Job Description:
The Assistant General Counsel role is a strategic global legal leader in Petcare who is focused on partnering with our Marketing & Innovation teams and helping to lead the strategic direction of our Intellectual Property function, for marketing and innovation intellectual property (brand protection, trademark, copyright, social media, AI, innovation, etc.). This role will provide a holistic view across the Petcare divisions to help shape our growth and innovation strategies including supporting our innovation pipeline, marketing ambitions,andprovidethoughtleadershiponIPmatterstoensuretheyarealignedwith ourend-to-end demandstrategy andsupports ouroverall growth, innovation, demand and marketingagendawithinPetcare. This positionwillplay akey role inenablinginnovationandbranddifferentiationinacompetitive, fast-movingconsumerlandscapewitha diversesetofbusinessesinthePetcaresegmentrangingfromtraditionalconsumerpackagedgoodsto veterinary and lab services underpinned by foundational and transformational sciences.
The Assistant General Counsel is responsible for Marketing & Innovation across the Petcare business segment of Mars, Incorporated. Petcare is comprised of four distinct business units: Pet Nutrition, Royal Canin, Mars Veterinary Health and Science & Diagnostics spanning a number of technologies and brands, including for example comprehensive veterinary care (including: AniCura, BANFIELD, BLUEPEARL, Linnaeus and VCA), nutrition (including ACANA®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, and WHISKAS®), diagnostics (including Antech and Heska), wearable health monitoring, DNA testing and pet parent platforms. Moreover, Our Waltham Petcare Science Institute is also supporting foundational and future science to support pet health by driving innovations to improve pet health through nutrition, data and veterinary care.
What are we looking for?
Minimum of 12+ plus years as a practicing law with demonstratedexperienceinsupportingmarketingand innovation initiatives; if an in-house lawyer, law firm experience earlier in career is preferred.
Possess anunderstandingof the corporate environment, and specifically the importance of the linkage between a company’s business objectives,end toend demandstrategies including Marketing, Innovation and R&D efforts, and related global portfolio development, protection and enforcement strategies.
Exposureto global issues andstrategic visiondelivering business priorities.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills; ability to work well withandrelatetocompanypersonnel atall corporateand scientific levels.
Demonstration oftheabilitytobesensitiveto culturalissues arising from a global businessthatmayimpacta businessor legal decision.
Strong written andoral communications skills, withthe ability to communicate and interact effectively with clients and business leaders at all levels of the organization; must be able toidentify critical issuesrequiring actionandconveythem ina manner that is understandable and useful to the client.
Stronginterpersonalskillsanddemonstratedabilitytofunction well in a multi-disciplinary team environment.
Quickstudy, abletohandlecomplexmatterswithmultiple initiatives going on simultaneously.
A positive track recordinleading andengaging a large, geographically dispersed legal function.
Successful experience developing talent, building and motivating a legal team andwhen necessary, advocating and institutingchange within a legal department; a leader who innately develops followership.
Amindsetthat iscollegial andcollaborative andwhowill bring a proven commitment to the creation of a positive working environment within the legal organization.
Experienceintalentdevelopmentandanappreciationofthe benefit of having a diverse team of in-house attorneys.
What will be your key responsibilities?
Strategic leadership across an array of legal areas (marketing, advertising, contract, IP/brand protection, AI, social media, etc.) to provide a broad view of critical focus areas & investments across the Segment (includingbrands,claims,innovation,aswellas Digital and AI initiatives).
Legal leadinsupportingholisticbrand&innovationstrategiestodeliverPetcareOGSM,includes building comprehensive legal strategies at Segment level in support of our marketing and innovation ambitions.
EnsureintegratedapproachtoIPprotectionanddevelopment forinnovation and brandsensuringa cross-divisional approach to science focused on pet health (as supported by Waltham), and translated into business-focused deliverables
Partner withBrandExperience,Marketing&StrategyteamsatPetcareleveltosupportinitiatives including advertising, claims, branding, co-branding and digital/AI marketing projects and strategies.
Overseestheintegratedapproachtoprotectingandenforcingourworldwidebrands and content portfolios aligned to the Segment priorities.
LiaisewiththebusinessunitLegalleads, Food law, SRA,Marketing,R&D and Innovationteams, as well as broader business associates to develop and implement a well-conceived strategy to optimize the Segment’s IP & Brand positions, including evaluating the competitor portfolios, and enforcement activities.
EnsurethattheIntellectualpropertyfunction provides necessary legalsupport,asappropriate,to the Segment’s Marketing, Innovation, Commercial (procurement), Digital Technologies, Business Development, Sales, Supply and R&D teams.
OverseestrategicapproachtoMarketingrelatedagreements,including,butnotlimited to, NDAs, MSAs, consulting agreements, licenses and other IP related agreements.
Overseethecontinuousrefinementoftheportfoliomappingandlifecyclemanagement program for the Segment’s trademark portfolios.
Provide IP due diligence support to other law department members in connection with technology investments and business acquisitions.
Contribute to and ensure ahighperformingandcollaborativelegalteamsupportingthe intellectualpropertyfunction across the Segment in an integrated approach.
Strongpeoplemanagementacrossthefunctionincludinghiring,supervising,andevaluatingthe
Segment’s intellectual property lawyers; implement an effective program to continue to motivate, mentor and retain members of the Segment’s legal team.
Assist in setting and managing the Segment’s IP budget for Brands/Marketing and approve spend against the budget to ensure aligned with segment priorities.
Liaise and coordinate with business unit Legal Leads to ensure team members are meeting ongoingneedsofbusinessunittosupport bothstrategic andoperationalinitiatives across the business.
Ensurehigh performancecollaboration across theIntellectualproperty teamscross-segmentand inpartnershipwithCenterofLegalExcellencetoensureefficientandeffectiveuseofresources within the Petcare Segment and broader Mars, Inc organization.
What can you expect from Mars?
Work with diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles.
Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
A strong focus on learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.