Legal Counsel - Corporate & Commercial at British American Tobacco

Job purpose and key deliverables    

Reporting to the Senior Commercial Counsel, the job holder will provide operational and strategic legal support to the BAT business, covering commercial transactions, finance matters, company secretarial matters, contract management, legal compliance, risk management, dispute resolution, employment law, intellectual property management, and records management.

Key Accountabilities

• Draft, negotiate and review contractual documentation and develop where applicable standard formats, to ensure that the Company’s interests are adequately protected.
• Provide legal advice in corporate and commercial matters – contracts, corporate structuring, finance, treasury, tax & excise.
• Review, draft and advise on company policies.
• Drive compliance with local laws, company policies and procedure within functions of responsibility
• Ensure compliance and implementation of BAT’s records management policy.
• Manage external counsel and provide active support to Tax Committee
• Provide legal support to the following business functions:  Marketing, Finance, Human Resources, IT, Security.
• Provide legal support to BATN Foundation and act as its company secretary
• Provide legal advice and support directed at supporting the achievement of the core objectives of the functions of responsibility.
• The job holder will consistently engage senior management on legal issues and would be required to provide legal advice on key business initiatives.

Essential requirements    

• A lawyer with professional legal qualifications and practical commercial legal experience of not less than 6 (six) years.
• Ability to formulate, advise on and implement legal strategy within a multinational business context
• Working knowledge of commercial law, company law and company secretarial management, finance, tax, employment law
• Good commercial judgment; ability to work under pressure and with minimum supervision;
• Ability to manage and direct external lawyers and consultants.
• Ability to organise, prepare and deliver powerpoint presentations
• Effective negotiation skills
• Strong inter-personal and communication skills.
• Excellent writing skills.