Senior Counsel, Commercial - North America Retail

COMPANY OVERVIEW

We exist to make food the world loves. But we do more than that. Our company is a place that prioritizes being a force for good, a place to expand learning, explore new perspectives and reimagine new possibilities, every day. We look for people who want to bring their best — bold thinkers with big hearts who challenge one another and grow together. Because becoming the undisputed leader in food means surrounding ourselves with people who are hungry for what’s next.​

General Mills is seeking a director-level Senior Counsel to join the North America Retail Legal team, providing strategic legal guidance on iconic brands like Cheerios, Pillsbury, and Nature Valley. This role will partner with senior business leaders, enabling the business to make decisions quickly with confidence while appropriately managing legal, regulatory and reputational risks. Reporting to the Vice President, Deputy General Counsel North America Retail and Pet, this attorney will be a member of one or more business leadership teams and will advise clients on all areas of commercial law, with a particular focus on marketing, advertising, sales, and antitrust law. 

Key Accountabilities: 
•    Serve as a strategic legal leader to North America Retail business leaders in US and Canada and cross-functional business partners, providing clear, practical and timely guidance with a focus on driving growth and appropriately managing risk. 
•    Advise on marketing, advertising, consumer communications, product claims, brand activity and related risk-management questions, in close partnership with business teams.
•    Work with Sales teams to manage complex commercial issues, customer relationships, and antitrust related matters.
•    Collaborate with a variety of legal department colleagues (e.g., Intellectual Property, Food Law, Government and Regulatory Affairs) to provide holistic business advice, navigate regulatory frameworks, and manage enterprise issues.
•    Identify legal and compliance risks early, frame practical options, and recommend a path forward that balances business objectives, risk tolerance and speed.
•    Support business leadership teams through planning, innovation, launches, issue management and other enterprise or NAR priorities.
•    Manage and strategically deploy outside counsel when appropriate, including scoping work, evaluating advice, managing spend and ensuring strong client service.
•    Bring a creative and innovative mindset to the business and legal teams, adapting to evolving business needs, operating effectively in ambiguity and bringing a growth mindset to a rapidly changing business and legal environment.   
•    Contribute to a collaborative, high-performing legal team and take on additional responsibilities as the organization’s needs evolve.

Minimum Qualifications
•    Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
•    Admission to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction and ability to maintain any required in-house authorization.
•    8+ years of post-law-school experience in a sophisticated law firm, in-house legal department or comparable setting.
•    Demonstrated experience leading sophisticated commercial counseling and advising business clients on complex, cross-functional issues.
•    Strong judgment, written and verbal communication skills, negotiation skills and ability to prioritize in a fast-paced environment.
•    Ability to operate credibly with senior business leaders and independently lead matters from issue identification through execution.

Preferred Qualifications 
•    Experience in-house at a consumer products company or other regulated business
•    Experience in commercial law, marketing/advertising law or food regulatory matters
•    Experience working directly with senior leadership teams on high-visibility or high-consequence business matters
•    Experience managing others

SALARY RANGE

The salary range for this position is:

$149,500 - $249,300 Annual

At General Mills we strive for each employee's pay at any point in their career to reflect their experiences performance and skills for their current role. The salary range for this role represents the numerous factors considered in the hiring decisions including, but not limited to, educations, skills, work experience, certifications, etc. As such, pay for the successful candidate(s) could fall anywhere within the stated range. ​

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Beyond base salary, General Mills offers a competitive Total Rewards package focusing on your overall well-being. We are proud to offer a foundation of health benefits, retirement and financial wellbeing, time off programs, wellbeing support and perks. Benefits may vary by role, country, region, union status, and other employment status factors. You may also be eligible to participate in an annual incentive program. An incentive award, if any, depends on various factors, including, individual and organizational performance.

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must meet a minimum 18-year age qualification.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER (EOE)​

General Mills is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital or familial status, status regarding public assistance, or membership or activity in a local human rights commission.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION REQUEST

If you need to request an accommodation during the application or hiring process, please fill out our online accommodation request form by following this link: Accommodation Request.