Compliance Counsel - Remote

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. Key focus areas include commercial contracting, marketing and advertising review, dispute resolution and litigation support, regulatory and compliance matters (including anti-corruption and data privacy), and coordination with regional and global legal teams on intellectual property, ethics and compliance, and labor/employment topics. The role operates with a high degree of autonomy, interacting regularly with senior business and functional leaders.

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 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.
Contracting & Commercial Transactions
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.
Marketing, Packaging & Advertising Compliance
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, including commercial, corporate, consumer, competition, and sector-specific regulations.
Support the implementation and execution of compliance programs (e.g., anti-corruption, sanctions, fair competition, data privacy) in coordination with regional and global 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
Support centralized Ethics & Compliance teams in conducting investigations (e.g., Assist the central Data Privacy team in implementing 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 using standard legal databases and resources to support opinions, contracts, and regulatory analysis.
Contribute to the maintenance of legal knowledge repositories, FAQs, and toolkits for the region.
corporate filings, delegations of authority, POAs) in coordination with regional and global teams, where applicable.

Operating across multiple jurisdictions with differing legal frameworks, enforcement practices, and regulatory expectations.
Balancing the need for speed and commercial agility with risk management and compliance obligations.
Working with diverse stakeholders (legal and non-legal), often remotely and across time zones, while maintaining influence and credibility.
Managing external counsel effectively to ensure quality, consistency, and cost control.
data privacy, anti-corruption, marketing standards) into practical guidance for business teams.

Provides independent legal advice on day-to-day matters and routine contractual arrangements within defined company policies and risk parameters.
Recommends strategies and options on complex or high-risk matters and escalates to the Legal Director – LatAm or global Legal as appropriate.
Selects and manages external counsel within approved guidelines, including scope definition and performance oversight; may provide input into budget planning and external legal spend.
Has significant influence on business decisions through legal risk assessment and advisory, though final decisions are typically taken by business leadership in consultation with Legal.

Legal Director – Latin America (direct manager)
Country / Regional General Managers and Business Leaders
Regional and local Marketing, Sales, Trade Marketing, Finance, HR, Supply Chain, Regulatory, and IT teams
Global Legal, IP, Data Privacy, Ethics & Compliance, and other Corporate functions
External law firms and legal advisors
Regulatory and administrative authorities (as needed and typically through local counsel)
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 applications; familiarity with contract management or matter management systems is a plus.
Spanish: English: Portuguese: Business Acumen: Understands the commercial context and can align legal advice with strategic and operational objectives.
Influencing & Relationship Management: Builds credibility and trust with senior stakeholders; Communicates clearly and concisely, adapting messages to legal and non-legal audiences.
Demonstrates high ethical standards and supports a strong compliance culture.
Role is typically office-based (or hybrid) with extensive use of electronic communications and virtual collaboration tools.
Occasional regional travel may be required (e.g., to country offices, courts, regulators, or external counsel) depending on business and legal needs.