EMEA Senior Corporate Counsel

The EMEA Senior Corporate Counsel for DRiV will serve as critical legal support for day-to-day operations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.  This includes advising on commercial matters, promotional materials, employment matters, and corporate governance.  This position requires the ability to take ownership of processes, adapt to dynamic surroundings, innovate new solutions to problems, and to explain complex, challenging issues in a clear manner to all levels of the organization.  The individual may be based anywhere in Europe, but should be prepared to travel to DRiV’s main EMEA offices in Belgium once every month or two. 

The ideal candidate will have the ability to combine technical expertise with practical advice that furthers the business’s objectives.  Above all else, it is critical that the individual subscribe to the “DRiV Mindset”: 

We are obsessed with achieving excellence.

Our conscious default mode is relentless, aggressive action.

We NEVER fail – we either win or learn.

No excuses.  No respect for the status quo.

We take risks and make the impossible happen – and then we raise the bar.

Courageously.  Passionately.  Unapologetically.  Humbly.

Game On.

DRiV’s new Senior Corporate Counsel will thrive in such an environment.

About Our Company

DRiV is the aftermarket division of Tenneco, a leading global supplier to original equipment manufacturers and the aftermarket.  Our division is a global team of more than 9,000 employees divided into several regions: US/Canada, EMEA, APAC, and LATAM and Mexico.  DRiV is home to some of the most recognizable brands in the industry, including Ferodo brake pads, Monroe shocks/struts, and Champion spark plugs.  DRiV contributes ~$3B annually to Tenneco’s global revenue. 

What you will do:

• Serve as counsel to the DRiV division in Europe, Middle East, and Africa.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a variety of commercial contracts with customers and suppliers. 
• Identify opportunities to reduce costs and expedite processes, including increasing efficiency through new templates, signing protocol, and workflow management
• Provide legal advice and support for corporate restructuring initiatives, including headcount, corporate and tax reorganizations, and footprint rationalization. 
• Provide legal advice to business clients on contingent liabilities and disputes, including but not limited to product liability, warranty matters, environmental remediation, and labor and employment matters. 
• Select and manage outside counsel to represent the company in a wide range of matters, including labor/employment and product liability.  
• Advise DRiV on compliance with legal / regulatory obligations and support Compliance initiatives in the region.
• Optimize network of external law firms, with objective to identify most cost-effective counsel for different legal disciplines (e.g. commercial, employment, corporate, litigation) within relevant countries. 
• Ensure the quality, timeliness and practicability of legal advice to internal business clients. 

What you have to bring:

• Law degree from an accredited university with distinguished results, admitted to practice in the applicable jurisdiction(s). 
• 5-10 years of experiences in an inhouse corporate legal position and/or as a corporate associate at a leading international law firm.
• Ability to work collaboratively and effectively in a fast-paced environment
• Familiarity with commercial regulations of the European Union and its members.  Such familiarity should include employment law and product compliance.
• Strong fluency in English (written and spoken)
• Experience managing law firm services and related budgets
• Business-focused approach, strong interpersonal skills, and a commitment to professionalism and integrity
• Experience in a variety of legal matters concerning the management of a manufacturing company across multiple EMEA countries
• Experience negotiating and drafting commercial agreements such as service, supply and logistic contracts and other similar agreements.
• Demonstrates a good understanding of corporate law, competition law, and compliance systems
• Has experience in M & A in the EMEA region
• Ability to prioritize conflicting demands effectively and to communicate priorities.
• Experience working across various jurisdictions in EMEA and the ability to make use of law firms in these jurisdictions and manage such external counsel accordingly.

Why Join Us?

• Opportunity to shape legal strategy across a complex and diverse region
• Collaborate with colleagues across the globe in a multi-billion-dollar enterprise based in the United States but with a strong European presence
• Work with an innovative, forward-thinking legal team that welcomes new ideas and challenges to the status quo
• Play an integral role in an established but growing business that offers additional opportunities for career development