General Counsel at L'Oréal

Role Purpose

• To act as a strategic legal business partner to the Sub-Saharan Africa operations, providing expert legal advice, ensuring compliance, and safeguarding L’Oréal’s interests in all areas of law relevant to his/her field of expertise (corporate law, competition law, M&A, finance and banking law, IT and digital law, trademark, Image & Communications, consumer protection etc.) while enabling sustainable business growth. As a member of both the local RSA and SSA Zone Management Committees, the role will influence critical business decisions, balancing commercial priorities with regulatory, ethical, and reputational considerations. 
• Additionally, the SSA General Counsel will be part of L'Oréal's Global International Legal Management Committee, partnering directly with executive-level leadership in the head office and globally.

KEY JOB ACCOUNTABILITIES

Strategic Legal Leadership

• Serves as the primary legal advisor to the Zone President, Country Manager, Regional Management Committee, and functional heads.
• Provides proactive, business-oriented legal advice across all areas of the business (marketing, sales, supply chain, manufacturing, distribution, digital, e-commerce, purchasing, R&I, sustainability, finance, public affairs, corporate communications).
• Closely collaborates with HR, Ethics, Internal Control and Scientific Regulatory.
• Actively participates in executive leadership discussions, challenging and guiding decision-making to ensure legal and ethical soundness.

Governance and Compliance 

• Leads local implementation of L’Oréal Group’s Data Privacy, anti-bribery and corruption standards, competition law compliance, and other global policies. 
• Ensures L’Oréal's legal compliance and certainty in regard to its activities, in connection with the developments of the standards in force (legislative, regulatory, jurisprudential, internal, etc.).
• Designs policies and legal practices relevant to his/her field of expertise, passes them on, and trains people concerned, whether legal or not.
• Oversee and strengthen internal controls, contracts, and regulatory compliance in alignment with both local laws and Group standards.
• Ensure timely remediation of any compliance gaps.
• Through the Company secretary who reports to the General Counsel manages statutory compliance with the Companies Act, 71 of 2008
• Is a member of the following committees: Employment Equity, B-BBEE, Public Affairs, Contributor to Social and Ethics, Corruption Committee
• An employer appointed trustee to the L’Oréal Provident Fund board of Trustees

Contract Management & Commercial Support

• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial contracts (distribution agreements, supplier contracts, marketing partnerships, e-commerce arrangements, manufacturing).
• Anticipate and mitigate legal risks in business transactions, campaigns, promotional competitions and launches.
• Train commercial and marketing teams on legal considerations for product claims, influencer marketing, and digital campaigns.

Dispute Resolution & Risk Management

• Manage disputes, litigation, and regulatory investigations in collaboration with external counsel.
• Implement strategies to prevent and resolve conflicts efficiently, minimising risk to brand and business.

External & Internal Stakeholder Engagement

• Build strong working relationships with regulators, industry bodies, and external counsel, where relevant
• Work closely with Paris/HQ legal teams, ensuring local legal priorities are aligned with Group strategy and policies.
• Act as a bridge between headquarters and local operations, ensuring two-way communication and alignment.
• Acts as mentor and coach to the legal team

PROFESSIONAL & TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

ACTS AS A PROACTIVE BUSINESS PARTNER

• Understands the organisation’s strategic objectives and enables legal team to meaningfully contribute towards its execution
• Knows brands, products, markets and related issues
• Understands his/her clients’ organizations, roles and processes to act with more efficiency
• Develops proximity with his/her clients to facilitate awareness and appropriate reflexes on legal issues 
• Keeps continuously informed of relevant legal evolutions and internal norms to provide his/her clients with relevant advise
• Ensures the right implementation of Law and regulations to secure the business
• Takes part in the development of internal control initiatives, ensuring compliance of operations, making actors aware of points of vigilance

DECODES AND INFLUENCES

• Listens actively and decodes facts/situations to qualify the right diagnosis
• Imagines alternative options/solutions to match business needs
• Clarifies and simplifies concepts to match the point and advise efficiently to facilitate action and decision making 

PUTS LEGAL EXPERTISE TO THE SERVICE OF BUSINESS PERFORMANCE

• Ensures the legal team are resourced in a manner to enable business objectives
• Takes initiatives to share his/her knowledge with the team/clients
• Treats information as an asset to ensure the creation, conservation and transmission of the L’Oréal « know how » on legal matters

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Postgraduate LLB
• Admission as an attorney
• +10 years PQE
• Min 5 years corporate Inhouse advisor
• Min 5 years leadership/team management
• FMCG experience an advantage but not essential

Deadline:21st August,2025