Legal Counsel - EMEA Purchasing

Imerys is the world’s leading supplier of mineral-based specialty solutions for the industry with €3.8 billion in revenue and 13,700 employees in 54 countries in 2023. The Group offers high value-added and functional solutions to a wide range of industries and fast-growing markets such as solutions for the energy transition and sustainable construction, as well as natural solutions for consumer goods. Imerys draws on its understanding of applications, technological knowledge, and expertise in material science to deliver solutions which contribute essential properties to customers’ products and their performance. As part of its commitment to responsible development, Imerys promotes environmentally friendly products and processes in addition to supporting its customers in their decarbonization efforts.

The Position

Legal Counsel - EMEA Purchasing

Job Summary

Join Imerys as a Legal Counsel and Shape the Future of Sustainable Industry!

Are you a passionate legal professional looking to make a meaningful impact in a global, innovative company? Imerys, a world leader in mineral-based specialty solutions, is seeking a dynamic Legal Counsel to join our team.

At Imerys, we believe in the power of minerals to create a better world. As our Legal Counsel, you'll play a crucial role in supporting our mission to provide responsible solutions that make a difference in people's lives every day.

What Imerys offers:

1. An opportunity to work on challenging projects in a truly international and cross jurisdictional environment.
2. A chance to contribute to sustainable development and innovation.
3. A working culture that embraces collaboration, celebrates diversity and values expertise, creativity, and integrity.
4. Continuous learning and development opportunities.

What You'll Do:

You will be acting as a Legal Counsel - EMEA Purchasing, a position within the EMEA Business Legal Team of Imerys Legal Function, a highly engaged and collaborative team of 22 business legal professionals and assistants spread across the region.

As Legal Counsel - EMEA Purchasing you will provide legal support to the centralised purchasing activities (so-called “Category Purchases”) of Imerys Group across the EMEA region as well as to headquarters-led worldwide purchases. You will be part of a 2 member team dedicated to the Category Purchases within the EMEA Business Legal Team, and will be reporting to the Legal Manager -EMEA Purchasing.

The Category Purchases within Imerys Group concern the Group’s purchases in energy, sea and road transportation services, purchases of raw materials, industrial purchases (opex and capex), heavy mobile equipment, IT and telecom, and indirect services.

In particular, as Legal Counsel - EMEA Purchasing, you will:

1. Legal Support for Purchasing Contracts: Provide legal advice on complex business transactions and on cross jurisdictional purchasing agreements, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including anti-bribery regulations, competition laws, and import/export restrictions, international sanctions. Draft, review and negotiate robust contracts related to the purchasing of goods and services; develop and maintain templates, clause books, negotiation playbooks.
2. Compliance and Regulatory Monitoring: Implement Responsible Purchasing initiatives and adherence to corporate compliance policies, including anti-corruption policies. Follow up legal developments in the EMEA region that are relevant to purchasing matters. Contribute to Imerys’ commitment to ethical and sustainable practices.
3. Dispute Resolution and Risk Management: Manage and resolve disputes with suppliers, including mediation, arbitration, and litigation when necessary. Mitigate risks related to contract performance, payment terms, and the delivery of goods and services. Work proactively with internal and external stakeholders to prevent legal disputes and mitigate legal exposure. Provide guidance to purchasing teams on managing contractual obligations and risks.
4. Collaboration and Reporting: Report on legal risks and compliance issues within your scope and adhere to Legal Department and Group reporting processes. Collaborate with the other legal teams within the Legal Function and within other functions (purchasing, logistics/supply chain, operations, finance) to ensure a good level of cross-teams information and of efficient legal support; provide expert support on local purchases requiring specialist knowledge. Contribute creatively to the development of processes, ways of working and tools to continuously improve the ability of the legal department to provide consistent, high-quality support on purchasing matters.
5. External Counsel Management: Cooperate with external legal counsel across multiple jurisdictions for complex purchasing issues, seeking synergies with the other EMEA Business Legal teams. Ensure value for money and quality control of external legal services.

Qualifications and Competencies:

1. French M2 in law, Bachelor’s degree in Law (LL.B) or equivalent in a large European country; an advanced degree (LL.M) in procurement law, international trade law or international affairs is advantageous.
2. At least 3 years of legal experience in a corporation and/or law firm with a focus on EMEA international work related to commercial contracts and/or dispute resolution. Experience in reviewing purchase contracts in the fields of energy, sea and road transportation services, raw materials, industrial purchases (opex and capex) will be advantageous.
3. Team-oriented and collaborative.
4. Hands on mindset and sense of ownership.
5. Pragmatic, solution-oriented business partner mindset.
6. Creative problem-solving ability for handling complex legal situations.
7. Capacity to work effectively, efficiently and autonomously.
8. Ability to manage interactions with multiple stakeholders in a multicultural environment.
9. Strong commitment and passion for delivering tangible results.
10. Fluency in French and in English is required; proficiency in other languages spoken in the EMEA region is a plus.

If you're ready to leverage your legal expertise to drive positive change and be part of a company that's shaping the future of industry, we would love to hear from you.

Join Imerys and let's create a better tomorrow, together!

Position Type

Full time and Permanent