Senior Counsel, Regulatory Affairs (Xico)

Overview

The Senior Counsel – Latin America is responsible for providing comprehensive legal support to the company's operations across multiple Latin American markets (excluding Brazil). The role acts as the primary legal business partner for assigned countries, delivering strategic and operational legal advice that enables growth while managing legal and regulatory risk.

Part of the regional Legal function for Latin America, reporting to the Legal Director – LatAm. Provides support primarily to Spanish-speaking Latin American countries (e.g., Country and regional Business Leaders, Finance, HR, Marketing, Sales, Supply Chain, Regulatory, and Compliance functions; centralized global teams (IP, Data Privacy, Ethics & Compliance, Corporate Legal)). Frequently interacts with external counsel and regulatory authorities, as required.

Legal Advisory & Business Partnering: act as the primary legal contact and trusted advisor for assigned countries in Latin America (excluding Brazil). Provide timely, pragmatic legal advice on commercial initiatives, business projects, risk assessments, and operational issues. Support business planning and strategic initiatives by identifying legal implications and recommending risk-mitigation options. Translate complex legal requirements into clear, business-oriented guidance.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements, including vendor, supply, logistics, and outsourcing arrangements; ensure agreements align with local legal requirements, internal policies, and risk tolerance.
• Develop and maintain contract templates, clause libraries, and playbooks to drive consistency and efficiency across the region.
• Review and advise on packaging, labeling, advertising, and marketing campaigns (including digital and social media) for legal and regulatory compliance.
• Counsel Marketing, Trade Marketing, and Commercial teams on consumer protection, claims, promotions, and fair competition rules.
• Support the development of guidelines and trainings for marketing and commercial stakeholders on compliant practices.
• Provide pre-litigation risk assessments and legal strategies, including alternative dispute resolution approaches.
• Manage and coordinate external counsel for litigation, arbitration, and administrative proceedings as needed.
• Regulatory, Compliance & Policy Support: monitor and interpret local legal and regulatory developments impacting the business; support the implementation and execution of compliance programs (e.g., anti-corruption, sanctions, fair competition, data privacy) in coordination with regional and integral Compliance teams.
• Assist in drafting and rolling out internal policies, guidelines, and SOPs to ensure legal and policy adherence.
• Contribute to training and awareness sessions for employees and managers on key legal and compliance topics.
• Ethics, Investigations & Data Privacy: support centralized Ethics & Compliance teams in investigations; assist data privacy teams with privacy frameworks, data-transfer mechanisms, consent requirements, and incident responses in the region; provide legal review of data processing agreements and privacy-related contractual provisions; provide local perspective on IP disputes, unauthorized use, and brand protection initiatives; support IP-related clauses in commercial and marketing agreements.
• Legal Research, Governance & Knowledge Management: conduct legal research to support opinions, contracts, and regulatory analysis; contribute to the maintenance of legal knowledge repositories, FAQs, and toolkits for the region.
• Coordinate corporate filings, delegations of authority, and POAs in coordination with regional and global teams, where applicable.
• Operate across multiple jurisdictions with differing legal frameworks, enforcement practices, and regulatory expectations; balance speed and commercial agility with risk management and compliance obligations.
• Work with diverse stakeholders, often remotely and across time zones, while maintaining influence and credibility.
• Manage external counsel effectively to ensure quality, consistency, and cost control; provide input into budget planning and external legal spend.
• Provide independent legal advice on day-to-day matters and routine contractual arrangements within defined company policies and risk parameters; recommend strategies on complex or high-risk matters and escalate as appropriate.

Qualifications

• Law degree from a recognized university; licensed to practice law in at least one Latin American jurisdiction (preferably in a Spanish-speaking country).
• Minimum 8 years of post-qualification experience in an international law firm and/or the legal department of a multinational company.
• Demonstrated experience advising on commercial contracts, marketing/advertising, consumer law, and general corporate/regulatory matters.
• Experience managing and coordinating external counsel.
• Ethics & Compliance (e.g., data privacy and information security), intellectual property (trademarks, brand protection); strong legal drafting and negotiation skills in Spanish and English.
• Ability to interpret and apply complex legal and regulatory frameworks in a practical, business-focused manner.
• Proficiency with standard legal research tools and MS Office; familiarity with contract management or matter management systems is a plus.
• Languages: Spanish, English; Portuguese desirable. Business acumen; influencing and relationship management; high ethical standards and compliance culture.
• Occasional regional travel may be required depending on business and legal needs.