and international markets. We will provide support for continued development of your legal skills.
What we need from you...
- Admitted as a solicitor in England (or an equivalent international qualification) (ideally NQ-4 PQE)
- Must thrive and enjoy working in a fast moving environment
- Ideally Procurement experience
- Must act in a professional manner at all times
- Must be proactive, show initiative, with a hands-on attitude
- Must be able to multi-task and instinctively be able to deal with a wide range of contacts (internal colleagues, external suppliers, key stakeholders)
- You will be someone who has high standards and attention to detail and who continually seeks a better way to do things
- Well-developed verbal and written communication skills
What you'll be doing...
- Commercial: Drafting, reviewing and negotiating a variety of legal documents (e.g. NDAs, letters of variation, extensions, procurement contracts, sales contracts, distribution agreements, terms and conditions of sale and purchase, letters of termination etc). Provide advice to the commercial teams on interpretation of contracts with a view to delivering the desired Premier position.
- Marketing and Advertising: Review of product packaging and liaising with the brand and regs teams, as necessary, to ensure product packaging is compliant. The drafting and review of promotional terms and conditions and advertisements for legal compliance and creating solutions to change advertisements etc to ensure compliance with the Code of Advertising Practice and other relevant laws.
- Compliance: Support the implementation and ongoing monitoring of Premier's compliance programme including Competition, Anti-Bribery, Sanctions and Data Protection laws. Organising and creating training materials, monitoring attendance and spotting compliance issues, when dealing with other matters, and answering questions raised by the business.
- Intellectual Property: Drafting NDAs/reviewing NDAs received from third parties. Undertaking trade mark clearance searches for UK and International, including assessing when external counsel will be required to conduct full clearance searches, and managing external counsel with the clearance searches. Reviewing trade mark watch notices and escalating any which may be an issue to the relevant member of the legal team. Handling ad hoc queries from the International team on what trade marks we have registered and where. Drafting letters of consent to use our brands. Drafting trade mark licences.
What we offer you in return...
- Competitive salary
- Car Allowance
- Bonus
- Up to 7.5% pension
- Life assurance
- Wide range of online and in-house training
- Access to an employee discount scheme, with access to hundreds of nationwide retailers
Ready to apply...? Click apply, submitting an up-to-date CV tailored to this opportunity. We look forward to hearing from you.
A great British food company. Premier Foods is one of Britain's biggest listed food companies, employing over 4,000 colleagues at 13 manufacturing sites and offices up and down the country. Many of our brands have been part of UK life for more than a century and you'll find them in 90% of British households. At Premier Foods we believe in inclusion, authenticity and individuality. We aim to ensure all existing and future colleagues are given equitable opportunities and are respected, valued and encouraged to bring their true authentic selves to work no matter who they are, what they look like, who they love or what they believe in. Our culture is one where everyone is welcome.
Legal Counsel in Saint Albans employer: Premier Foods
Contact Detail:
Premier Foods Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Legal Counsel in Saint Albans
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current or former employees on LinkedIn and ask about their experiences. A friendly chat can give you insider info and might even lead to a referral.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by researching the company’s brands and recent news. Show us that you’re genuinely interested in Premier Foods and how you can contribute to their success.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your answers to common legal interview questions. We want to see your thought process, so explain your reasoning clearly and confidently during the interview.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after your interview! A quick thank-you email can keep you fresh in our minds and shows your enthusiasm for the role.
We think you need these skills to ace Legal Counsel in Saint Albans
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Legal Counsel role. Highlight your relevant experience, especially in procurement and compliance, and don’t forget to showcase your attention to detail!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you’re the perfect fit for our fast-paced environment and how your skills align with what we need. Keep it professional but let your personality show!
Showcase Your Communication Skills: Since well-developed verbal and written communication skills are key for this role, make sure your application reflects that. Use clear language and structure your documents well to demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands and shows us you’re serious about joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Premier Foods
✨Know Your Legal Stuff
Make sure you brush up on the key legal concepts relevant to the role, especially around procurement and compliance. Familiarise yourself with the types of documents you'll be dealing with, like NDAs and contracts, so you can speak confidently about them during the interview.
✨Show Your Proactive Side
This company values initiative, so come prepared with examples of how you've taken charge in previous roles. Think of situations where you identified a problem and implemented a solution, especially in fast-paced environments.
✨Communicate Clearly
Since well-developed verbal and written communication skills are crucial, practice articulating your thoughts clearly. You might even want to prepare a few concise explanations of complex legal terms or processes to demonstrate your ability to simplify legal jargon for non-legal colleagues.
✨Be Ready to Multi-task
The role requires juggling various tasks and contacts, so think of examples from your past experiences where you successfully managed multiple priorities. Be ready to discuss how you stay organised and ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
